English

heavy-handed

From heavy + hand + -ed, literally “having a heavy hand”.

Formed from heavy + hand + -ed

Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘to take’

Proto-Germanic *habīgaz ‘heavy’

Proto-West Germanic *habīg ‘heavy’

Old English hefiġ ‘heavy’

Middle English hevy ‘having great weight’

English heavy

Proto-Germanic *handuz

Proto-West Germanic *handu

Old English hand

Middle English hond

English hand

Today it means

adj Clumsy; awkward.

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

Etymograph / heavy-handed