Where does “Handlungsreisender” come from?

Handlungsreisender (German) comes from German Handlung, from German handeln, from English handle, from Middle English handel, from Old English handle, from Old English handlian, from Proto-West Germanic handulōn, from Proto-Germanic handlōną — hand.

Handlungsreisender (German): traveling salesman, travelling salesman

Definitions

  1. traveling salesman, travelling salesman

Ancestry of “Handlungsreisender”, step by step

Handlungsreisender traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Handlung

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanHandlungplot; deed; action, act
2Germanhandelnto act; to take action; to negotiate; to bargain;...
3EnglishhandleThe part of an object which is held in the hand...
4Middle Englishhandel
5Old Englishhandlea handle
6Old Englishhandlianto handle
7Proto-West Germanichandulōnto handle
8Proto-Germanichandlōnąto take or hold in the hand, seize, grip
9Proto-Germanichanduzhand

via German Reisender

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanReisendertourist; traveller, voyager; genitive singular of...
2Germanreisendpresent participle of reisen; traveling
3Germanreisento travel; to fall
4Middle High Germanreisento fall
5Old High Germanreisōnto arise, set out, set out on a journey
6Proto-West Germanic*raisōnto set out, depart, journey
7Finnishraisuboisterous, rambunctious
8Proto-Germanicraisōa travel, journey
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁rey-to arise, arise; to rise, arise; to rise; arise
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz