# right, left (connotations)



## Cecilio

Hello everybody!

All languages (or at least all languages that I know) have some words to describe the "right side" or the "left side" of something, especially the human body or parts of the human body. But generally these words develop other meanings.

The "right" side is often given a positive appreciation. Notice for example the meanings of  English "right" or German "Recht". In many languages, the word for "right" has the meaning of "good", "lawful", "correct", etc.  (Spanish "derecho" comes from Latin "directus", from "rectus"). 

The "left" side has very often developed negative characteristics. The English word "sinister", for example, derives from the Latin word for "left", but in English it has a very negative meaning. Similar developments can be seen in many languages, where the word for "left" has acquired such negative implications that a new word, normally from another language, has been introduced to convey the initial meaning of "left".

In this first contribution, I'll try to explain the situation in Spanish (I will focus on the Spanish we speak in Spain; I'm sure there are regional variations in Latin- America that I have never heard of; contributions from these countries would be more than welcome here).


1.- We have the word "siniestro/a" from Latin, but, very much like in Britain and other places, this word has basically a meaning of 'evil', 'dangerous', etc. (Un "siniestro", for example, is a serious accident; a formal word). However, in a few cases, this word keeps its original spatial meaning, for example in the expression "a diestro y siniestro". But, apart from a set expression like that one, using "siniestro" for "left" is felt as something quite archaic. A phrase "la mano siniestra" would be understood, but it would seem quite odd in colloquial Spanish.

2.- The general term for "left" in Spanish is "izquierda", with its corresponding adjectives "izquierdo/a". This word comes from Basque ("ezkerra") and it covers basically the same meanings as Eng. "left", including political concepts like "left-wing". Espressions like "mano izquierda", "girar a la izquierda", etc. are considered standard Spanish expressions.

3.- There is another word, "zurdo", which is generally used to describe people who write with their left hand or people who, in general, use their left hands or legs (for example in football) rather than their right counterparts. We can say that someone is "zurdo" or "zurda", but we can also use the expression "la zurda" to refer to "la mano izquierda" or "la pierna izquierda".


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## MonsieurAquilone

Francais = 'gauche' (political and direction-wise) and 'gaucher' for someone who is left-handed.


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## robbie_SWE

The same thing can absolutely be said about Romanian. 

*stânga* = left (dereived odly enough from _Lat.*stancus_, meaning "tired")
*dreapta* = right (derived from _Lat. directus)_

*stângaci *= left-handed person (often seen as evil, also called neîndemânatic which means "_unbalansed_" or "_unsuccesful_")

*sinistru/**funest *= sinister (derived from _Fr. sinistre_ and _Lat. funebris_)

*A călca cu stangul* = to do something wrong (literally "to walk on the left"). 

"Left" is seen as something negative in most cultures and languages around the world. What really surprises me, is the fact that the Romanian "stânga" derives from "stancus". Did the "hatred" against "left" already start at that level??!!

Hope this helped! 

 robbie


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## jazyk

In Portuguese:

left - esquerdo (political views as well)
left hand - mão esquerda
left-handed, leftie - canhoto
sinister - sinistro
An accident can also sometimes be described as sinistro.


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## Jana337

In Czech:
left (hand) - levý
right (hand) - pravý

left (political) - levicový
right (political) - pravicový

They are not identical words but they are derived from the same stem.

Moreover, levý can be used in some negative contexts, like manually inept. Levárna is a colloquial word for trickery.

Pravý, on the other hand, has many positive meanings, like genuine and proper.

Jana


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## Honour

Turkish: Sol, both for politics and direction
For directional meaning, it could be used as itself as well as with other words yan(side), taraf(again; side). Sol yan, sol taraf.


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## panjabigator

I do not remember what the word was in Catalan, but I think it is similar to "izquierda."  

*Hindi/Udu*
Left:  /bayaaN/

*Panjabi*
Left: /khabbe/

We also use /taraf/ in both languages.


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## Cecilio

Yes, panjabi, the Catalan word is "esquerra", and the adjectives "esquerrà" / "esquerrana".


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## Becker

In Sinhalese,

left = _vam_


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## ronanpoirier

In Hungarian:

Bal = Left
Jobb = Right (Jobb also means "better")
Both are used to hands.

Helyes = Right when it means "correct".


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## linguist786

panjabigator said:
			
		

> I do not remember what the word was in Catalan, but I think it is similar to "izquierda."
> 
> *Hindi/Udu*
> Left: /bayaaN/
> 
> *Panjabi*
> Left: /khabbe/
> 
> We also use /taraf/ in both languages.


Without sounding like an ass, "bayaan" actually means "speech"! It's important to be careful with lengths of vowel sounds. "Left" is actually "baayaaN" (باياں) and the thing you said about "taraf" is absolutely right, but you forgot to mention that it changes to "baayee taraf" .The literal meaning is kind of like "towards the left" but we kind of just use it to mean "leftwards". The word for "right" is "daaeeN" (daaeeN taraf) (داءيں طرف in Urdu). 

About the two words having positive/negative connotations, I would say you're kind of right. From an Islamic point of view, the right hand is used to do good/clean things and the left is used to do unclean things (even something as simple as picking a pair of shoes) - I guess this has led to the words "right" and "left" having positive and negative connotations respectively.


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## Emiliia

In Finnish, left is "vasen" and right is "oikea"


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## panjabigator

oh boy!  This is why I hate transliteration...when I reread it, I didnt see it as beeing bayaan but instead baayaaN.  Thanks.

What is it in Gujarati?


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## linguist786

panjabigator said:
			
		

> oh boy! This is why I hate transliteration...when I reread it, I didnt see it as beeing bayaan but instead baayaaN. Thanks.
> 
> What is it in Gujarati?


Hehe.. well noticed. I mis-quoted you there  I deserve a slap  I actually did that on purpose because when I first wrote it, I said "bayaaN" means "speech".. but of course that's only if it isn't a nasalised "n" but a "solid" n - so I changed it... although my aim was to point out the the fact that the length of the vowel sounds can change the meaning.

Anyway, the Gujarati is kind of similar:

LEFT: baayo (baayee taraf IN URDU= baayee baaju IN GUJARATI)
RIGHT: daayo (daayee taraf IN URDU = daayee baaju IN GUJARATI)

The words can change according to name, gender and number. So "right hand" is "baayo haat" since it is masculine, but for feminine it would be "baayee" and neuter = "baayaa" (as is the plural) - although I can't imagine using the word "left" with feminine/neuter/plural words..


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## Whodunit

In German:

left = links (left-hand and left-wing)
right = rechts (right-hand and right-wing)

You are right that the German word "rechts" is derived from "recht" (meaning "right/correct/proper"). This, in turn, is derived from Indo-European *_reĝ_- (meaning "to erect", see German "aufrichten", or "to rule/judge", see German "Richter"). To sum it up: "right" is positive.

The word "links" could have to do with the Modern High German adjective "link(isch)," which means "underhanded/mean/nasty," so it is quite negative.


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## Maja

In Serbian:

 left (window/side/wing) - levi prozor/leva strana/levo krilo
 right (window/side/wing) - desni prozor/desna strana/desno krilo

 left hand (in boxing) -  levica
 right hand (in boxing) - desnica

 left (direction) - levo
 right (direction) - desno

left-handed - levoruk (f. levoruka)
  right-handed - desnoruk (f. desnoruka)

 left (political) - levica
 right (political) - desnica


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## Bienvenidos

Persian/Farsi:

Left: *Chup*


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## linguist786

Bienvenidos said:
			
		

> Persian/Farsi:
> 
> Left: *Chup*


LOL.. in Urdu/Hindi, that means "shut up"


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## Flaminius

*Latvian*
Left: kreiss
There is a connotation of being the wrong side.

*Japanese*
Left: hidari (左、ひだり)

Right and left have more complicated signification in Japanese.  While in some phrase left is treated as an auspicious side, other expressions suggest the opposite:
左大臣 (sadaijin): minister on the left side.  Superior to udaijin or minister on the right side.
左前になる (hidari-mae-ni naru): (for business) to get in bad circumstances
左遷 (sasen): demotion, or literally to move leftwards.


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## Akialuz

we use the expression:  _a diestra y siniestra _meaning from side to side, but usually with a negative connotation.
¡Fué repartiedo fuete a diestra y siniestra!
~Akialuz


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## Moogey

Italian- sinistra 

Yay, 1st post in "Other languages"! I didn't know there was an "all languages" thing.

-M


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## Bienvenidos

linguist786 said:
			
		

> LOL.. in Urdu/Hindi, that means "shut up"



 Well there's a very similar word in Farsi that means shut up, too (so maybe we're thinking of the same word, but there's an issue with transliteration?) 

Farsi: SHUT UP - choop [bosh] --or-- choop [shao]
                       (the oo pronounced as the oo in *book*)



*Bien*


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## Cecilio

linguist786 said:
			
		

> So "right hand" is "baayo haat" since it is masculine, but for feminine it would be "baayee" and neuter = "baayaa" (as is the plural) - although I can't imagine using the word "left" with feminine/neuter/plural words..



Why not with feminine/neuter/plural words? Is it purely a grammatical issue or are there any other things involved?


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## Tisia

Bienvenidos said:
			
		

> Persian/Farsi:
> 
> Left: *Chup*


 
...or as always for different spelling, in Iranian Persian:چپ *(chaep)*. 

br
Tisia


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## karuna

Flaminius said:
			
		

> *Latvian*
> Left: kreiss
> There is a connotation of being the wrong side.


Normally, the word _kreiss _by itself doesn't have negative connotation in Latvian today despite linguists telling that it comes from the PIE root _*krei_ [to sieve, discriminate, distinguish]. But many things connected with the left side are interesting:

_kreisā puse_ – left side, but can also mean the wrong side of clothing (or inside-out)
_laist pa kreisi_ [go left side] – cheat your spouse
_kreisā prece_ [left side goods] – illegal goods (as contraband or counterfeit)
_izkāpt no gultas ar kreiso kāju_ [to get out of bed with the left leg] – to get out of bed on the wrong side.


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## janek

In Polish:

_Left_ - Lewo (adv.), lewy (adj.), 
_Right_ - Prawo (adv.), prawy (adj.)

Also:

_Lewica_ - left hand, but also the Left (as in political affiliations)
_Prawica_ - right hand, but also the Right (conservatives)

_Lewy_ can also mean: wrong, bad, fishy, not original, or stolen. Example:
_            To jakaś lewa sprawa - [col.] It's some fishy business_
_Lewe papiery - [col.] counterfeit documents_
_            Lewy towar - [col.] goods that have been stolen and are being resold to unaware clients; _
_Prawy_ means also righteous, just.

*[zrobić] na lewo* - do something in an illicit, or quasi-legal way
*Robić na lewo* - to work illegaly [avoiding the taxes]
*Wstać lewą nogą* - _lit._ To get up with your left foot (To get up on the wrong side of bed)
*Mieć dwie lewe ręce* - _lit._ To have both left hands (to be clumsy or bad at work)
*lewa strona [ubrania]* - the inside-out of a piece of garment


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## Flaminius

A discussion about Sino-Japanese 左右 (sayū) or "left and right" has been allocated a new thread here.


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## linguist786

Bienvenidos said:
			
		

> Well there's a very similar word in Farsi that means shut up, too (so maybe we're thinking of the same word, but there's an issue with transliteration?)
> 
> Farsi: SHUT UP - choop [bosh] --or-- choop [shao]
> (the oo pronounced as the oo in *book*)
> 
> 
> 
> *Bien*


In Hindi/Urdu/Gujarati, it's exactly the same pronunciation! So it's the same word in Persian, right? That's interesting.

(*چُپ* = Urdu, चुप = Hindi, ચુપ = Gujarati)


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## Cecilio

Flaminius said:
			
		

> While we are still at it, I think it is worth a while to note that Chinese too seems uncertain whether left is superior or inferior to right.
> 
> 左衽（袵） (Mandarin zuŏrèn; Japanese sajin)
> Wearing a shirt with the left half over the right half (direnctions when seen from the front, therefore right-over-left from the wearer's view point). This is how the deceased is closed for the funeral, as opposed to those who are alive. Considered inauspicious.
> 
> 左袒 (Mandarin zuŏtăn; Japanese satan)
> To support or take sides with. Literally bearing one's left shoulder. Historical expression dating back to Han dynasty. Chines natives, could I prevail upon you to ask if this expression related to 佐?



Personally, I get quite lost in these explanations about Chinese and Japanese. The idea of opening a new thread about the issue is very good, but it would be interesting, for this thread, to have a more or less clearer  acount of the whole thing. So maybe you can provide this let's say basic explanation about Japanese and Chinese, and then move the other posts to the other thread.

Thanks in advance!


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## Flaminius

A new thread is created for discussing connotations of right and left in Chinese and Japanese.  Relevant posts are moved here.


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## Lugubert

Swedish 'right' = höger, 'left' = vänster.
The only figurative use I can think of (besides politics) is the verb _vänstra_ 'be unfaithful'.


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## optimistique

I don't think Dutch really follows this trend. The only (slightly) negative thing I can think of for the Dutch left (which is *links*, just as in German) is the expression:

twee *linker*handen hebben - to have two left hands

this means 'to be unhandy'. 

And further:

iemand *links* laten liggen - to leave somebody left, meaning 'to ignore somebody'


Concerning the political side 'links', I think personally that it is more positive than the right-side (rechts). 'Left' are the social parties, the more progressive parties. 'Right' are the conservative, the religious, the capitalists. 'Extreme right' are the skin-heads and the neo-nazis, so I think that political right is far more negative than left, but other people might disagree (Discussion on this belongs more in the cultural forum than here, I guess ).


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## Whodunit

optimistique said:
			
		

> I don't think Dutch really follows this trend. The only (slightly) negative thing I can think of for the Dutch left (which is *links*, just as in German) is the expression:
> 
> twee *linker*handen hebben - to have two left hands
> 
> this means 'to be unhandy'.


 
We use the same expression in German: "zwei linke Hände haben." But don't you have a negative adjactive that corresponds to German "link" (nasty/mean)?


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## optimistique

In fact, we do have! I just found it in my dictionnary, but it (link) means: clever (schlau), handy. But I have to say I only know it in the meaning of 'dangerous/risky'. It definitely has a negative connotation, for a clever, handy guy is typically the one who swindles you in doing business with him.


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## selters

In Norwegian:

left: venstre

Eng: My left hand
Norw: Min venstre hånd


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## chaya

I am reminded of an old US  military marching song:

left,  left, 
I had a good home and I left.
I left because I thought it was right..........

Does anyone know the next line?


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## papillon

Russian is similar to other Slavic languages:
left:  levyi
right: pravyi.
We pretty much follow the trend, where right is "good" and left is "bad".
"You are right" translaght directly into _Ty prav.

_The negative connotation for left in Russian revolves around the meaning "illegal" or "counterfeit". So a "levyi biznes" is an unregistered business (you're not paying taxes), and a "levak" can mean an unregistered cab driver. More recently, the word "levyi" (left) became a slang word to denote a range of negative qualities, from plain strange to uncool! Finally there is the
idti nalevo -- go (to the) left, cheat on one's spouse.


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## elpoderoso

I'm not sure if this question belongs in this particular forum, but here goes anyway. 
In English the word right apart from meaning the direction right also has other uses with a positive twist to them (I hope you understand what I mean by this)
Some examples
Correct (like German ''Richtig'')
Rights i.e Human rights 

Left, on the other hand (pun very much intended) may have negative connotations in other languages (I'm not sure about the origins of English ''left'' but I think it comes from a Germanic root meaning ''light'' or ''lift'')
I do know however that the English word ''sinister'' comes from the Latin for left.
I would therefore like to know What the words ''left'' and ''right'' are in your language and if they have other related words with positive or negative attributes.

Moderator Note:
The discussion now explicitly includes nuances of right as well as that of left. It has been referred to in several posts but that was not the scope of the original question.


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## Nizo

In *Esperanto*:
The word for _right_ (direction, tendancy) is _dekstra_, which comes from the Latin _dextĕr_.  The word _left_ (direction, tendancy) takes the opposites prefix _mal-_: _maldekstra_.  This has no connection with the word which means correct or truthful, which is _prava_.

right (adj.) = _dekstra_
left (adj.) = _maldekstra_
right (adv.) = _dekstre_, or when indicating motion, _dekstren_
left (adv.) = _maldekstre_, or when indicating motion towards, _maldekstren_

My right hand.  _Mia dekstra mano_.

People take the ending _–ulo_, meaning a person.
a right hander, a conservative (member of the Right) = _dekstrulo_ (m), _dekstrulino_ (f)
a left hander, a liberal (member of the Left) = _maldekstrulo_ (m), _maldekstrulino_ (f)

the Left (Pol.) = _la maldekstrularo_
the Right (Pol.) = _la dekstrularo_


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## Kriviq

Imo, a complex mixture of truths, semi-truths and total misconceptions, concerning the ancient dualistic religions, has led to the following chains:
concept of good  -> male principle -> right
concept of bad -> female principle -> left.
In Bulgarian, left/ляв has no negative connotations, except for the derisive phrase left threaded/лява резба, meaning a gay person.
Right/десен has no other meanings bar the spatial and political aspects.


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## Jeedade

optimistique said:


> But I have to say I only know it in the meaning of 'dangerous/risky'.


A frequently used expression is "linke soep", which means risky business.

In Italian, as mentioned above, left means sinistro/a, it also has the connotation of sinister. A lefthanded person is a mancino, this word also has a connotation of treacherous, dirty, as in a "tiro mancino", i.e. a dirty trick.


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## Jeedade

Nizo said:


> In *Esperanto*:
> The word for _right_ (direction, tendancy) is _dekstra_, which comes from the Latin _dextĕr_. The word _left_ (direction, tendancy) takes the opposites prefix _mal-_: _maldekstra_.


Does the prefix _mal-_ have a negative connotation in Esperanto (like in the Romance languages)?


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## jonquiliser

Lugubert said:


> Swedish 'right' = höger, 'left' = vänster.
> The only figurative use I can think of (besides politics) is the verb _vänstra_ 'be unfaithful'.



I always heard "vänsterprassla", "vänstra" is new to me. Then there's of course the expression "to be someone's right hand", though I don't think that's specific to Swedish. Nor the fact that Jesus sits by God's right side.


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## elpoderoso

jonquiliser said:


> I always heard "vänsterprassla", "vänstra" is new to me. Then there's of course the expression "to be someone's right hand", though I don't think that's specific to Swedish. Nor the fact that Jesus sits by God's right side.


If Jesus sits by God's right side, is this because the language in which the original biblical texts were written already had an idea of right being more powerful than left ?  
If that is the case do the modern cultures/languages have a similar belief because of these biblical passages or because of an earlier cultural idea of right being ''better'' than left, maybe from there being more right handed people than left handed?


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## Flaminius

I am not sure if sitting on the right side is a Biblical Hebrew phraseology but I know of a similar preference of the right side.  Psalm 121:5 reads, "The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;"


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## elpoderoso

Flaminius said:


> I am not sure if sitting on the right side is a Biblical Hebrew phraseology but I know of a similar preference of the right side. Psalm 121:5 reads, "The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;"


In Ephesians there is a mention of Jesus sitting at God's right hand. However I don't know if this was written in Greek or Hebrew.


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## Moogle

For directions in Vietnamese (this is the pronunciation in English form):

Right = Fye *say this in a hard manner*
Left = Chye 

Correctness:

Right / correct: Fye *same as direction like in English*
Wrong: Khong Fye *which is basically saying NOT RIGHT*
Wrong: Sye


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## sean de lier

In Tagalog:

left = 'kaliwa'
right = 'kanan'

Though the words themselves evoke no extreme connotation (at least in my experience), "kaliwa" may be used colloquially as a verb to denote having an affair (or being cheated) as in this case: "Si Maria ay kinakaliwa ng kanyang asawa." = Mary is being cheated by her husband.

"Kanan" may have positive connotations, as in the idiom "Kanang-kamay" (literally "Right Hand") which is used to describe a trusted assistant.


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## Nizo

Jeedade said:


> Does the prefix _mal-_ have a negative connotation in Esperanto (like in the Romance languages)?


 
No.  In Esperanto, the prefix _mal-_ means opposite.  Here are some examples:

_varma/malvarma_:  hot/cold
_bona/malbona_:  good/bad
_granda/malgranda_:  big/small
_bela/malbela_:  beautiful/ugly

So, the contrast between _dekstra/maldekstra_ is not one of good and bad, but one of opposite.


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## J.F. de TROYES

In French:

On the right : à droite.
On the left : à gauche.

"droit(-e,-s,-es)" as an adjective has also positive connotations : "un homme droit" is a morally good person and the derived noun "doiture" means honesty , integrity. On the other hand "gauche(-s)" denotes someone clumsy, unhandy and differs from "gaucher (masc.) / gauchère (fem.) which means only left-handed.


In Arabic:

On the right:     إلى اليمين       ( 'ila-l-yamiin )
On the left:     إلى اليسار( 'ila-l-yasaar)  or      إلى الشمال(ila-sh-shimaal )

The root of   يمين   is related to the right side and to the political right-wing, but also to the idea of being auspicious ( a derived adjective     مَيمون  (maimuun) , means well-off, fortunate ) .
الشمال (  ash-shimaal )  means north and is also used with the meaning of left, because when one turns eastwards to find one’s direction, the North is on the left side ; maybe first it denoted a northen wind. Using eitherيسار( yasaar)  or شمال (shimaal) depends on countriesor areas. As far as I know,  no negative connotation is related to both words;
اليسار    ( al- yasaar  )   is only politically used.


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## Qcumber

J.F. de TROYES said:


> In Arabic:As far as I know, no negative connotation is related to both words.


Perhaps, but Muslims touch food with their right hand, but wash their anus with their left hand.
For the Jews, ben yamiin > Benjamin "the son on the right" was the preferred one.
So I suppose some negative things are associated with the left.


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## theo1006

Indonesian:
Right = kanan, left = kiri.
Left-handed = kidal.
It is considered rude to shake hands with your left, because that is the hand you wash your anus with. Apart from this I do not think the word _kiri_ has more negative connotations than the word _right_. The political left has been severely suppressed during Suharto's presidency, but the lingering negative attitude towards the political left sticks more to the word _komunis_.

Javanese:
right = tengen
left = kiwa (pronounced: kiwå)
Same as Indonesian as regards the use of the left hand.

Sranantongo (Suriname):
right = leti
left = kruktu, lenks (the word _lenks_ evidently derives from Dutch _links_).


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## Qcumber

I have the impression politics has obfuscated the issue and now prevents many people from collecting traditional data concerning the left side. If we want to know how people used to interpret the left side as opposed to the right side, we'd better forget the modern political meanings of "right" and "left".


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## J.F. de TROYES

Qcumber said:


> Perhaps, but Muslims touch food with their right hand, but wash their anus with their left hand.
> For the Jews, ben yamiin > Benjamin "the son on the right" was the preferred one.
> So I suppose some negative things are associated with the left.


 
I wanted to point out that _from a mere lexical standpoint_ the Arabic words denoting the left side or the words coming from the same roots have no negative connotations as it happens in some other languages. But I share your opinion about the beliefs related to_ the idea associated with the left side_. In most civilizations the left side is considered ominous.
As I told the root "y-m-n", the same as in Hebrew,  is on the contrary lexically associated with beneficial things.


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## Qcumber

J.F. de TROYES said:


> I wanted to point out that _from a mere lexical standpoint_ the Arabic words denoting the left side or the words coming from the same roots have no negative connotations as it happens in some other languages.


Unless I'm mistaken the ominous connotation or meaning always comes second, whatever the language. The first, basic meaning is always only directional. So you mean no negative connotation is associated with the Arabic terms shimaalii, 2ash2am, shu2maa, and 2aisar "left". OK.


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## J.F. de TROYES

I am interested in your latest examples of which two are related to  شام - "shaam " ,another word that also originally means North / left , but I think it is only used as colloquial synonyms of Damascus or Syria. To come back to the point I'd like to notice that the derivatives of this word are undoubtedly negative :  شؤم - "sh2um" precisely  means "ominous" !


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## Qcumber

I had no time to check them when I copied them from the Belot Nakhla French-Arabic dictionary (Beyrouth 1952).
The entry is "*gauche*, a. opposé à droit". I didn't know the _sh2m_ had negative connotations. I though they were only directional.
Thanks a lot for the info. I'll look them up in Kazimirski's.


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## kusurija

Lithuanian:
left kairė
right dešinė


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## jaxlarus

Well, this is very interesting for me, because as I was taking languages I couldn’t help but to notice that the adjective used for ‘right’ was associated with the notion of righteousness:

You don’t have the right…
Tu n’as pas le droit…
No tienes el derecho…
Du hast kein Recht…

The latin word rectus, mentioned above, meaning right, upright, proper and (morally) good is the exact equivalent of the word ευθύς. 

In Greek the word for right as adjective is δεξής / δεξιός and reminded me of δίκαιο (right as noun) but I can’t find a connection between the two etymologically. The Greek word for right (adj.) does mean capable, skilful and is still to be found in the word επι*δέξιος* which means…dexterous, deft!

Right is also connected with good luck in expressions as μου ήρθαν όλα δεξιά and με το δεξί! Literally ‘everything came right* to me’ and ‘[enter] with the right [foot]!’ said when someone is about to step in, say, a new house.

The funny thing here is that the word for left, αριστέρος, derives from άριστος, which means…excellent! It’s actually the classical Greek superlative of the adjective καλός, meaning good. Another word for left, less commonly used and obsolete is ευώνυμος, which means ‘having a good name (reputation)’. Both positive...

The only negative hue attributed to left I could find, is another word used for it – usually in rural areas: ζερβός. It derives from the word ζαβός which means clumsy, stupid, thoughtless, cross-grained or crooked (both literally and metaphorically). But when ζερβόςis used, it just denotes left or left-handed. 


elpoderoso said:


> If Jesus sits by God's right side, is this because the language in which the original biblical texts were written already had an idea of right being more powerful than left ?


The Biblical texts were not written in solely one language. The so-called Old Testament was written in Hebrew (primarily) and Aramaic and the so-called New Testament was written in Greek (Koine). The pattern of ‘sitting to the right’ of someone is repeated many times in the Scriptures, both the Greek and the Hebrew, but we have to keep in mind that the authors of both were of Judaic mentality.

The _right_ _hand_ was considered to be of great importance, symbolically. Joseph was displeased when Jacob crossed his hands in order to lay his right hand on Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son. But Jacob did this purposely, to give Ephraim the superior blessing. (Genesis 48:13-20) To be on the right hand of a ruler was to have the most important position, next to the ruler himself (Psalm 110:1; Acts 7:55, 56; Romans 8:34; 1Peter 3:22), or a position in his favour. (Matthew 25:33) Jesus is spoken of in the vision of Revelation as having the seven stars of the seven congregations in his right hand. That is, all these bodies of elders have his favour and are under his full control, power, and direction.—Revelation 1:16, 20; 2:1.


Flaminius said:


> I am not sure if sitting on the right side is a Biblical Hebrew phraseology but I know of a similar preference of the right side. Psalm 121:5 reads, "The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;"


For God to take hold of one’s right hand would strengthen that one. (Psalm 73:23) Usually the right hand of a warrior was his sword-wielding hand, and it was unprotected by the shield in the left hand. Therefore, a friend would stand or fight at his right hand as an upholder and protector. This circumstance is used metaphorically with regard to God’s help and protection to those serving him.—Psalms 16:8; 109:30, 31; 110:5 and 121:5 as you stated.

Furthermore the writer of Ecclesiastes says: “The heart of the wise is at his right hand, but the heart of the stupid at his left hand.” In other words, the wise one inclines toward a good, favourable path, but the stupid one inclines toward a bad course.—Ec 10:2.

So I guess the differentiation between right and left dates back from biblical times at least...

----------------------------

*Not right as in correct. Right as in right hand.


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## cherine

J.F. de TROYES said:


> In Arabic:
> Using eitherيسار( yasaar) or شمال (shimaal) depends on countries or areas. As far as I know, no negative connotation is related to both words; اليسار ( al- yasaar ) is only politically used.


Sorry for the late comment, but I only noticed it now.
The word yasaar does have a positive connotation  it means wealth, well-being في يسار من العيش , also "easiness" is yusr يُسر which is -interestingly- the opposite of 3usr عسر the same word used for a person using his left hand أعسر a3sar.


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## Kurdistanish

Kurdish
*rast*, *rêkt* : right
*çep* : left


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## alex.raf

*Persian:*
Left: Chap چپ
Right: Rāst راست


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## dihydrogen monoxide

Does left mean something bad or sinister and right something good and wonderful in your language?


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## jazyk

In Portuguese:
left - esquerda
right - direita

Esquerda and direita are frequently associated with left-wing and right-wing parties but I don't think esquerda is associated with anything evil (unless you consider communists evil). The Latin word sinister, which evolved into sinistro in Portuguese, though, is related to things that are sinister, morbid, horriyfing, etc.


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## Stéphane89

In French, Left is *'Gauche'* and Right is *'Droite'*.

But 'gauche' also has another meaning, which is indeed negative: it also means _'clumsy'_, _'awkward'_, ...

Whereas 'droite', has a more positive meaning. It refers to everything/everyone being right, honest, ...

Hope this helps...


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## Frank06

In *Dutch* you have
left - links (related to _link_, bad, dodgy, ...)
right - rechts (related to _recht_, right, correct, etc.)


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## Mahaodeh

J.F. de TROYES said:


> I am interested in your latest examples of which two are related to شام - "shaam " ,another word that also originally means North / left , but I think it is only used as colloquial synonyms of Damascus or Syria. To come back to the point I'd like to notice that the derivatives of this word are undoubtedly negative : شؤم - "sh2um" precisely means "ominous" !


 
You are right in that shaam originally means left, but you are mistaken in the notion that it is only used in collequal, it is indeed a fus7a word (standard) and it does come from the same root as you mentioned, a highly negative meaning.

I once heard a linguist speaking on TV (I'm sort of a nerd sometimes ) and he mentioned that originally the word shaam meant left and yemen يَمَن meant right; so the two regions of greater Syria and Yemen when named so because they were to the left and right of Hijaaz (mid-western region of current day Saudi Arabia). Through the years people began referring to left and right as shimaal and yameen, then yasaar and yameen (due to the negative connotations of left) and shimaal became more oftenly used as north (since shaam is to the north) although it still means left. I don't really know how much of an authority on etymology the speaker was.

However, currently shaam is used exclusively to refer to either the region (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) or the city of Damascus.


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## ThomasK

Hope it was not mentioned : isn't _dexterity_ linked to _dextra_ (and very positive: able). 

I guessed it referred to 'deik-', pointing at, but in #59, I believe, there is another explanation, a better one...


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## MarX

Hola!

In Indonesian:
_left_ = *kiri*
_right_ = *kanan*

Unlike in many European languages, *kiri* & *kanan* have a pretty neutral meaning.

Btw, _lefthanded_ = *kidal*. Also neutral in its meaning.


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## apmoy70

elpoderoso said:
			
		

> In Ephesians there is a mention of Jesus sitting at God's right hand. However I don't know if this was written in Greek or Hebrew.


Paul's Epistles were written in Koine Greek. The part you're mentioning is this:
Eph.1:20
῝Ην ἐνήργησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν *δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ* ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις
Paul clearly mentions that Christ sat at God's right (δεξιᾷ) side.

In Greek:
Left=Αριστερά (Arister*a*) both for politics and direction.
Right=Δεξιά (ðeksi*a*) both for politics and direction.
In ancient times left had the connotation of bad omen. Ancient Greeks never used the name ἀριστερά directly, they had replaced it with the euphemism εὐώνυμον which means good name, because bad omens came from the left.
Today there's a custom that has survived since ancient times: When we enter into a new apartment/house/office we usually enter with our right foot first, followed by the left one. And often we hear the exhortation "με το δεξί" ("with your right one") by the owner of the new apartment/house/office.


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## ThomasK

Is there any link between 'aristos' and 'aristera' ? I guess not, but ....

Just by the way: 'links' does not sound negative in Dutch, it seems to me. But I suddenly wonder: why is left associated with change, progressive ideas (or is that only the case in Europe ?) ?


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## apmoy70

ThomasK said:


> Is there any link between 'aristos' and 'aristera' ? I guess not, but ....
> 
> Just by the way: 'links' does not sound negative in Dutch, it seems to me. But I suddenly wonder: why is left associated with change, progressive ideas (or is that only the case in Europe ?) ?


Hmm, interesting thought! I'm afraid I cannot answer though. 
According to myetymology.com, 





> aristos derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ar-


_(*Derivations in other languages*
English armed, English reed, English read, Greek harmos, Greek aristos, Greek arithmos, Greek arthron, Greek artios, Latin arma, Latin artus translation of Greek arthron, Latin ars, Latin ordo, Latin ornare, Latin reri, Latin ritus)_.
Could aristos and aristera have the same PIE root? Perhaps. Philosophically speaking, both aristos and aristera are deviations over the trite


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## mohamed264

right=يمين (yameen)
left=يسار (yasar)


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## Messquito

Hieroglyphically, the original form of 右(derived from 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





, the shape of the right hand) and 左(derived from 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, the shape of the left hand) don't carry any other meanings other than "right side and left side"; however, phonetically and etymologically, they do:

右(right) is cognates with 佑((god)to protect). There was at first the character 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, shaped like a right hand, meaning to pray (ancient people used their right hand to pray to god for peace), and since people say words when praying, people then added a 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




(口, mouth) to the later developed form 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, making it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, which then later obtained the meaning "right side" and developed into the word 右. The original meaning has been carried over to this day into the character 佑, which is 人(human)+右.

左(left) is cognates with 佐((god)to help). There was at first the character 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, shaped like a left hand, meaning to pray (ancient people used their left hand to pray to god for help), and since people use some tools when praying, they then added a 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




(工, work, tool) to the later developed form 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, making it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, which then later obtained the meaning "left side" and developed into the word 左. The original meaning has been carried over to this day into the character 佐, which is 人(human)+左.

So from the analysis above, 左 and 右 does not carry any positive or negative meaning etymologically.

On a traditional level (words that are not affected by Westernisation), semantically, 右 seems to not carry any meaning as to "correct, straight or orthodox", but 左, on the other hand, does carry the meaning of "unorthodox, inconsistency", e.g. 旁門左道(side door and left road-->heresy, improper manner/way), 意見相左(opinions to "left" each other-->opinions at odds with each other).
On the other hand, modern vocabulary such as 右翼/右派(right wing) and 左翼/左派(left wing) do give them an orthodox/unorthodox meaning.

Culturally, whether which side is superior varies with *eras, domains, and regions. *Generally, we can make the conclusion below:
First of all, I'd like to propose possible explanations of the superiority of left or right:
A. left is superior: (This is considered the general rule in the orthodox "Chinese" culture, but since Chinese culture was actually pretty diverse, there were more than many exceptions.)
1. Because China is located to the North of the equator, the emperors sit facing the South to get more sunlight. As a result, to the emperor, *left means east* and *right means west*. The sun comes from the east, so the left side is linked with positivity, lightness, while the right side is linked with negativity, darkness.
2. Most of China's rivers flow from west to east, and if you are on a boat, facing towards the direction where the water is flowing, your left side is bright because that's where the bright side of the mountain is, while your right side would be dark because that's where the shady side of another mountain is.
3. Because most people are right-handed, the left hand is often spared, which links to "doing nothing, peace", while the right hand is always there to perform tasks, like using weapons, etc. so it's linked to "violence".
B. right is superior:
1. Perhaps because there are people who sit facing the north(e.g. the chancellor, who must face the north when talking to the emperor), not like the emperor, so the result would be the opposite.
2. Conquerors from other cultures might have different perspectives than the orthodox Chinese.
3. Because most people are right-handed, the left hand is often spared, which links to "doing nothing, peace", while the right hand is always there to perform tasks, like using weapons, etc. so it's linked to "violence".
Then, I'll make a brief analysis by eras:
夏商周(Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties): It is said that there is no general preference in this era, but some people say there is one sorted by domains: in the civil domain (because of A.3.), left is superior, while in the military domain, (also because of A.3.), right is superior. The idiom "虛左以待(emptying out the left to wait)" meaning to make a seat/vacancy available for an honored, competent guest or job applicant
秦漢(Qin and Han dynasties): Right is superior, because of B.1.) "無出其*右*(nothing can be more "*right(superior)*")" is an idiom from this era, meaning second to none.
三國(3 Kingdoms): For unknown reasons, the tradition seemed to reverse back to "left is superior".
隋唐宋(Sui, Tang and Sung dynasties): Left is superior, seems to be inherited from the last era.
元(Yuan dynasty)：Right is superior. Probably because of B.2. (Yuan is a dynasty built by the Mongolians)
明：Left is superior. Zhu Yuanzhang, who was proud of his Chinese(Han) blood, chose to go back to the "orthodox tradition".
清：Left is superior. The Manchu people almost completely embraced the Chinese culture, and perhaps that's why they didn't change it like the Mongolians did.

In another dialect, Hokkien, that I speak, the word for "right side" is "正手邊(correct-hand side)" and "left side" is "反手邊(opposite-hand side)", so there is definitely a positive connotation in "right side".


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## apmoy70

ThomasK said:


> Is there any link between 'aristos' and 'aristera' ? I guess not, but ....


There is a link actually, per Beekes: 





> connection with ἄριστος is mostly assumed (pg. 131)



The problem now is since the left side was considered unfavorable in ancient Greece, how come the name for it is cognate with ἄριστος áristŏs and *«ἁρμονία» hărmŏníā* both derivatives of the v. *«ἀραρίσκω» ărărískō* --> _to join, fit together, fit well, fasten_ (hence ἄριστος is _the fittest_)?

So, either (1) the left side was considered favorable in archaic Greece and suddenly it shifted its meaning, or (2) *«ἀριστερά» ărĭstĕrá* (left) is already a euphemism of an earlier, long-lost and unknown name (which makes «εὐώνυμον» e̯uṓnumŏn (neut.) a euphemism of a euphemism)


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## franknagy

In Hungarian the right side is related better, to legal and right:
Jó=good,
jobb=better + right side.
jog = law.

The left side of the body is included in words meaning bad luck, and loser:
bal = left,
balszerencse = bad luck
baleset = accidet,
balfék, balfácán, balfasz = loser.


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## Armas

Finnish:

_oikea_ "right" also means "correct" and "real, true"

The original meaning of _oikea_ (in Proto-Finnic *_oikeda_) was "straight", which can be seen in the verb _oikoa_ "to straighten".


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## Red Arrow

optimistique said:


> In fact, we do have! I just found it in my dictionnary, but it (link) means: clever (schlau), handy. But I have to say I only know it in the meaning of 'dangerous/risky'. It definitely has a negative connotation, for a clever, handy guy is typically the one who swindles you in doing business with him.


When I think of "link", I think of something dangerous. (Linke boel! = Dangerous stuff)


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## ilocas2

Bosnian:

*lijevi* - left
*desni* - right


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