'handheld' originates from the combination of 'hand' and 'held', where 'hand' refers to the human hand and 'held' is the past participle of 'hold', meaning 'to grasp or carry'.

'handheld' evolved from the Old English word 'hand' and the past participle 'held' of the verb 'hold', eventually forming the modern English word 'handheld'.

Initially, it meant 'something that can be held in the hand', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.