Where does “handles” come from?
handles (Middle English) comes from Old English handlēas, from Proto-Germanic handulausaz, from Proto-Germanic -lausaz, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
Ancestry of “handles”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | handlēas | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | handulausaz | handless |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |