Where does “handfest” come from?

handfest (German) comes from German Hand, 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.

handfest (German): tangible, solid; handy; strong

Definitions

  1. tangible, solid; handy; strong

Ancestry of “handfest”, step by step

handfest traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Hand

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

via German fest

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanfestfirm; compact; hard; firm; fixed; rigid; firm;...
2Middle High Germanvest—
3Old High Germanfestīfirm
4Proto-Germanicfastuzfixed, firm, secure
Every word from Proto-Germanic handuz →
handfest — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer