Etymology Dictionary

HANDY (1),  dexterous, expert.  (E.)   'With handy care;' Dryden, Baucis and Philemon, l. 61.   The M.E. form is invariably hendi (never handi), but the change from e to a is a convenience; it is merely a reversion to the orig. vowel.   It occurs in King Horn, ed. Lumby, 1336.   'Thenne beo ȝe his hendi children' = then ye are his dutiful children; Ancren Riwle, p. 186.—A.S. hendig, appearing in the comp. list-hendig, having skilful hands (Grein); which is composed of A.S. list, skill, and hendig, an adj. regularly formed from the sb. hand by the addition of the suffix -ig and the consequent vowel change from a to e.   See Hand. + Du. handig, handy, expert. + Dan. hændig, usually behændig, expert, dexterous. + Swed. händig, dexterous. + Goth. handugs, clever, wise.   Cf. G. behend, agile, dexterous; and see Handy (2).

HANDY (2),  convenient, near.  (E.)   This is not quite the same word as the above, but they are from the same source.   'Ah! though he lives so handy, He never now drops in to sup;' Hood's Own, i. 44.   M.E. hende.   'Nade his help hende ben' = had not help been near him; William of Palerne, 2513.—A.S. gehende, near; 'sumor is gehende' = summer is nigh at hand, Luke, xxi. 30; 'he wæs gehende þám scipe' = he was nigh unto the ship, John, vi. 19.   [The prefix ge- could always be dropped, and is nearly lost in mod. English.]   The A.S. gehende is an adv. and prep., formed from hand by suffixed -e (for -i ?) and vowel-change.   See Handy (1).