| |
Language
Group |
Word
for Left |
Lefthanded |
Lefthander |
Negative
Meaning |
| Arabic |
Semitic |
Shemaal
or
Yasaar |
Aysar |
A`sar (` = voiced glottal eplosive
sound) |
- It's not nice to be lefthanded.
- Associated with devil.
- A`sar comes from the verb (`asar) which means usually "uneasy"
or "hard"in noun form. Notice that this is in standard
Arabic and every country
has their own word for "left-hander."
- In Kuwait parents usually their tell left-handed children that
the devil eats with them with the left hand! |
| Armenian |
|
Tzakh |
|
|
Not too normal |
| Chinese |
|
Jow |
|
|
No derogotory meaning |
| Czech |
Slavonian |
levý |
levoruký |
levák |
The meaning of these words is near
"clumsy", "awkward" or "unfair" |
| Danish |
|
Venstre |
|
ketjhåndet |
Awkward or crooked |
| Dutch |
|
Links |
|
|
Handy in a crooked way, crazy, dangerous |
| Farsi |
|
Chap |
|
|
None |
| Finnish |
Finno-Ugri |
Vasen |
|
|
Nothing |
| Hindi |
Sandskrit |
Daya |
|
|
Nothing |
| Gaelic |
|
|
|
Ciotóg (Kitóg) |
"To dig (kick) with the left
foot". In Ireland used, as a put-down, by Catholics to refer
to Protestants, and visa-virsa. |
| German |
|
Links |
linkshändig |
|
Linkisch - awkward |
| Hausa |
Chadic,
northern Nigeria |
Agu |
|
hunu agu |
backwards
To give with the left is not good |
| Hungary |
|
Ball |
Balkez |
|
|
|
Italian |
Neolatin |
Sinistra |
Mancino |
Mancino |
From Latin, sinister --> evil.
"Sinistro" is also the term
used to define car accidents. |
| Japan |
|
|
|
|
Slow |
|
Latin |
|
Sinister
(on the left side) |
|
|
Evil,mMalicious, harmful, ominous |
| Lithuanian |
|
Kairys or kairinis |
Kairiarankis |
Kairys |
|
| Punjabi |
|
khaba |
|
khaba or khabu |
none |
| Romanian |
|
Stânga |
|
|
Awkward. (rare) |
| Slovak |
Slovak |
Lavák |
|
|
Both hands are left. |
| Spanish |
|
Ixquierda |
|
Zurdo |
Al lado izquierdo - wrong side of
the road. |
| Swahili |
Bantu |
shoto |
|
mashoto |
'mkono wa shetani' Devil's hand |
| Tigrinya |
Eretria
Tigray |
Tsagum |
|
Acheli |
Munka - is a negative. Calling someone
lefthanded in a bad way. |
| Turkish |
Ural - Altay |
Sol |
Solak |
Saðlak |
none |
| Yugoslav |
|
Levo |
|
Levak |
In a bad mood.
Got out of bed on the left foot |