'bare-handed' originates from English, specifically composed from the words 'bare' and 'hand', where 'bare' (Old English 'bær') meant 'naked' and 'hand' (Old English 'hand') meant 'hand'.

'bare-handed' developed in Middle English as a compound of 'bare' + 'hand' with the adjectival suffix '-ed' and has remained in use into modern English as 'bare-handed'.

Initially, it meant 'having a bare (naked) hand', but over time it evolved into the current sense of 'without weapons or tools; using only the hands'.