hand
UK[hænd]US[hænd]
n
The part of the body at the end of the arm, including the fingers and thumb, used for holding and touching.
n
Help in doing something.
n
A person who does physical work, especially on a farm, ship, or factory.
n
The cards held by a player in a card game.
v
To give or pass something to someone.
Etymology
The word 'hand' has a deep and stable lineage within the Germanic language family, tracing back to the Old English 'hand, hond'. Its Proto-Germanic ancestor is reconstructed as 'handuz', a term whose own origins are obscure but likely pre-date Proto-Indo-European. Unlike many words that have complex, layered histories from classical languages, 'hand' represents a core, ancient concept that has remained remarkably consistent in both form and meaning across millennia of linguistic evolution. Its semantic journey is not one of metaphorical leaps from foreign roots, but a direct inheritance of a fundamental term for the prehensile extremity, later extending its meaning to signify agency, assistance, and possession in a logical and intuitive manner.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The root is the Old English 'hand', which is not productively divisible into smaller meaningful units in modern English.
Examples
She wrote the note by hand.
Could you give me a hand with these boxes?
He was dealt a good hand in the poker game.