handtame

Meaning

Adj

Tame and accustomed to being held in the hand; (by extension) mild; meek; humble; docile

Verb

To cause (someone or something) to become accustomed to being handled

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: handtame

Inherited from Old English: handtam

Cognate with Dutch: handtam

Cognate with German: handzahm

In summary

From Middle English handtame, from Old English handtam (“tame enough to be handled”), from Proto-West Germanic *handutam, equivalent to hand + tame. Cognate with Dutch handtam (“handtame”), German Low German handtamm (“handtame”), German handzahm (“handtame”).