hand
/xɑnd/feminine
The English word hand is hand in Old English.
hand refers to the part of the fore limb.
Meaning: part of the fore limb (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the West Saxon dialect, the word used for hand was hand.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word hand is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/xɑnd/
Did you know?
- In Old English, the concept of 'hand-fasting' involved a ritual where the hand was used to seal a betrothal, a custom that predates formal church weddings.
- In Old English literature, the hand was often used metaphorically to represent a person's power or their ability to exert control over others.
- Legal oaths in the Old English period often involved the physical 'hand' as a witness to a contract or a sign of peace.
Examples in context
- Se engel him cwæð þa to: 'Ne acwele þu þæt cild, ne þine hand ne astrece ofer his sweoran!'The angel then said to him: 'Do not kill your child, nor should your hand stretch out over his neck!'This sentence shows the use of hand in a warning about not stretching a hand over a child's neck.Tatoeba #1178466 by cntrational, translation #1178467 by cntrational
- Mīn hand is sār.My hand is sore.
Example conversation
Two siblings are cleaning a table together.
- ÆthelflædÆthelstan, ġief mē þone clāþ mid þīnre handa.Æthelstan, give me the cloth with your hand.
- ÆthelstanHēr hē is, nim hine nū.Here it is, take it now.
- ÆthelflædÞīn hand is fūl!Your hand is dirty!
- ÆthelstanIc wāt, ic sceal hīe wascan.I know, I must wash it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hand” translations and entries hand, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
