n. [Scot. hansel; Dan. handsel], a law term, usually in pl. handsöl, ‘hand-selling’ or hanselling, i. e. the transference of a right, bargain, duty to another by joining hands;—hand-shaking was with the men of old the sign of a transaction, and is still used among farmers and the like, so that to shake hands is the same as to conclude a bargain, cp. Lat. mandare = manu-dare, mancipium from manu capere; jafnt þykkja mér þín heit sem handsöl annarra manna, thy word is as good as the h. of other men, Lv. 65: a trust, charge, Grág. i. 190; þetta handsal líkaði ílla Þorbrands sonum, Eb. 156; er hjá vóru gjöfinni ok handsalinu, Anal. 293; biskups handsöl, Vm. 66; taka við handsölum á e-u, to undertake the trust, charge of a thing, Nj. 257; ek vil gjarna at þú takir handsölum á öllu fénu, Ld. 50; taka við fé með handsölum, Fs. 125; eiga handsöl við e-n, to make a bargain with one, Hrafn. 21, Rd. 243, Fb. i. 109; gefa e-m handsöl yfir e-u, Bs. ii. 64; bjóða h. fyrir e-n, to offer bail for one, Fs. 87; ganga til handsala fyrir e-n, Eb. 128, 148, Grág. and Sagas passim.

COMPDS: handsalsband, handsalsmaðr, handsalsrof, handsalsslit.