Hand

According to the Old English Dictionary:

hand

hand-gemǽne">For B. 2137 see hand-gemǽne, dele the passage from Ll. Th. i. 18, 1. and add: I. a hand: -- Gif hé heáhre handa dyntes onféhð if he receives a blow from an uplifted hand, i. e. a violent blow. ( hand-gemǽne">For the force of heáh cf. (?) its metaphorical use in: Úre hand ys heáh Deut. 32, 27 ; and for the idea of force suggested by the position of the hand cf. : Hé his handa ál UNCERTAIN óf and hí wolde wíde tódrífan, Ps. Th. 105, 21), Ll. Th. i. 18, 1. Gif men sié se earm mid honda mid ealle of ácorfen beforan elmbogan, 96, 28. On sumre stówe se hróf wæs ꝥ man mid his handa neálíce gerǽcean mihte, Bl. H. 207, 22. Mid handa, Hml. Th. i. 508, 20. Forlét hé daroð of handa fleógan of folman, By. 149. Ne wolde hé óðer wǽpen habban bútan áne girde him on handa (on hand nyman, ), Bd. 3, 18 ; Sch. 275, 9 : Gen. 678: B. 495 : 540. Ánra gehwylc wið earm gesæt, hleonade wið handa, Sat. 433. Hé hond álegde, earm and eaxle . . . Grendles grápe, B. 834. On þám háligdóme swerian þe him man on hand sylð, Ll. Th. i. 292, 15. Fét sint gebundene, handa gehæfte, Gen. 380. Mínra handa geweald, 368. Handa þuman palmarum pollices, An. Ox. 3547. Onfón mid geglófedum handum, Solil. H. 42, 12. Betwuh hondum intra tenentis manus, Past. 241, 12. Hí hyra handa on hine wurpon and námon hine, Mk. 14, 46. Handa sendan, El. 457. I a. brád hand the palm of the hand :-- Bráde hand palmam, Wrt. Voc. ii. 74, 22. Þú mid þínre brádre hand (alapa) þá nunnan þaccodest, Gr. D. 190, 13. Ongan heó þerscan heó sylfe mid hire fýste ge eác mid hire brádum handum ( alapis pugnisque), 68, 29. Sume hyne slógun on his ansýne mid hyra brádum handum palmas in faciem ei dederunt, Mt. 26, 67. ¶ the loss of the hand was the penalty for certain crimes :-- Gif hwá on cirican hwæt geþeófige . . . sleá mon þá hond of þe hé hit mid gedyde, Ll. Th. i. 66, 4. Be cirliscum þeófe gefongenum . . . sleá mon hond of oþþe fót 114, 7. Gif se mynetere fúl wurðe, sleá mon of þá hand þe hé ꝥ fúl mid worhte, 206, 20. ¶ The hand was used in various ways in formal proceedings. (1) legal, v. Grmm. R. A. 137 sqq. :-- Cliroc feówra sum hine clǽnsie (and áne his hand on wiófode . . . ), Ll. Th. i. 40, 17. Ic hebbe tó heofena míne hand and ic swerie, Deut. 32, 40. Ꝥ hý ealle gemǽnum handum of ǽgðere mǽgðe on ánum wǽpne þám sémende syllan ꝥ cyninges mund stande, Ll. Th. i. 174, 21. (2) in religious ceremonial :-- Hé heóld hine tó b handa eum ad confirmandum tenuit, Chr. 855; P. 67, 27. Hine nam se cing tó bisceopes handa, 993; P. 126, 8. II. in figurative expressions arising from the use of the hand (1) to grasp, hold, retain; where possession, custody, control, authority, &c., are denoted :-- Sé þe at habbendre handa (with stolen goods upon him; cf. hand-hæbbende) gefangen sý, Ll. Th. i. 220, 11. Ámanige þǽre scíre bisceop þá bóte tó þæs cynges handa, 266, 20. Twégen cempan . . . þá ǽr wǽron under Eustachius handa two soldiers . . . they had served under Eustace, Hml. S. 30, 231. Under cyngces hand, Ll. Th. i. 284, 14. Áhrede of þæs hundes handa mín líf, Ps. Th. 21, 18. Ǽlc þing þe tó Godes handa belimpan sceolde, Wlfst. 211, 3. Gást mínne ágifan on þínes sylfes hand, An. 1419: Hy. 7, 83. Sé hafað in hondum heofon and eorðan, Gú. 619. (1 a) referring to a thing (not a person) :-- Deað and líf on þǽre tungan handa, R. Ben. 21, 21. (2) to give :-- Griþ ꝥ hé mid his ágenre hand sylð, Ll. Th. i. 292, 5. Unnendre handa lǽtan bona voluntate dimittere, Cht. Th. 202, 37. Eorðe wældreóre swealh of handum þínum, Gen. 1017. III. in expressions arising from considering actions as performed by the hand. (1) where the hand is spoken of as the agent : -- Sum mæg wrǽtlice weorc áhycgan . . . hond bið gelǽred, wís and gewealden, Crä. 45. Nú seó hond ligeð, seó þe eów welhwylcra wilna dohte, B. 1343. Hond gemunde fǽhðo genóge, feorhsweng ne ofteáh, 2488. Sceal hond and heard sweord ymb hord wígan, 2509. Him sió swíðre swaðe weardade hand on Hiorte, 2099. (2) where the word denotes agency, instrumentality in general :-- Oft him bonena hond on herefelda gesceóde, An. 17. Úre hand ys heáh and ne worhte Drihten þás þing, Deut. 32, 27. Mín hand byð ofer þíne æceras and ofslihð þíne hors, Ex. 9, 3: Gú. 230. Monnes hond, 429. Under þǽre mihte Godes handa, Bl. H. 99, 3: Ps. Th. 88, 12. Hé mid árleásre hond (handa, v. l.) hí ácwealde, Bd. 3. 1 ; Sch. 192, 6. God þás fyrd wereð mid þǽre miclan hand, Exod. 275. Se ælmihtiga lét his hond cuman . . hyht wæs geníwod, Gú. 924. Gif se mon áhefþ his handa tó ælmesdǽdum, Bl. H. 37, 24. Waldend his honda árǽrde wið þám herge, Gen. 50 : Ps. Th. 105, 21. IV. in reference to the position of the hands one on each side of the body. (1) (right or left) hand :-- Þǽr stent cwén þé on þá swýðran hand (a dextris tuis), Ps. Th. 44, 11. Siteð nú on þá swíðran hond sunu his fæderes, Sat. 580. Tó þám yflum þe him bið on þá wynstran hond, Cri. 1364. (2) of relative position generally (every or any) side :-- Beón hí ðǽr on ǽlce hand beclýsede, Hml. S. 23, 326. (3) of relative position of opponents, side: -- Þǽr wearþ monig mon ofslægen on gehwæþere hond (ǽgðre hand, v. l.), Chr. 853 ; P. 66, 2. On swá hwæðere hond Dryhten mǽrðo déme, B. 686. V. used of a person considered (1) as a protector, custodian, &c., cf. II :-- Ic wylle ðæt man ágyfe ðám híwum hyra freóls swylce hand (lord) tó ceósenne swylce him leófast sý, C. D. ii. 116, 35. (2) as an agent. Cf. III :-- Gestǽle on ryhtran hand gif hé mǽge, Ll. Th. i. 76, 7. (3) as a recipient of property, an heir: -- Nú hit eall ágán is on ðǽron oð ðíne hand (until you inherited) ; ðonne ðú hit becweðe and sylle swá gesibre handa swá fremdre swaðer ðe leófre sý, C. D. ii. 114, 7. Sylle heó hit on ðá hand ðe hire ǽfre betst gehýre, vi. 138, 27. VI. skill in using the hand, skill :-- Ælfwine hæfde moncynnes míne gefrǽge leóhteste hond lofes tó wyrcenne, Víd. 72. VII. as a measure, v. hand-brǽd :-- Wæs swá mycel þæs treówes gesýne swá wolde beón gód hande brád (handbred ?), Vis. Lfc. 73. VIII. in prepositional phrases. (1) æt. (a) at hand, within reach :--Ðá sæt hé æt beóde, næfde þá æt handa hwǽr hé ꝥ gebróhte lác healdan sceolde, Bd. 3. 2 ; Sch. 197, 20. (b) expressing immediate source, at (a person's) hand :-- Hé náh mid rihte óþres mannes tó onfónne æt fulluhte ne æt biscopes handa, Wlfst. 307, 28. (2) be, by hand(s), with the hands: -- Hine Beówulf hæfde be honda (Beowulf's hand clutched Grendel), B. 814. Ic be hondum mæg hǽðenra sceal grípan tó grunde, Sat. 268. (3) for, on behalf of, in the interest of, on account of :-- Ælfríc nam ꝥ toll for þæs kynges hand, Cht. Th. 635, 24: 631, 39: 639, 16: 636, 2. (4) of, from subjection to :-- God hé álýsde láðum of handa, Ps. Th. 106, 2. (5)on. (a) with dat. (α) in one's possession, charge or keeping :-- Mann sette Ælfgár Leófríces sunu ðane eorldóm on handa, Chr. 1048; P. 177, 4. ¶ on handa habban to have on hand, be engaged in some business :-- Swá hwilce bysiga swá hý on handa hæfdan hý unfulworhte lǽtað ex occupatis manibus quod agebant imperfectum relinquentes, R. Ben. 20, 3. Forlǽte ǽghwylc swá hwæt swá hé on handa (handum, R. Ben. 9, 75, 16) hæfde relictis omnibus quelibet fuerint in manibus, 67, 21. (β) said of evil affecting a person :-- hand-gemǽne">For ðáre neóde þe ús nú on handa stent (is now pressing on us), Wlfst. 181, 25. Þá hwíle þe eów unfrið on handa stód, Cht. E. 229, 28. [Cf. wind heom stod on honde þe scaf heom to Irlonde, Laym. 22313.UNCERTAIN ] (b) with acc. (α) into one's possession, charge or keeping :-- Beówulfe ríce on hand gehwearf, B. 2208. (αα) of a pledge :-- Ealle him on hand sealdon (fidem dantes spondent) ꝥ hí woldon efenwyrhton beón, Chr. 972 ; P. 119, note 13. (β) into one's presence, in one's way :-- Gif þé becume óðres monnes giémeleás feoh on hand si occurreris bovi inimici tui erranti, Ll. Th. i. 54, 10. (γ) wel on hond favourably, prosperously :--Him for ðissere worulde wel on hand eóde things went well with him as regards this world, Hml. S. 23, 14. [Here tuder swiðe wexeð, and wel ðieð, and goþ wel on hond, O. E. Hml. ii. 177, 18.] (δ) on hand gán to submit. (hand-gemǽne">For examples see Dict.). (6) tó. (a) within reach, so that a thing may be held or touched :-- Seó culufre bróhte elebeámes twig án tó handa (columba venit portans ramum olivae), Gen. 1473. Sígan tó handa hálgum rince (cf. extendit manum et apprehensam (columbam) intulit in arcam, Gen. 8, 9), 1463. Heó líðwǽge bær hælum tó handa, B. 1983. Hnág ic (the cross) þám secgum tó handa, Kr. 59. Him tó honda fleág fugla cyn (cf. hé him (birds and beasts) andlyfene sealde of his ágenre handa, Guth. Gr. 142, 30), Gú. 888. (b) into the possession, custody, &c., of a person :-- Wæs se hálga stede gehwyrfed ðám cyninge tó handa, C. D. iii. 60, 28. Gif hé bóclanð hæbbe gá UNCERTAIN ꝥ þám cyninge tó handa, Ll. Th. i. 420, 12. He him tó honda húðe gelǽdeð, Gú. 102. Hærfest tó honda hérbúendum rípa bléda receð (cf. se wæstmbǽra hærfest bryngþ rípa bléda, Bt. 39, 13 ; F. 234, 15) remeat pomis gravis autumnus, Met. 29, 62. Gyrnde se cyng ealra þára þegna þe þá eorlas hæfdon, and hí létan hí ealle him tó handa, Chr. 1048; P. 174, 30. Belandod of þám þe se eorl him tó handa gelǽten hæfde, 1091; P. 226, 21. Tó handan, 4. (b α) tó handa weorpan. (1) to throw on a person's hands (with the idea of rejection) :-- Gif mon hwelcne ceáp gebygeð and hé onfinde him hwelce unhǽlo on, þonne weorpe þone ceáp tó handa, Ll. Th. i. 138, 12. (2) to hand over (under compulsion) :-- Gif neát mon gewundige weorpe ꝥ neát tó honda, Ll. Th. i. 78, 10. (b β) tó hand :-- Búton man ágeáfe Eustatius and his men heom tó hand sceofe, Chr. 1052; P. 175, 13. (c) into subjection, under control :-- Se heafoc weorðeð tó hagostealdes honda gelǽred, Vy. 92. (d) on behalf of, for the benefit of, in trust for :-- Þæne áð nam Wulfrige se scírigman tó þæs cinges handa (ad opus regis), Cht. Th. 273, 29. Hæfde heó gehealdan ꝥ cyneríce þrittig wintra hyre suna tó handa, Lch. iii. 432, 3. Man gerǽdde ꝥ Ælfgifu Hardacnutes módor sǽte on Winceastre mid þæs cynges húscarlum hyra suna, and heóldan ealle West-Seaxan him tó handa, Chr. 1036; P. 161, 4. Hú seó heord fare þe se bisceop tó Godes handa gehealdan sceall. Ll. Th. ii. 312, 26. (7) under. in subjection, under control or rule :-- Under hand hǽðenum déman, Dan. 71. (8) ymb. (a) local, at hand, near, close by :-- Hý (birds) him ymb hond flugon (cf. 888), Gú. 709. (b) temporal, at once, straightway :-- Jam jam embe hand, hrædlíce, somninga, sóna, þǽrrigte, Germ. 388, 73. v. borh-, here-, irfe-, riht-, spere-hand. hand

Related words: l.