δεξιτερός

Forms

δεξῐτερός (dexiterós) m (feminine δεξῐτερή, neuter δεξῐτερόν); first/second declension^[1] Ionic and epic feminine δεξιτερή; epic instrumental-locative δεξιτερῆφι.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *deksiterós, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-i-teros, built on Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- (“right”) with the suffix *-tero-, which marks one of two opposed things (compare ἀριστερός (aristerós, “left”)).^[1][4] It is not derived from δεξιός (dexiós, “right”) but formed beside it from the same stem, and it corresponds exactly to Latin dexter (“right”).^[5][6][7]

The other Indo-European words for “right” are built with other suffixes: Sanskrit दक्षिण (dákṣiṇa-), Lithuanian dẽšinas and Old Church Slavonic деснъ (desnŭ) with *-n-, Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍃𐍅𐌰 (taihswa) and Old Irish dess with *-wo-.^[5][6][8]

Ancient grammarians saw that it could not be a comparative of the simple adjective: Philoxenus, quoted in the Etymologicum Magnum, derived it from an unattested *δεξιερός (*dexierós) with a /t/ added, and Herodian explained it by analogy with the word for “left”.^[7][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Homer on, meaning right, on the right side of the body; in the Iliad Thetis clasps Zeus's chin with her right hand (the feminine δεξιτερή used as a noun).^[3][10][11]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to epic and lyric poetry: Homer uses it of the right breast, shin, foot and hand, and has the old instrumental-locative form δεξιτερῆφι.^[3][2] Hesiod, the elegists, Pindar and Parmenides use it, and Hellenistic poets such as Apollonius Rhodius and Theocritus revive it,^[12][11] and Apollonius also says it of the right-hand bull in a yoke.^[12][11] It is rare in comedy.^[10]

The word did not survive into Modern Greek, which uses descendants of δεξιός.^[7]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of the right hand, foot and breast.^[3][10]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Theogony uses the feminine for the right hand.^[11][12]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar and Parmenides use it in verse.^[12][13]
• 4th century BC – Antiphanes uses it in comedy, where it is rare.^[10]
• 3rd century BC – Apollonius Rhodius uses it of the right-hand bull in a yoke.^[12]
• 1st century BC – Philoxenus explains its formation, as quoted in the Etymologicum Magnum.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Right, on the right side (of the body, of one of two).^[10][12][3]
2. (feminine as a noun, with χείρ understood) The right hand.^[10][12]
3. (of a yoked bull) Right-hand, on the right of the pair.^[12]

Related words

• δεξιός (dexiós)
• ἀριστερός (aristerós)
• Latin dexter

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
3. ^ a b c d e Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
4. ^ Debrunner, Albert (1917), Griechische Wortbildungslehre, Heidelberg: Winter; Greek tr. on the Portal for the Greek Language, https://www.greek-language.gr
5. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
7. ^ a b c d Etygram: ancient etymologies of Greek words, CEPAM, Université Côte d'Azur, http://appsweb-cepam.unice.fr/etygram
8. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
9. ^ Gaisford, Thomas, ed. (1848), Etymologicum Magnum, Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b c d e f Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
11. ^ a b c d Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
12. ^ a b c d e f g h Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
13. ^ Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: De Gruyter