handfast
handfast · more handfast · most handfast
Fast by contract; betrothed by joining handsFast by contract; betrothed by joining hands.
Meaning
2 senses(rare)Strong; steadfast.
(obsolete)Fast by contract; betrothed by joining hands.
Origin
From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”),From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”), from Old Norse handfesta (“to strike a bargain, pledge”), itself from hönd (“hand”) + festa (“to fasten, fix, affirm”), perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European root *pHst-.
Calque of German handfest, itself from Hand (“hand”) + fest (“firm, strong”).
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Forms
more handfast, most handfast| Comparative | more handfast Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most handfast Lesson |
regular
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedhandfastly
Lessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form