An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Hand

by Friedrich Kluge

Hand, f., ‘hand,’ from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. hant, f.; comp. OSax. and Du. hand, AS. hand, f., E. hand, OIc. hǫnd, Goth. handus, f.; a common Teut. word for ‘hand,’ unknown to the other divisions of the Aryan group, most of the languages having special terms of their own. It is usually derived from Goth. hinþan, ‘to catch,’ frahunþans, m., ‘prisoner’ (comp. the cognate E. to hunt, AS. huntian), in the sense of ‘the grasping, seizing part,’ and to this there is no objection, as far as the sound and meaning are concerned. Yet the fact remains that the old names of parts of the body have no corresponding str. verbal stems; comp. Herz, Ohr, Auge, Finger, Daumen. With regard to the form, it is to be observed that the word, according to Goth. handus, was orig. a u-stem, but is declined even in OHG. like nouns in i, though traces of the u declension remain throughout OHG. and MidHG.; comp. abhanden.

Hand, ‘kind, sort,’ is developed from the medial sense ‘side’; comp. MidHG. ze beiden handen, ‘on both sides,’ aller hande, ‘of every kind,’ vier hande, ‘of four sorts.’