Posted on 06/07/2013 10:57:39 AM PDT by The Looking Spoon
I didn't think this was true initially, but it checked out at Google Translate...
Good one...
It’s actually “sinistral.”
But the same root word for sinister, so you’re not wrong.
Actually, left in French is “gauche”. While right in French is “droit” which means both a direction and the state of being correct.
Simon Bar Sinister
It’s actually “sinistra,” pronounced SIN.eis.trah.
Perhaps the Latin ROOT, yes, but when describing chirality or direction, there’s an ‘L’ on the end.
Sinistral is “to the left”
Dextral is “to the right”
“Sinister” has ALWAYS been a left-handed thing.
Sorry, lefties. Down through history, the “left-handed” approach has always been viewed with suspicion, because it ran counter to the instincts of most people to favor the use of the RIGHT side of the body, as the “strong” side. This relates to the eye, the right leg, and the right arm. “Right” has been popularly associated with “correct”.
Now there is something called “ambidextrous”, meaning the ability to use EITHER hand with equal ease. THAT would seem to be the ideal for all humanity to aspire to, but surprisingly, those folks who show this capability seem to be almost equally despised by BOTH lefties and righties.
Like neither of them were quite complete, and the ambidextrous one shows them both up for the imperfect human beings they are.
In Spanish, left is izquierda and right is derecho. Sneaky vs. direct.
Left-handers were deemed evil in early times.
Actually, it’s ad sinistra and ad dextra.
The “bar sinister” is a heraldic device — a slanting line running from the upper right to the lower left — that signifies bastardy (illegitimacy). Another blow to the left-handers of the world.
What about “starting out on the right foot”?
In Latin, “in pede dextero”, meant beginning any journey or even simply stepping out one’s front door by leading with the right (dexteral) foot.
How about “manual dexterity”?
I remember giving directions to Rome taxi drivers, “Alle desstra! Alle sinistra!” (Turn right! Turn left!)
IIRC, the political division between left and right began with the Estates General, the national assembly of France before the revolution. Representatives of the landed nobility sat in the right half of the chamber; those representing commoners & peasants sat in the left half.
I was ambidexterous and actually used both hands when bowling. Indeed my right hand scores were slightly higher. On the track team my shotput scores were better on the right but....
Of course today we have a Sinister being in the White House....
Pabian... I’m not going around and around with you on this. We’re talking about two different things. I’m not talking about the straight Latin, I’m talking about the translations.
Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinistral_and_dextral
Great One! Facebook!
I thought it was because many people wipe their butts with their left hand.
-MrChips (Latin instructor)
Would those not be in the accusative case and thus end with the letter “m”?
Yes, I knew that. I took 2 years of Latin.
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