sinister

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [sɪˈnɪs.tɛr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [siˈnis.ter]^[1]

Forms

sinister (feminine sinistra, neuter sinistrum, comparative sinistrior, superlative sinistimus, adverb sinistrē); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)^[1]

Etymology

It goes back to Proto-Italic *senis-tero-, of unclear origin.^[2][1] The ending appears to combine the comparative suffix *-is- with the contrastive *-tero-, as in dexter.^[2][3] Walde and Hofmann connected the root with Proto-Indo-European *senh₂- (“to obtain, gain”), seen in Sanskrit सनोति (sanóti, “wins, gains”), so that the left would be “the more favourable side”, a euphemism.^[2][1][4] De Vaan considers this gratuitous, as the meaning is not specific enough, and notes that beside laevus and scaevus the sense “left” must be a newer development.^[2] Pokorny compares the Germanic words for “left” such as Old Norse vinstri, formed the same way from another root.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards.^[2][6] In the Pseudolus a slave leads his forces “with a bird on the left”, a favourable omen in Roman augury.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In its plain sense it meant situated on the left, of parts of the body, sides of a camp, banks of a river and the left wing of an army.^[4][3] In augury its value depended on the system: Roman augurs, facing south, took signs on the left as favourable, while Greek practice took them as unfavourable.^[4][1] The unfavourable value prevailed in poetry from Virgil onwards, and the word came to mean adverse, harmful and then perverse or immoral.^[4][7]

Through French sinistre it reached English sinister, first in the sense “malicious, dishonest”.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a favourable omen on the left.^[4][6]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses sinistrum cornu for the left wing.^[4][6]
• 116–27 BC – Varro explains that signs on the left are good auspices.^[4][6]
• 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus speaks of a sinistra liberalitas, a perverse generosity.^[4][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it for baleful character and omens.^[4][6]
• early 15th century – English borrows it through French as English sinister.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Left, on the left side.^[4][3]
2. cornu sinistrum: the left wing of an army.^[4]
3. (augury) Favourable (in Roman practice) or unfavourable (in Greek practice).^[4][1]
4. Adverse, harmful, baleful.^[4]
5. Perverse, immoral.^[4]

Word family

• sinisteritās
• sinistra
• sinistrātus
• sinistrōrsum
• sinistrouersus

Related words

• dexter
• laevus
• scaevus
• English sinister

Usage notes

The feminine sinistra (understood manus) was used as a noun for the left hand.^[3][9] Older forms sinistera and sinisterum occur in Plautus, Terence and Varro.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn