laevus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫae̯.wʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɛː.vus]^[1]

Forms

laevus (feminine laeva, neuter laevum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *laiwo-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂i-wo- (“left”).^[2][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek λαιός (laiós, “left”) and Old Church Slavonic лѣвъ (lěvŭ, “left”).^[2][3] The first meaning may have been “curved”, as Servius uses it of cattle whose horns point to the ground, while Steinbauer instead derives it from *leh₂- “to hide” of lateō, “the hidden hand”, like scaevus.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, whose soldier rests his left hand on his left thigh.^[2][3] Köbler dates it from Ennius.^[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant left, of parts of the body, and in laeva manus and the noun laeva the left hand or left side, as Plautus' crow croaking on the left.^[3] It was used of what lies or comes from the left, and then of what is unfavourable or harmful, as Horace's untimely interruption and Virgil's Sirius saddening the sky with baleful light.^[3] In augury the left could be lucky, following Roman rather than Greek practice.^[5]

Döderlein says sinister was the usual prose word and laevus the poetic one.^[6] Science took it as English levo- “turning to the left”, as in English levulose (1865).^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus speaks of a crow on the left.^[3][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of an unlucky moment.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of Sirius' baleful light.^[3][4]
• 1865 – English levulose is coined from it.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Left, on the left side.^[3]
2. laeva manus, the left hand or side, in laevum, to the left.^[3]
3. Lying on or coming from the left.^[3]
4. Unfavourable, unpropitious.^[3]
5. Baleful, harmful.^[3]

Related words

• laeva
• laevē
• Laevinus
• Laevius
• laevorsum
• ambi-
• lateō
• scaevus
• sinister
• English levulose

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes sinister, the ordinary prose word for “left”, from laevus, the choice poetic word.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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 k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com