hand
The end part of the arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
Etymology
From Old English hand/hond, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. The PIE origin is debated and uncertain. The standard PIE word for hand was *ǵʰésr̥ (Hittite keššar, Greek kheír), but English "hand" does not descend from this root. The Germanic word *handuz has no established PIE etymology — it may relate to Gothic -hinþan "to seize" or be a substrate word.
The Journey: (no clear PIE root) → hand
*ǵʰésr̥
*handuz
hand/hond
hand
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root (no clear PIE root). They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | kheír |
| Latin | prehendere (to grasp) |
| Gothic | handus |
| Sanskrit | hásta- |
| Old Norse | hǫnd |
Did You Know?
The word "handle" literally means "to use the hand on something." English is rich in hand compounds: handbook, handsome (originally "easy to handle"), handicraft, and handiwork.