'unhand' originates from Middle English, specifically the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' or 'reverse' and the word 'hand', meaning 'to hold or grasp'.

'unhand' changed from the Middle English word 'unhonden' and eventually became the modern English word 'unhand'.

Initially, it meant 'to release from one's grasp', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.