Etymologically
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dexter

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdɛk.stɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛk.ster][1]

Forms

dexter (feminine dextra or dextera, neuter dextrum or dexterum, comparative dexterior, superlative dextimus); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er; two different stems)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dekstero-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-tero- (“right, right-hand side”).[2][1] Cognate with Oscan destrst (“is on the right”), Umbrian testru (“right”), Ancient Greek δεξιτερός (dexiterós, “right”), Sanskrit दक्षिण (dákṣiṇa, “right, southern”) and Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍃𐍅𐌰 (taihswa, “right”).[2][3][4] Syncopated forms such as dextrum point to a form without *i, as in Sabellic.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Livius Andronicus, who has the dative plural dextrābus.[2][3] Köbler places his career before 200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant on the right-hand side, and the feminine dextra (dextera) was the right hand, often used of a pledge or greeting.[3][6] Because the right side was lucky in Roman augury, it meant favourable or propitious, as of gods and birds.[3] It also meant dexterous or skilful, as in Ovid.[3]

In medieval Latin it was a measure of length, and dextrī was the area round a church that had the right of sanctuary.[7] In British medieval Latin it was also the heraldic term English dexter.[8] dexteritās gave English dexterity, and dexter itself gave English dexterous.[9] It survives in Italian destro and Spanish diestro.[1]

Timeline

  • before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus has dextrābus.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of the right hand.[6][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil asks Hercules to come with favourable foot.[3][5]
  • 1520s – English dexterity is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Right, on the right-hand side, dextra, the right hand.[3][6]
  2. Favourable, propitious.[3]
  3. Skilful, dexterous.[3]
  4. (Medieval Latin) (as a noun) A measure of length, dextrī, the sanctuary round a church.[7]

Word family

  • dextera
  • dexteritās
  • dextrātus
  • dextrorsum
  • praedexter
  • dexterē
  • dextra
  • dextrāle
  • dextrāliolum
  • dextrē
  • dextrōrsus
  • English dexterity
  • English dexter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com