Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Handlanger” come from?

Handlanger (German) comes from German hand, from Middle High German hant, from Old High German hant, from Proto-West Germanic handu, from Swedish hand, from Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic handuz — hand.

Handlanger (German): a handyman; a henchman

Definitions

  1. a handyman; a henchman

Ancestry of “Handlanger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhand—
2Middle High Germanhant—
3Old High Germanhanthand
4Proto-West Germanichanduhand
5SwedishhandA hand; A hand; the set of cards held by a player
6Old SwedishhandA hand; A direction; A behalf
7Old Norsehǫndhand
8Proto-Germanichanduzhand

Words derived from “Handlanger”

  • Handlanger
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →