handbook

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhændˌbʊk/ (UK); /ˈhændˌbʊk/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old English handbōc (“handbook, manual”), a compound of hand and bōc (“book”),^[2][3] translating Latin manuālis;^[2] the modern word was reintroduced in 1814 in imitation of German Handbuch.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Old English, the manual of church offices and ritual: before 900 in the OED.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The Old English word was displaced in Middle English by manual, from French, and later partly by enchiridion, from Greek.^[2] Reintroduced in 1814 as a compact book of guidance in any art or study,^[2][3] it was condemned through much of the 19th century, Trench calling it that very ugly and very unnecessary word.^[2] In American use a handbook was also a betting book, and a handbook man a bookmaker, from 1894.^[3][5]

Timeline

• before 900 – handbōc.^[3]
• 1814 – a handbook of guidance.^[2][3]
• 1894 – a betting book (US).^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A short reference book giving facts or instructions on a subject; a manual or guidebook.
2. (US) A book in which off-track bets are recorded, or a place where they are taken.

Related words

• bookie
• manual
• enchiridion
• hand
• book

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin