Wiktionary

hand

See also: Hand, HAND, händ, hånd, hånd-, hand., and hand-

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English hond, hand, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

See also Dutch and Swedish hand (“hand”), Danish hånd, German Hand, West Frisian hân). Perhaps compare Old Swedish hinna (“to gain”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰-𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽 (fra-hinþan, “to take captive, capture”); and Latvian sīts (“hunting spear”), Ancient Greek κεντέω (kentéō, “prick”), Albanian çandër (“pitchfork, prop”).

Noun

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hand (plural hands)

  1. The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.
    Her hands are really strong.
    Meronyms: index finger, middle finger, palm, pinky, ring finger, thumb
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.
    • 2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Time‎[1]:
      Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.
    • 2019 July 24, Drachinifel, 11:06 from the start, in Anti-Sub Warfare in WW1 - From Hammers to Hunter-Killers‎[2], archived from the original on 24 November 2022:
      The fruits of these kickstarted endeavors began to show in 1915, first in the deployment of a new range of depth charges. These were, mercifully, smaller than Jellicoe's "crushing hand of God" prototype, and, whilst practically just as lethal to submarines, they were significantly less risky to the launching ship, and could also be carried in larger numbers.
  2. That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand.
    1. A limb of certain animals, such as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey.
    2. An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour and minute hands on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day.
  3. That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.
    2. (card games) The set of cards held by a player.
      1. A round of a card game.
    3. (tobacco manufacturing) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.
    5. (collective) A bunch of bananas, a typical retail amount, where individual fruits are fingers.
  5. In linear measurement:
    1. (chiefly in measuring the height of horses) Four inches, a hand's breadth.
      • 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter I, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC, page 6:
        Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together.
    2. (obsolete) Three inches.
  6. A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
  7. Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
  8. (especially in compounds) An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty.
    Large farms need many farm hands.
    • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book III, page 259:
      But a Dictionary of this ſort, containing, as it were, a Natural Hiſtory, requires too many hands, as well as too much time, coſt, pains, and ſagacity, ever to be hoped for; and till that be done, we muſt content our ſelves with ſuch Definitions of the Names of Subſtances, as explain the ſenſe Men uſe them in.
    • 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
      For this scene, a large number of supers are engaged, and in order to further swell the crowd, practically all the available stage hands have to ‘walk on’ dressed in various coloured dominoes, and all wearing masks.
  9. A performer more or less skilful.
    an old hand at public speaking
    • 1811, William Hazlitt, “A Day by the Fire”, in The Reflector:
      I was always reckoned a lively hand at a simile.
    • 1903, George Horace Lorimer, Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to his Son, page 46:
      At the church sociables he used to hop around among them, chipping and chirping like a dicky-bird picking up seed; and he was a great hand to play the piano, and sing saddish, sweetish songs to them.
  10. An instance of helping.
    Bob gave Alice a hand to move the furniture.
  11. Handwriting; style of penmanship.
    a good hand
    • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 202, column 2:
      I ſay ſhe neuer did inuent this letter, / This is a mans inuention, and his hand.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing Instructions Very Necessary to Be Perused by Modern Critics”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book X, page 4:
      […] I have ſometimes known a Poet in Danger of being convicted as a Thief, upon much worſe Evidence than the Reſemblance of Hands hath been held to be in the Law.
    • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Sea Chest”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part I (The Old Buccaneer), page 31:
      […] I found written on the other side, in a very good, clear hand, this short message […]
    • 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Last Night”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, pages 74–75:
      'This is a strange note,' said Mr. Utterson; and then sharply, 'How do you come to have it open?' 'The man at Maw's was main angry, sir, and he threw it back to me like so much dirt,' returned Poole. 'This is unquestionably the doctor's hand, do you know?' resumed the lawyer. 'I thought it looked like it,' said the servant rather sulkily; and then, with another voice, 'But what matters hand of write,' he said. 'I've seen him!'
    • 1946 March and April, R. A. H. Weight, “Euston to the North-West”, in Railway Magazine, page 69:
      With an unquenchable enthusiasm for locomotives and their work, at an early age I had commenced to keep engine and traffic-recording notebooks, compiled in a schoolboy's round hand.
    • 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review)‎[3], page R28:
      [T]he pleasure of writing on wax with a stylus is exemplified by the fine, flowing hand of a Roman scribe who made out the birth certificate of Herennia Gemella, born March 128 AD.
  12. A person's autograph or signature.
    Given under my Hand and Seal of the State this 1st Day of January, 2010.
  13. Promise, word; especially of a betrothal.
    • Montague Summers (editor), The Works of Aphra Behn, volume V, page 132:
      They once made Mourning and Fasting for the Death of the English Governor, who had given his Hand to come on such a Day to 'em, and neither came nor sent; believing, when a Man's Word was past, nothing but Death could or should prevent his keeping it: And when they saw he was not dead, they ask'd him what Name they had for a Man who promis'd a Thing he did not do?
    • 1868, William Carleton, Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, volume 2, page 179:
      Few would rely upon the word or oath of any man who had been known to break a hand-promise.
  14. Personal possession; ownership.
    • 1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC:
      Receiving in hand one year’s tribute.
  15. (chiefly in the plural) Management, domain, control.
    in safe hands;  in good hands;  He lost his job when the factory changed hands.  With the business back in the founder's hands, there is new hope for the company.  With John in charge of the project, it's in good hands.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:1, column 1:
      Foraſmuch as many haue taken in hande to ſet foorth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely beleeued among vs […]
    • a. 1627 (date written), Francis Bacon, “[Baconiana Politico-Moralia. […].] It is my purpoſe to give a true and plain Account, of the Deſigns and Labours of a very great Philoſopher amongſt us; and to offer to the World, in ſome tollerable Method, thoſe Remains of his, which to that end, were put into my Hands.”, in [Thomas Tenison], editor, Baconiana. Or Certain Genuine Remains of Sr. Francis Bacon, […], London: […] J. D. for Richard Chiswell, […], published 1679, →OCLC, page 21:
    • 1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC, page 81:
      But Albinus in thoſe troubleſome times enſuing under the ſhort reign of Pertinax and Didius Julianus, found means to keep in his hands the Government of Britain;
    • 1951 March, J. H. Lehmann, A. D. Johnson, W. C. Bridges, J. Michel, D. M. Green, “Cardiac Catheterization—A Diagnostic Aid in Congenital Heart Disease”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 3, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 170:
      The method, in the hands of an experienced team of physicians and technicians, has become a relatively safe and useful procedure in the study of congenital heart disease and an accurate device for calculating cardiac output.
  16. (colloquial, chiefly in the negative plural) A hand which is free to assist; especially due to having one's hands full or otherwise fully preoccupied.
    Just give me a minute - I haven't got any hands right now.
  17. Applause.
    Give him a hand.
    • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 3, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
      “Give him a hand, Pendennis; you know every chap likes a hand,” Mr. Foker said; and the good-natured young gentleman, and Pendennis laughing, and the dragoons in the opposite box, began clapping hands to the best of their power.
    • 1980 December 13, David Lamble, “March Against Violence Emphasizes Coalitions”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 21, page 6:
      A member of the gay male nuns' collective, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, received one of the biggest hands of the evening when he included in a benediction litany the chant that lesbians and gays be "delivered from both of Dianne's faces."
    • 2013 January 11, Tom Shone, The Guardian‎[4]:
      Also a big hand for Silver Linings Playbook, an exuberant modern screwball comedy we had, in an unseemly fit of cynicism, deemed "too entertaining" for Academy voters.
  18. (historical) A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
  19. (firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
  20. A whole rhizome of ginger.
  21. The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch.
    This fabric has a smooth, soft hand.
  22. (archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
  23. (archaic) Agency in transmission from one person to another.
    to buy at first hand (from the producer, or when new);  to buy at second hand (when no longer in the producer’s hand, or when not new);  It's not a rumor. I heard it at first hand.
  24. (obsolete) Rate; price.
    • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Dispatch. XXV.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 143:
      For Time is the meaſure of Buſineſſe, as Money is of Wares: And Buſineſſe is bought at a deare Hand, where there is ſmall diſpatch.
Usage notes
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Hand is used figuratively for a large variety of acts or things, in the doing, or making, or use of which the hand is in some way employed or concerned; also, as a symbol to denote various qualities or conditions, as,

(a) Activity; operation; work; — in distinction from the head, which implies thought, and the heart, which implies affection.
His hand will be against every man. — Genesis 16:12
(b) Power; might; supremacy; — often in the Scriptures.
With a mighty hand . . . will I rule over you. — Ezekiel 20:33.
(c) Fraternal feeling; for example to give, or take, the hand; to give the right hand
(d) Contract; — commonly of marriage; for example to ask the hand; to pledge the hand
Synonyms
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  • (part of the arm below the wrist): manus (formal), mound (obsolete), mund (obsolete), paw (of some animals)
Coordinate terms
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Derived terms
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Terms derived from hand (noun)
Assistants (noun)
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Translations
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See hand/translations § Noun.
See also
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Appendix:English collective nouns

Poker hands in English · poker hands (layout · text)
         
high card pair two pair three of a kind straight
         
flush full house four of a kind straight flush royal flush

Etymology 2

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From Middle English handen, honden, from the noun (see above); and also from henden (> English hend), from Old English *hendan, ġehendan (“to seize by hand, grasp, hold”), from Proto-West Germanic *handijan, from Proto-Germanic *handijaną (“to take by hand, grasp”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian handa, henda (“to grasp, seize”), Middle Low German handen, henden (in derivatives), Dutch handen, henden (“to arrange, dispose, be handy”), Dutch overhandigen (“to hand, hand over”), Middle High German handen (“to cut, hew”), Middle High German henden (“to give hands to; take hold of, seize”), Old Norse henda (“to grasp, seize, take by hand”).

Verb

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hand (third-person singular simple present hands, present participle handing, simple past and past participle handed)

  1. (transitive) To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively.
    He handed them the letter.   She handed responsibility over to her deputy.
    • 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.
    • 2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 54:
      However, Anyon Kay remembers a Mr Walton Ainsworth, of Beech House, Rivington, who owned mills in Bolton, being a regular user before the First World War. He used to drive by horse and trap from his mansion to catch the 0906 train to Bolton each day. Before arriving at the station, local newsagent Tom Dutton would hand Mr Ainsworth his morning paper!
  2. (transitive) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct.
    to hand a lady into a carriage
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To manage.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To seize; to lay hands on.
  5. (transitive, rare) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
  6. (transitive, nautical) To furl (a sail).
    • 1814, John Hamilton Moore, “Examination of a Young Sea Officer”, in The new practical navigator, nineteenth edition:
      send the people up to hand the sail, and when up, before they goon the yard, I'll clap the rolling tackle on to steady it
    • 1834 [1756 November 4], Benjamin Franklin, “Observations in answer to the foregoing.”, in Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin‎[5], volume II, Philadelphia: McCarty & Davis, →OCLC, page 344, column 1:
      In the very long run from the west side of America to Guam, among the Philippine Islands, ships seldom have occasion to hand their sails, so equal and steady is the gale, and yet they make it in about 60 days, which could not be if the wind blew only in the afternoon.
  7. (intransitive, obsolete) To cooperate.
Derived terms
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Terms derived from hand (verb)
Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

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Anagrams

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Afrikaans

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Etymology

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From Dutch hand, from Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand (plural hande, diminutive handjie)

  1. A hand.

Derived terms

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Danish

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Pronoun

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hand

  1. Obsolete spelling of han (“he”).

Dutch

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand f (plural handen, diminutive handje n)

  1. a hand of a human, other simian or other animal with fingers

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Afrikaans: hand
  • Jersey Dutch: hānd
  • Negerhollands: hand, han, hant
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: hant
  • → Caribbean Hindustani: háñth
  • →? Sranan Tongo: anu, hanu, han

French

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Etymology

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Clipping of handball. Compare foot from football.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand m (uncountable)

  1. the sport handball
    Synonym: handball
    On va jouer au hand, tu veux venir?
    We're going to play handball. Do you want to come?

Limburgish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch and Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /(h)ɑnt/, /ɦ-/, /-ant/

Noun

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hand f

  1. (anatomy, common variant) A hand

Derived terms

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Middle English

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Etymology

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From Old English hand.

Noun

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hand (plural hands)

  1. Alternative form of hond (“hand”)

Descendants

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Norwegian Bokmål

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Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz
.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand f or m (definite singular handa or handen, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

  1. (anatomy) A hand.

Derived terms

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Norwegian Bokmål terms prefixed with hand-
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References

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“hand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Etymology

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From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Akin to English hand.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand f (definite singular handa, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

  1. (anatomy) A hand.

Derived terms

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Norwegian Nynorsk terms prefixed with hand-
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References

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Old English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Old Frisian hond, Old Saxon hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (handus).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand f

  1. hand
    • 10th century, The Wanderer:
      Oft him ānhaga ·  āre gebīdeð,
      Metudes miltse, · þēah þe hē mōdċeariġ
      ġeond lagulāde · longe sċeolde
      hrēran mid hondum · hrīmċealde sǣ,
      wadan wræclāstas. · Wyrd bið ful ārǣd.
      A loner oft waits a grace for himself,
      Creator's mercy, even if he is sorrowful,
      through a sea-way he should for long
      stir the frost-cold sea with hands,
      travel paths of exile. Fate is well stalwart.

Declension

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Declension of hand (strong u-stem)
Case Singular Plural
nominative hand handa
accusative hand handa
genitive handa handa
dative handa handum

Derived terms

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Derived terms

Descendants

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Old Frisian

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand f

  1. Alternative form of hond

Old Saxon

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Compare Old Frisian and Old English hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd.

Noun

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hand f

  1. A hand.

Declension

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Declension of hand (feminine u-stem)
singular plural
nominative hand hendi
accusative hand hendi
genitive hendi hando
dative hendi handum
instrumental — —


Descendants

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  • Middle Low German: hant
    • German Low German: Hand
      Westphalian:
      Westmünsterländisch: Hand
      Lippisch: Hand
      Ravensbergisch: Hand
    • Plautdietsch: Haunt

Old Swedish

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Etymology

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From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Noun

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hand f

  1. A hand
  2. A direction
  3. A behalf
  4. A sort, kind.

Declension

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Declension of hand (consonant stem)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative hand handin hænder hændrina(r), -rena(r)
accusative hand handina, -ena hænder hændrina(r), -rena(r)
dative hændi, -e hændinni, -inne handum, -om handumin, -omen
genitive handa(r) inna(r) handa handanna

Descendants

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Swedish

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Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sv

Etymology

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From Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Danish hånd, Norwegian hand, English hand and German Hand.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hand c

  1. (anatomy) a hand
    Han tjatade jämt om att hon måste tvätta händerna
    He was always nagging her to wash her hands
    • 2001, Caramell (lyrics and music), “Caramelldansen”, in Supergott‎[6]:
      Dansa med oss. Klappa era händer. Gör som vi gör och ta några steg åt vänster. Lyssna och lär. Missa inte chansen. Nu är vi här med Caramelldansen.
      Dance with us. Clap your hands. Do as we do and take a few steps to the left. Listen and learn. Don't miss the chance. Now we are here with the Caramell dance.
  2. (card games) a hand (set of cards held by a player)
    Hon fick en bra hand, och satsade högt
    She was dealt a good hand, and placed a high bet

Declension

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Declension of hand
nominative genitive
singular indefinite hand hands
definite handen handens
plural indefinite händer händers
definite händerna, händren händernas, händrens

The definite plural händren is archaic.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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See also

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References

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