The story
- Proto-Germanic*handuz
- Proto-West Germanic*handu
- Old Englishhand
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Germanic*ga-
- Proto-West Germanic*ga-
- Old Englishġe-
- Proto-Indo-European*werǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*wérǵom
- Proto-Germanic*werką
- Proto-West Germanic*werk
- Old Englishweorc
- Old Englishġeweorc
- Old Englishhandġeweorc
- Middle Englishhondywerk
- English todayhandiwork
From Middle English hondywerk, handiwerc, from Old English handġeweorc (“work done by hand, creation”), from hand (“hand”) + ġeweorc (“work”). Equivalent to hand + work, though it may now be reinterpreted as handy (“skilful”) + work. Compare Saterland Frisian Hondwierk, Dutch handwerk, German Handwerk.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.