Etymologically
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handbook

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:20. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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.

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