affhand
Scots
Alternative forms
- affhan, affhan', aff-han', aff han', aff-haun
- aff-hand, aff hand
Etymology
From Middle English *ofhande, *ofhende, from Old English ofhende (“absent, lost”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *abahandijaz; equivalent to aff- + hand.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɑfˈhɑn(d)/
Adverb
affhand (not comparable)
- Without delay, at once; extempore, on the spur of the moment, without deliberation; in a free and easy manner.
Adjective
affhand (comparative mair affhand, superlative maist affhand)
- Done off-hand; careless, free and easy, unpremeditated; unceremonious, brusque
References
- “affhand, adv., adv. phr., adj.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.