Etymology Map
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Hand

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the end part of the arm, with fingers and thumb

Where does the word "hand" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic handuz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
handuz
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"hand"
of uncertain origin, perhaps 'the grasper'
2
Stage 2 of 3
hand
Old English · 700s-1000s
"hand"
'handbōc', handbook, was an Old English word for a manual of services
3
Stage 3 of 3
hand
English · 1500s
"hand"
'hand' for a worker, as in 'farmhand', dates from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Hand’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: handuz meant “hand.” Of uncertain origin, perhaps 'the grasper'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as hand. 'handbōc', handbook, was an Old English word for a manual of services. It reached English by 1500s as hand. 'hand' for a worker, as in 'farmhand', dates from the 1600s. Today, hand means the end part of the arm, with fingers and thumb.