Where does “抱き” come from?

抱き (Japanese) comes from Japanese 抱く, from Old Japanese 抱く, from Old Japanese 綰く — to do an action using one's hands.

Ancestry of “抱き”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Japanese	抱く	to embrace, hug, hold in one's arms; to sleep...
2	Old Japanese	抱く	to hug, embrace
3	Old Japanese	綰く	to do an action using one's hands