*handuz

Reconstruction

The word is *handuz in Wiktionary and Ringe,^[1][2] the stem *handu- in Kroonen,^[3] *xanđuz in Orel,^[4] *handu-, *handuz in Köbler^[5] and *χandu- in EWA.^[6] Its origin is uncertain.^[1]

Etymology

Köbler compares, with a question mark, from Proto-Indo-European *k̑ent- (“to prick”),^[5] and Bammesberger traces it to an IE *kont-ú- beside the root of Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽 (frahinþan, “to take captive”).^[7] Kroonen calls it a u-stem derived from the strong verb *hinþan- "to reach for".^[3] Ringe lists it among the Proto-Germanic words of doubtful or unknown origin.^[2]

Morphology

A feminine u-stem.^[3][5][8] Bammesberger gives it as a model of the u-stem paradigm, with the dative plural Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐌼 (handum).^[9] The daughters left the u-stems in part: Old High German keeps u-stem forms only in the dative plural and otherwise inflects it as an i-stem,^[6] and Old Norse inflects the singular as an ō-stem and the plural as a consonant stem.^[6]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (handus), Old Norse hǫnd, and Old English hand, Old Frisian hond, Old Saxon hand and Old High German hant in West Germanic.^[3] The Gothic word is in Wulfila's Bible,^[10] and Crimean Gothic has the form handa.^[11] Looijenga reads the name on the Schweindorf inscription as a u-stem *wēla-handuz "trickster", with the suffix from *handuz, and compares the name of the smith Weland.^[12]

Competing analyses

Feist found the comparison with Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽 (frahinþan) the most favoured, but noted that the verb is itself not clearly explained; others connect the word with Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳 (hund, “hundred”), or with Lithuanian kùmstė (“fist”).^[11] Orel derives it from *xenþanan and compares the pair Lithuanian rankà (“hand”) and riñkti (“to gather”).^[4] Wiktionary adds a derivation from a PIE word for "hand", *ḱómt, assumed to lie also in Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ (“ten”), Seebold's link with Ancient Greek κεντέω (kentéō, “to prick”), and the frequent view that the word is not Indo-European.^[1] Seebold's comparison rests on Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐌲𐍃 (handugs, “wise”) and Old High German hantag (“sharp”),^[13] which Kroonen thinks only secondarily became associated with *handu-.^[3] Kroonen sees no compelling reason to connect the Finnish word for "hand", as Schrijver did.^[3]

Meanings

1. hand^[3][4][5][1]

The daughters widened it to "side", "power" and "possession": Old English used it for "side, power, possession, owner",^[14] Old Saxon for "control" and "side",^[15] and Old High German also for "property, rule, protection, army".^[6]

Derivatives

• *handulōną "to take or hold in the hand, to grip",^[16] in Orel *xanđlōjanan, from *xanđlan "handle".^[4]
• *handijaną "to seize, to grip",^[17] in Orel *xanđjanan.^[4]
• *handugaz "skilful with the hands",^[18] which Orel derives from this word.^[4]
• Compounds: *handubanô "murderer", *handuwurhtaz "handmade", *ainahandijaz "one-handed";^[19][20][21] in Orel also *xanđu-lamaz "with a lame hand" and *xanđu-lausaz "without hands".^[4]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (handus, “hand”)^[11]
• Old Norse: hǫnd (“hand”)^[22]
• Old English: hand (“hand, side, power, possession”)^[14]
• Old Frisian: hond (“hand; oath-helper; heir; owner”)^[23]
• Old Saxon: hand (“hand, control, side”)^[15]
• Old Dutch: hant (“hand”)^[6]
• Old High German: hant (“hand, property, power, protection”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handuz
2. ^ a b Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 328
3. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 207
4. ^ a b c d e f g Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 159
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *handu-
6. ^ a b c d e f Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. hant
7. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 155
8. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 150
9. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 12
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. handus
11. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. handus
12. ^ Looijenga, Tineke (2003), Texts and Contexts of the Oldest Runic Inscriptions, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 308
13. ^ Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter, p. handus
14. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hand
15. ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. hand
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handulōną
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handijaną
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handugaz
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handubanô
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *handuwurhtaz
21. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *ainahandijaz
22. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. hǫnd
23. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. hond