What is the etymology of handicap?

Answer 1

I cannot believe that this query has not yet been answered: three minutes spent using the G* search function/engine will reveal that it refers to a 16th Century 'sport' or gambling game, then transformed to weighting horses to even up a context (gambling again) and only began to be used to refer to people (children with what we now call a physical impairment) in 1915 or thereabouts. None of this answers MY query as to why the French use the same term (Handicappe) (- not sure how to insert an accent e/acute here). However, it comes from 'Hand i' the Cap' and NOT from 'Cap in Hand', which is quite different.

Answer 2

The term "handicap" originates from the phrase "hand in cap," which refers to a lottery game where players draw items from a cap. Over time, it evolved to mean a disadvantage or disability that affects a person's ability to compete equally with others.