# Handle / Hand



## Messquito

What are the equivalents of *hand* and *handle* in your language and are they related?
English:
1. hand
2. handle
Chinese:
1. hand 手
2. handle 把手
把 means to hold

I think there might be two reasons why hand and handle are related:
1. a handle is where you put your hands on and hold it.
2. a handle is extended from the main body of things, just like hands.

For Chinese I think it's case 1. because 把 means hold.


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## ThomasK

We use a compound in Dutch: _*handvat*_ (hand-grip), maybe _handgreep_ as well, but _*handel*_ might be used too.


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## ger4

With regard to German, I think explanation (1) would make sense:


> 1. a handle is where you put your hands on and hold it.


_hand = *Hand* --> handle = *Handgriff*_ ('hand-grip', as in Dutch).


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## apmoy70

Greek:

Hand: *«Χέρι»* [ˈçeɾi] (neut.) < Classical 3rd decl. fem. noun *«χείρ» kʰeír* --> _hand, fist_ (PIE *ǵʰes-r- _hand_ cf Hitt. keššar, _hand_; Tocharian A/B shar, _hand_; Arm. ձեռք (dzerrk); Alb. dorë)
Handle: *«Χειρολαβή»* [çiɾolaˈvi] (fem.) < Classical fem. noun *«χειρολάβη» kʰeirŏlábē* --> _handle_ < compound; combinatory form *«χειρο-» kʰeirŏ-* of fem. noun *«χείρ» kʰeír* --> _hand_ (see above) + Classical deverbal fem. noun *«λαβὴ» lăbḕ* --> _grip_ < Classical v. *«λαμβάνω» lămbánō* --> _to take, grasp_ (PIE *sleh₂gʷ- _to take, grasp_ cognate with the isolated Eng. latch < OEng. læccan, _to seize_).
For the smaller handles (e.g. bag handle) we prefer the colloquialism *«χερούλι»* [çeˈɾuli] (neut.) < ByzGr neut. diminutive *«χερούλιον» kheroúlion* --> _small grip_ < Classical fem. noun *«χείρ» kʰeír* --> _hand_ (see above)


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## Gavril

English has an old-fashioned term _*haft*_ "handle" that is used especially for the handles of knives or swords. The original meaning of _haft_ is "that which is grasped" (it is cognate with Latin _captus _"taken, grasped").

The term _*shaft*_ is used to mean "handle" when a tool has a long, slender stem that serves as its handle: this applies to golf clubs, hammers, axes, etc.


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## 810senior

In Japanese:

1. *hand*:　手*te*
2. *hand*le:　取っ手tot*te*

tot-:inf. tor-u(to take), we as well have an equivalent such as ハンドル(handoru) stemming from an English word _handle_.


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## Armas

Finnish

kädensija < käden "hand's", sija = place where something is located or is supposed to be
kahva, etym. unknown
ripa < Swedish grep, gripa


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## 涼宮

Gavril said:


> The term _*shaft*_ is used to mean "handle" when a tool has a long, slender stem that serves as its handle: this applies to golf clubs, hammers, axes, etc.



Which is why shaft is also one of the millions of ways in English to say _penis_. English speakers are very creative when it comes to naming the genitals.

In Spanish:

Hand= mano
Handle= mango, palo, asa.

Only 'mango' is related to mano through etymology. 'Palo' is the handle of brooms and 'asa' the handle of iron pots, cups and similar objects.


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## rusita preciosa

Russian:
Hand: рука /ruka/ - hand/arm
Handle: ручка /rutchka/ - lit. little hand/arm (it has a diminutive suffix -чк-)


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## Armas

Armas said:


> Finnish
> 
> kädensija < käden "hand's", sija = place where something is located or is supposed to be
> kahva, etym. unknown
> ripa < Swedish grep, gripa



I'm sorry, I forgot a few words

korva = ear, the more or less ear-shaped handles in cups and pots
sanka, etym. unclear, the kind of handles you see in plastic bags, buckets, baskets
kannin, kannike, from the verb kantaa = to carry, bear


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## mikiway93

Vietnamese =)) . Chào chúng mày, =))


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## ilocas2

In Czech there are many words for handle, one of them - *rukojeť* - is related to hand/arm - *ruka*


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## bibax

Czech:
ruka = hand;
rukojeť < rukou jetí (taking by hand);


rusita preciosa said:


> Russian:
> Hand: рука /ruka/ - hand/arm
> Handle: ручка /rutchka/ - lit. little hand/arm (it has a diminutive suffix -чк-)


The diminutive suffix is -ka, ч is a part of the root (*ruk-ьka > ruč-ka).


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## mataripis

Tagalog for hand is kamay. For handle is Hawakan( short fast pronounciation).commanding someone to hold an object- tangnan,tangnih, hawakan( slow pronounciation).carried by hands- tangan tangan, dala dala, bit bit, hawak hawak.


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## franknagy

Hungarian

hand = kéz,
handle of a tool = nyél,
handle of a jug = fül (ear).

We say about a sad child:
"Le van törve, mint a bili füle." = He/she has broken down like the handle of the potty."


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## Nawaq

_main_, "hand"
_poignée_, "handle", from fist, _poing
manche_, "handle of a broom or similar objects", same root as _main
anse _"handle of a basket, bag"


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## ThomasK

But doesn't _manche_ refer to the textile covering arms? I am quite surprised it can refer to a stick...


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## Nawaq

@ThomasK

in the feminine form it can mean sleeve (of a cloth, like you said), and other things like in _*la* Manche_, the Channel, but here it is a masculine noun and can mean handle _*un* manche à balai_.


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## ThomasK

Oh, I see: there is a masculine form as well. Thanks!


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## Ectab

Arabic:
يد yad hand
there is no relation with مقبض miqbaD handle, but قبضة qabDah fist, shares the same root with handle q-b-D (to catch\to grasp)


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## Frank78

Holger2014 said:


> With regard to German, I think explanation (1) would make sense:
> 
> _hand = *Hand* --> handle = *Handgriff*_ ('hand-grip', as in Dutch).



Is there any "Griff" which is not for your hands? Sounds quite redundant to me.


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## ger4

Frank78 said:


> Is there any "Griff" which is not for your hands? Sounds quite redundant to me.


It may sound a bit redundant but I think _Handgriff_ is used quite frequently (often interchangeably with _Griff_). Sometimes there doesn't seem to be a straightforward logic in the expressions we use...


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## jazyk

A handle can be many things in Portuguese: cabo, manivela, maçaneta. It depends on what kind of handle it is.

A hand is mão. As is probably obvious, there is a connection between manivela and mão.


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## 123xyz

Macedonian:

*рачка *- from "рака", meaning "hand, arm"
*дршка* - from "држи" meaning "to hold"

The two words are used for different types of handles - the former is mostly for the ones that extend from the object as in baskets and cups, whereas the latter is mostly for the ones on which the object is propped, in a sense, e.g. in axes. However, it's probably a bit more complicated, whereas I can't spontaneously think of more factors at the moment.


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## spindlemoss

"Hand" and "handle" aren't usually related in Welsh:

_*llaw*_ "hand"

_*dolen*_ "link" = "handle of a cup, jug"

_*coes*_ "leg" = "handle of a brush, bat, hammer, saucepan"

_*carn*_ "hoof" = "handle of a knife, screwdriver"

_*handlen*_ "handle of a door" from English

There is a connection in the south-western word _*trondol* _"handle of a cup, jug" as it's from _dwrn_ "hand, fist" + _dôl_ "loop". And apparently some people use the word _*dwrn*_ "hand, fist" for "handle of a knife, screwdriver" too.

Another body part sometimes used (along with _coes_ and _carn_ above) is _*clust*_ for "handle of a cup, jug" due to the shape. Literally it means "ear".


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## Sardokan1.0

*Hand and Handle are clearly related in Sardinian*
*
manu = hand
maniglia = handle of a door / window / car
maniccia, manìcciula = handle of a cup / pot / teapot
mànica, màniga* = handle of a broom / knife / tool

*mànica, màniga mean also "sleeve"*


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