Online Etymology Dictionary

hamartiology (n.): "that part of theology which deals with sin," 1875, from Greek hamartia "sin" (see hamartia) + -ology.
hambone (n.): 1855, "bone of a ham," from ham (n.1) + bone (n.). Meaning "inferior actor or performer" is from 1893, an elaboration of ham (n.2).
Hamburg: German city, the -burg is German Burg "fort," in reference to the moated castle built there c.825; the first element is perhaps Old High German hamma "ham, back of the knee" in a transferred sense of "bend, angle," with reference to its position on a river bend promontory, or Middle High German hamme "enclosed area of pastureland."
hamburger (n.): 1610s, "native of Hamburg;" the meat product so called from 1884, hamburg steak, named for the German city of Hamburg, though no certain connection has ever been put forth, and there may not be one unless it be that Hamburg was a major port of departure for German immigrants to United States. Meaning "a sandwich consisting of a bun and a patty of grilled hamburger meat" attested by 1912. Shortened form burger attested from 1939; beefburger was attempted 1940, in an attempt to make the main ingredient more explicit, after the -burger had taken on a life of its own as a suffix (cf. cheeseburger, first attested 1938).
Hamiltonian: 1797, follower of, or characteristic of, U.S. politician Alexander Hamilton (d.1804).
Hamite: 1640s, from Ham (see Hamitic) + -ite (1).
Hamitic: language group that included ancient Egyptian, Berber, Galla, etc.; 1842, from Ham, second son of Noah (Gen. ix:18-19).
hamlet (n.): early 14c., from Old French hamelet, diminutive of hamel "village," itself a diminutive of ham "village," from Frankish *haim (see home). Especially a village without a church.
hammer (n.): Old English hamor "hammer," from Proto-Germanic *hamaraz (cf. Old Saxon hamur, Middle Dutch, Dutch hamer, Old High German hamar, German Hammer. The Old Norse cognate hamarr meant "stone, crag" (it's common in English place names), and suggests an original sense of "tool with a stone head," from PIE *akmen "stone, sharp stone used as a tool" (cf. Old Church Slavonic kamy, Russian kameni "stone"), from root *ak- "sharp" (see acme). Hammer and sickle as an emblem of Soviet communism attested from 1921, symbolizing industrial and agricultural labor.
hammer (v.): late 14c., from hammer (n.). Meaning "to work (something) out laboriously" recorded from 1580s. Meaning "to defeat heavily" is from 1948. Related: Hammered; hammering. Hammered as a slang synonym for "drunk" attested by 1986.
hammerhead (n.): type of shark, 1843, from hammer (n.) + head (n.). So called for its broad, transverse head.
hammock (n.): 1650s, alteration of hamaca (1550s), from Spanish hamaca, from Arawakan (Haiti) word apparently meaning "fish nets" (cf. Yukuna hamaca, Taino amaca).
Hammond: type of electric organ favored by 1960s rock bands, trademark name (1935), invented 1929 by U.S. inventor and clockmaker Laurens Hammond (1895-1973).
hamper (v.): late 14c., hampren "to surround, imprison, confine," also "to pack in a container," of unknown origin, possibly from hamper (n.1), or somehow connected to Middle English hamelian "to maim." Related: Hampered; hampering.
hamper (n.1): "large basket," early 14c., contraction of Anglo-French hanaper (Anglo-Latin hanepario), from Old French hanepier "case for holding a large goblet or cup;" in medical use "skull," also "helmet; armored leather cap," from hanap "goblet," from Frankish or some other Germanic source (cf. Old Saxon hnapp "cup, bowl;" Old High German hnapf, German Napf, Old English hnæpp). The word also meant (15c.) "the department of Chancery into which fees were paid for sealing and enrolling charters, etc." The first -a- may be a French attempt to render Germanic hn- into an acceptable Romanic form.
hamper (n.2): 1835, "things important for a ship but in the way at certain times" (Klein's definition), from French hamper "to impede." Hence top hamper, originally "upper masts, spars, rigging, etc. of a sailing ship."
Hampshire: reduced from Old English Hamtunscir; named for the city of Southampton, which originally was simply Hamtun. Norman scribes mangled the county name to Hauntunescire, later Hantescire, hence the abbrev. Hants.
hamster (n.): c.1600, from German Hamster, from Middle High German hamastra "hamster," probably from Old Church Slavonic chomestoru "hamster" (the animal is native to southeastern Europe), perhaps a blend of Russian chomiak and Lithuanian staras, both meaning "hamster." The older English name for it was German rat.
hamstring (v.): 1640s, "to disable, render useless," a figurative verbal extension from the noun hamstring "tendon at the back of the knee" (1560s), from ham "bend of the knee" (see ham (1)) + string. Cutting this would render a person or animal lame. Related: Hamstrung.
[I]n hamstring, -string is not the verb string; we do not string the ham, but do something to the tendon called the hamstring; the verb, that is, is made not from the two words ham & string, but from the noun hamstring. It must therefore make hamstringed. [Fowler]
Han: Chinese dynasty, 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E., its rule marked by prosperity, military success, and the introduction of Buddhism.
hand (n.): Old English hond, hand "hand; side; power, control, possession," from Proto-Germanic *khanduz (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch, German hand, Old Norse hönd, Gothic handus). The original Old English plural handa was superseded in Middle English by handen, later hands.

Meaning "person who does something with his hands" is from 1580s, hence "hired workman" (1630s) and "sailor in a ship's crew" (1660s). Clock and watch sense is from 1570s. Meaning "round of applause" is from 1838. The linear measure of 4 inches (originally 3) is from 1560s, now used only in giving the height of horses. The meaning "playing cards held in one player's hand" is from 1620s; that of "a round at a card game" is from 1620s.

First hand, second hand, etc. (mid-15c.) are from the notion of something being passed down from hand to hand. Out of hand (1590s) is opposite of in hand "under control" (c.1200). Hand over fist (1825) is suggestive of sailors and fishermen hauling in nets. Hand jive is from 1958. To win something hands down (1855) is from horse racing, from a jockey's gesture of letting the reins go loose in an easy victory.
The Two Thousand Guinea Stakes was not the best contested one that it has been our fortune to assist at. ... [T]hey were won by Meteor, with Scott for his rider; who went by the post with his hands down, the easiest of all easy half-lengths. Wiseacre certainly did the best in his power to spoil his position, and Misdeal was at one time a little vexatious. ["The Sportsman," report from April 26, 1840]
To hand it to (someone) "acknowledge someone's ability" is slang from c.1906. Phrase on the one hand ... on the other hand is recorded from 1630s, a figurative use of the physical sense of hand in reference to position on one side or the other side of the body (as in the lefthand side), which goes back to Old English Hands up! as a command from a policeman, robber, etc., is from 1873. Hand-to-mouth is from c.1500. Hand-in-hand attested from c.1500 as "with hands clasped;" figurative sense of "concurrently" recorded from 1570s.
hand (v.): c.1400, "take charge of, seize," from hand (n.). Meaning "to pass (something to someone)" is from 1640s. Related: Handed; handing.
hand job (n.): 1940s, from hand (n.) + job.
hand of glory (n.): 1707, originally a piece of mandrake root, translation of French maindeglorie, from a corruption of Latin mandragora "mandrake" (see mandrake). The dead man's hand charm is described from mid-15c., but not by this name.
hand-basket (n.): late 15c., from hand (n.) + basket.
hand-car (n.): 1846 in railroading sense, from hand (n.) + car.
hand-grenade (n.): 1660s, from hand (n.) + grenade, which at that time referred to any explosive missile.
hand-made (adj.): also handmade, 1610s, from hand (n.) + made.
hand-me-down (adj.): as a modifier, attested by 1826.
hand-out (n.): also handout, hand out, "alms or food given to a beggar," 1882, hobo slang, from hand (v.) + out. Meaning "distributed printed informational matter" is from 1927.
hand-spike (n.): also handspike, 1610s, from hand (n.) + spike (n.).
hand-written (adj.): also handwritten, 1745, from hand (n.) + written. As a verb, hand-write is recorded from 1878, probably a back-formation.
handbag (n.): also hand-bag, 1854, from hand (n.) + bag (n.).
handball (n.): also hand-ball, 1630s as a type of ball; 1885 as a game, from hand (n.) + ball (n.1).
handbell (n.): Old English handbelle; see hand (n.) + bell (n.).
handbill (n.): 1753, from hand (n.) + bill (n.1).
handbook (n.): Old English handboc; see hand (n.) + book (N.). It translates Latin manualis, and was displaced in Middle English by manual (from French), and later in part by enchiridion (from Greek). Reintroduced 1814, but execrated through much of 19c. as "that very ugly and very unnecessary word" [Trench].
handcraft (n.): Old English handcræft "manual skill, power of the hand; handicraft;" see handicraft.
handcuff (n.): 1640s as a decorative addition to a sleeve; 1690s as a type of restraining device, from hand (n.) + cuff (n.). Old English had hondcops "a pair of hand cuffs," but the modern word is a re-invention. The verb is first attested 1720. Related: Handcuffed; handcuffing.
handed (adj.): in compounds, "having hands" (of a certain type), mid-14c., from hand (n.).
handfast (v.): "betroth, bind in wedlock," mid-12c., from Old English handfæsten, from hand (n.) + fast (see fasten). Related: Handfasted; handfasting.
handful (n.): Old English handful; see hand (n.) + -ful. Originally the quality that can be held in a hand; also a medieval linear measurement of four inches. Meaning "a small portion or part" is from c.1400. Figurative meaning "as much as one can manage" is from 1755.
handgrip (n.): Old English handgripe; see hand (n.) + grip (n.).
handgun (n.): 1680s, from hand (n.) + gun (n.).
handhold (n.): 1640s, from hand (n.) + hold (n.1).
handicap (n.): 1650s, from hand in cap, a game whereby two bettors would engage a neutral umpire to determine the odds in an unequal contest. The bettors would put their hands holding forfeit money into a hat or cap. The umpire would announce the odds and the bettors would withdraw their hands -- hands full meaning that they accepted the odds and the bet was on, hands empty meaning they did not accept the bet and were willing to forfeit the money. If one forfeited, then the money went to the other. If both agreed either on forfeiting or going ahead with the wager, then the umpire kept the money as payment. The custom, though not the name, is attested from 14c. ("Piers Plowman").

Reference to horse racing is 1754 (Handy-Cap Match), where the umpire decrees the superior horse should carry extra weight as a "handicap;" this led to sense of "encumbrance, disability" first recorded 1890. The main modern sense, "disability," is the last to develop, early 20c.
handicap (v.): "equalize chances of competitors," 1852, but implied in the horse-race sense from mid-18c., from handicap (n.). Meaning "put at a disadvantage" is from 1864. Earliest verbal sense, now obsolete, was "to gain as in a wagering game" (1640s). Related: Handicapped; handicapping.
handicapped (adj.): "disabled," 1915, past participle adjective from handicap (v.). Originally especially of children. Meaning "handicapped persons generally" is attested by 1958.
handicraft (n.): Old English handcræft "skill of the hand," from hand (n.) + craft (n.). Later hændecraft (c.1200), perhaps from influence of handiwork.
handily (adv.): "easily," 1610s, from handy + -ly (2). Earlier it meant "done by hand" (late 14c.).