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• sinistral •

Pronunciation: si-ni-strêl • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 1. On or facing the left side. 2. Left-handed.

Notes: The antonym of sinistral is dextral "on or facing right." Sinistrally is the adverb and sinistrality, the noun from today's word. There is also a noun sinistration "turning to the left", which implies a verb sinistrate "to turn to the left", so the family of this Good Word is large and healthy.

In Play: Keep in mind that sinistral and dextral refer to a particular side of an object. The sinistral side is that side of an object when you are facing in the same direction. "I do not think that Pierre LePoupe is a climber accomplished enough to conquer the sinistral face of Mount Mukkimuk," refers to your right side as you look at the mountain's face. Of course, you may also use today's word as a noun, "Mazel Toffe is the most dexterous sinistral I have ever heard play a violin."

Word History: Today's word comes from Latin sinister "left-handed, unlucky" + the suffix -al. The suffix had to be added in English because of the sinister turn taken by the other form of this root, sinister, which originally meant "left-handed". Since Satan is often portrayed as left-handed, many cultures reflect a dark suspicion of sinistrals who do not pitch at baseball. Notice that dexterous took a turn similar to that of sinister, but for the better, forcing us to suffix this root, too, with -al (dextral) to get back "right-hander". (Many thanks to our lexically dexterous friend, Dr. Lyn Laboriel, for suggesting today's Good Word.)

I fear I may have reported this before in another word discussion, but my father always referred to himself as ambi-sinistrous: equally inept with either hand.

Why do lefties get such bad press? France's gauche portends awkwardness and a lot of other bad things. German links can mean the wrong side. Sinister in Latin means to the left but it takes on the negative attitude big time as it becomes English. Spanish just gives us a strange sounding izquierdo for left while right is a simple derecho. I have exhausted all the languages I have some familiarity with and I consistently get no respect for the left. Then they put the Democrats on the left side of the room as if Republicans are the fair haired boys. For some reason I do not understand, left handed pitchers are considered superior in baseball. Levo and dextro are used to name chemicals which in solution rotate polarized light to the left and right respectively. They were my downfall along with most of the course of Physical Chemistry. Therewith I, a B+ student, met my Waterloo. Yep. I got an F. [Please don't tell any of my children.]

Spanish just gives us a strange sounding izquierdo for left while right is a simple derecho.

According to Wiktionary, izquierdo is derived from Basque ezker (left).

I am left-handed, by the way.

When I was a student, I was part of a folk-dance troupe. Several of the men were also active in fencing, and for reasons unknown, sinistrality was rampant. Watching a pair of left-handed fencers, dressed in their folk garb, was definitely a lot of fun. (Of course, they were very careful; We females would have insisted that they do any necessary mending themselves.)

The story I was told was that the reason people shook hands, right hands, was to prove they did not have a weapon in their hand, specifically, some kind of knife.
The people who were left handed could shake with the right hand, and at that moment of removing any chance of the other party attacking or defending, strike with a knife in the left hand.

That was why "sinister" was feared. It was deadly.
I have no idea if that story holds any water, but it alerts one to the need to be aware of the handedness of the holder of the knife.

Very interesting comments. One of my daughters is left handed and learning to write with pencil or pen was difficult for her. Now she has the best handwriting in the family.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau, when he was Canadian prime minister, listened patiently to a socialist delegate expounding interminably and gracelessly. At the end, Trudeau said simply, “How fortunate we are in this country, Mr. Speaker, that our left is more gauche than sinister.”

George, thank you for that! I shall endeavor to remember it...
at least until this evening.
No short term memory, dontcha know.

bbeeton: Re: Fencing [with swords]. In my childhood I thought it would be fun to be one of the Three Musketeers. Then I realized that one could get hurt with a sword or even a fencing foil. As a teenager I learned another kind of fencing, one in which the fencer builds a fence -- barbed wire -- three strand. I built my share until I ran away from home and went to college. We just had our back yard fenced with cedar pickets to the tune of 7K dollars. And of course we put up de fence for de-fence.

But, George, Pierre Trudeau was a Liberal, not a Conservative, so presumably regarded as left of Centre himself. Was the subject of your delightful anecdote actually extreme left? And Trudeau's background was with the New Democratic Party which was presumably left of Liberal (insofar as simplification can reduce things to a simple left-right scale). Is that right?

Philip, I do hope you didn't have to paint 7K's worth of pickets all by yourself? At school, I recall being taught that if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and that if it was worth doing well it should be done by yourself. It was just one of the many loads of clap-trap that we were taught. I have discovered that if it is worth doing well, you should get a man (or woman, as the case may be). Delegate.

We recently painted 15 metres of pickets ourselves, and the effort and time were considerable. So I do hope you delegated the painting for your pickets.

And Damoge, can I sympathise with your short term memory issues? I will also try to remember George's story for as long as I can, but if last night's effort is anything to judge by, there is little hope. I am currently into Ernest Hemingway; last night we watched a fascinating show about the man. A quote from one of his books particularly appealed to me. I must remember that. But of course, this morning it is gone. I have had to do some extensive research to find it. Let me share it with you:

From The Sun Also Shines

“Oh Jake," Brett said, "We could have had such a damned good time together."
Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly, pressing Brett against me.
Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?”

Some of Hemingway's novels are so long that they take on a life of their own. I greatly enjoyed the short novel, "The Old Man and the Sea". I read much of Hemingway during my feckless [or reckless] youth. When, in "For Whom the Bell Tolls", Robert and María experienced the earth move, I judged Hemingway the supreme novelist of all time. On more mature reflection, I still deem him as one of the best novelists. He is up there with Dickens and Mark Twain.

As for painting pickets, my contractor stained them beautifully.

Well done, Philip. Proper delegation - unlike Mark Twain's Hucklebury Finn. As I recall, he was faced with the task of painting the fence and made the early stages of the job so apparently fascinating that all his friends wanted to join in. Huck was able to sit back and take it easy while his friends laboured away.