Where does “Rechtshänder” come from?

Rechtshänder (German) comes from German rechts, from German recht, from Middle High German reht, from Old High German reht, from Proto-West Germanic reht, from Proto-Germanic rehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.

Rechtshänder (German): right-hander

Definitions

  1. right-hander

Ancestry of “Rechtshänder”, step by step

Rechtshänder traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German rechts

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanrechtson the right; to the right; the right-hand side
2Germanrechtright; proper, correct; true, real
3Middle High Germanreht—
4Old High Germanrehtright
5Proto-West Germanicrehtstraight; right, correct; morally upright, just
6Proto-Germanicrehtazright, straight; morally upright, just
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵtósstraightened, right, upright
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

via German hand

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhandhand
2Middle High Germanhanthand
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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós →Every word from Proto-Germanic rehtaz →