Handy

See also: handy and händy

English

Etymology

Originating as a nickname for a handy person.

Proper noun

Handy

  1. A surname​.
  2. (rare) A male given name.

German

FWOTD – 2 April 2013
Handy

Etymology

From English handy. According to some commentators, the German meaning is originally German, whereas others claim there was an early, but now neglected, antetype of it in English. More likely, however, is that handy is a condensed form of Handfunktelefon, which was how it was marketed by electronic firms such as Bosch and Hagenuk. (Elizabeth M Christopher, International Management: Explorations Across Cultures, Kogan Page Publishers, 2012, p. 272.)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛndi/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Handy n (genitive Handys, plural Handys)

  1. mobile phone, mobile, cell phone, cellular phone
    • 1994 May 11, Ralf Schlüter, "Stimmungen frei Hand", Berliner Zeitung:
      Alle paar Minuten hängt er am Handy und macht Termine klar.
      Every few minutes he's on his cell phone arranging appointments.
    • 2008, Ulrich Breymann and Heiko Mosemann, Java me, Hanser Verlag, →ISBN, p. 283:
      Bluetooth ist eine drahtlose Kommunikationstechnologie. Der Ursprung dieser Technologie liegt im Jahre 1994, als die Firma Ericsson eine Alternative zu Kabeln für die Verbindung ihrer Handys zum Zubehör wie Headsets suchte.
      Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology. This technology originated in 1994, when Ericsson was looking for an alternative to cables for connecting their cell phones to accessories like headsets.
    • 2009, Ernst Stahl, E-Commerce-Leitfaden, ibi research, →ISBN, p.123:
      Der Kunde hält sein Handy zum Bezahlen einfach an ein Lesegerät und der Betrag wird von seinem Konto abgebucht.
      To pay, the customer just holds his cell phone up to a reader and the amount is deducted from his account.

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Etymology

Via German Handy from English handy.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhændi/

Noun

Handy m (plural Handyen)

  1. mobile phone, mobile
    Hien däerf den Handy vu sengem eelere Brudder benotzen.
    He may use his elder brother's mobile phone.
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