What do forehand, middlehand, and rearhand mean in skat?

In the card game skat, the terms forehand, middlehand, and rearhand designate the positions of the three players relative to the dealer during the auction and play phases.1

• Forehand: The player seated to the immediate left of the dealer. This player leads the first trick during the play phase.1
• Middlehand: The player seated to the left of the forehand. This player is the first to bid during the auction.21
• Rearhand: The player seated to the left of the middlehand (or to the right of the dealer). This player participates in the auction if the middlehand passes or after the middlehand has been defeated in the bidding process.1