δεξιός

Forms

δεξῐός (dexiós) m (feminine δεξῐᾱ́, neuter δεξῐόν); first/second declension^[1] Mycenaean Greek de-ki-si-wo, a man's name.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *deksiwós,^[1] from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- (“right”).^[1][4] The ending goes back to *δεξιϝός (*deksiwós), as the Mycenaean name Mycenaean Greek de-ki-si-wo shows, and in this form the word is identical with the Gaulish goddess name Dexsiva.^[4][2][3] Celtic and Germanic have a suffix *-wo- without the -ι- (-i-), Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic a derivative in *-n-.^[4] The comparative form δεξιτερός (dexiterós) matches Latin dexter.^[4] Beekes and the DGE consider a link with δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to receive”) possible.^[4][2]

Cognate with Sanskrit दक्षिण (dákṣiṇa-), Old Irish dess, Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍃𐍅𐌰 (taihswa), Old High German zeso and Lithuanian dẽšinas, all meaning “right”.^[4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it means on the right side or hand, of a breast, a buttock or a shoulder, as opposed to ἀριστερός (aristerós, “left”).^[5][6][7] A bird of omen on the right was a good sign, so it also meant “auspicious” in Homer.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In military language τὸ δεξιόν (κέρας) was the right wing of an army or fleet.^[5][6] From Pindar and Aristophanes on, the right hand being the skilful one, it meant dexterous, clever, and later, in Lucian, also courteous and kindly.^[5]

Medieval vernacular Greek kept the word with its ancient sense.^[8] Modern Greek δεξιός (dexiós), with the colloquial form δεξής, still means “right”; its political sense, “of the Right”, follows French droite.^[9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for the right side of the body and for birds of good omen.^[5][7]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it in the sense “skilful”.^[5][2]
• 5th–4th century BC – Xenophon uses τὸ δεξιόν for the right wing of an army.^[5][2]
• 2nd century AD – Lucian uses it of courteous, kindly people.^[5][2]
• Modern Greek – δεξιός takes on the political sense of French droite.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. On the right hand or side, as opposed to left; as a noun, τὸ δεξιόν, the right wing of an army.^[5][6]
2. Fortunate, auspicious, of birds and other omens appearing on the right.^[5][6]
3. (astronomy) Northerly.^[5]
4. Dexterous, skilful, clever.^[5]
5. Courteous, kindly.^[5]

Word family

• ἀμφιδέξιος (amphidéxios)
• δεξιά (dexiá)
• δεξιόομαι (dexióomai)
• δεξιότης (dexiótēs)
• δεξιτερός (dexiterós)
• δεξίωμα (dexíōma)
• δεξιῶς (dexiôs)
• δεξίωσις (dexíōsis)
• διαδέξιος (diadéxios)

Related words

• δέχομαι (dékhomai)
• Latin dexter
• English dexterous

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
3. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
4. ^ a b c d e f 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki