English

floorhand

From floor + hand.

A compound of floor + hand

Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- ‘flat’

…

Proto-Germanic *flōraz ‘ground’

Proto-West Germanic *flōr

Old English flōr ‘floor’

Middle English floor

English floor

Proto-Germanic *handuz

Proto-West Germanic *handu

Old English hand

Middle English hond

English hand

Today it means

noun A junior worker on an oil rig, responsible for general labour and maintenance, usually more specialized tasks than those of a leasehand.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / floorhand