Handy vs Hende - What's the difference?
handy | hende |
Easy to use, useful.
Nearby, within reach.
(dialect) dexterous, skilful
(obsolete) Near, close at hand, handy.
(obsolete) Courteous, gracious.
:* Late 14th century': Oure Hoost þo spak, “A, sire, ye sholde be '''hende / And curteys, as a man of youre estaat” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Friar's Prologue’, ''Canterbury Tales (OUP 1988, p. 122)
:* 14th century': And if he were so '''hende and so wis / Þat she ne my?t al abate his pris, / Yit wolde she blame his worþynesse / Or by hir wordis make it lesse. — Geoffrey Chaucer, ''The Romaunt of the Rose (OUP 1988, p. 689-90)
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As adjectives the difference between handy and hende
is that handy is easy to use, useful while hende is (obsolete) near, close at hand, handy.handy
English
Adjective
(er)- Some people regard duct tape as a handy fix-all .
- You wouldn’t have a screwdriver handy , would you ?
- She's very handy - she made all her own kitchen cupboards.
