21 December 2025
Is a glove really called a “hand shoe” in German?
The word “Handschuh” literally translates into English as “hand-shoe” and means “glove”.
“Handschuh” can refer to any type of glove worn on the hands, from ordinary winter gloves to surfing gloves to surgical gloves.
History of The Word
Although this word has frequently been rated one of the funniest German concepts by English speakers, a logical etymology (word history) of both the English “shoe” and the German “Schuh” makes it seem a lot less silly:
English shoe and German Schuh are related Germanic words; early forms include Old English scoh and Old High German scuoh. A further connection with a root meaning “to cover” has been proposed, but is uncertain.
Put into this light, it makes sense for a “shoe” to be used to cover any type of appendage. Now the only mystery is why the actual shoe isn’t called “Fußschuh”.
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