ἀριστερός

See also: αριστερός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Apparently from ἄριστος (áristos, “best”) +‎ -τερος (-teros, “contrastive suffix”), though the left direction has negative connotations in many cultures and languages, including Greece. According to Chantraine, the suffix -τερος serves to differentiate and create a euphemistic contrast with ἄριστος; an unusual formation. The latter is taken to indicate on the right side in this case, the left side being its literal and metaphorical opposite.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.ris.te.rós/ → /a.ris.teˈros/ → /a.ris.teˈros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ris.te.rós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.ris.teˈros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.ris.teˈros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.ris.teˈros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.ris.teˈros/

Adjective

ἀριστερός • (aristerós) m (feminine ἀριστερά, neuter ἀριστερόν); first/second declension

1. (euphemistic) left (opposite of right)

   Synonyms: λαιός (laiós), σκαιός (skaiós)

   Antonym: δεξιός (dexiós)

2. ominous, ill boding
3. clumsy, awkward (compare French gauche)

Inflection

First and second declension of ἀριστερός; ἀριστερᾱ́; ἀριστερόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἀριστερός aristerós	ἀριστερᾱ́ aristerā́	ἀριστερόν aristerón		ἀριστερώ aristerṓ	ἀριστερᾱ́ aristerā́	ἀριστερώ aristerṓ		ἀριστεροί aristeroí	ἀριστεραί aristeraí	ἀριστερᾰ́ aristerá
Genitive		ἀριστεροῦ aristeroû	ἀριστερᾶς aristerâs	ἀριστεροῦ aristeroû		ἀριστεροῖν aristeroîn	ἀριστεραῖν aristeraîn	ἀριστεροῖν aristeroîn		ἀριστερῶν aristerôn	ἀριστερῶν aristerôn	ἀριστερῶν aristerôn
Dative		ἀριστερῷ aristerôi	ἀριστερᾷ aristerâi	ἀριστερῷ aristerôi		ἀριστεροῖν aristeroîn	ἀριστεραῖν aristeraîn	ἀριστεροῖν aristeroîn		ἀριστεροῖς aristeroîs	ἀριστεραῖς aristeraîs	ἀριστεροῖς aristeroîs
Accusative		ἀριστερόν aristerón	ἀριστερᾱ́ν aristerā́n	ἀριστερόν aristerón		ἀριστερώ aristerṓ	ἀριστερᾱ́ aristerā́	ἀριστερώ aristerṓ		ἀριστερούς aristeroús	ἀριστερᾱ́ς aristerā́s	ἀριστερᾰ́ aristerá
Vocative		ἀριστερέ aristeré	ἀριστερᾱ́ aristerā́	ἀριστερόν aristerón		ἀριστερώ aristerṓ	ἀριστερᾱ́ aristerā́	ἀριστερώ aristerṓ		ἀριστεροί aristeroí	ἀριστεραί aristeraí	ἀριστερᾰ́ aristerá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἀριστερῶς aristerôs				ἀριστερώτερος aristerṓteros				ἀριστερώτᾰτος aristerṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• (left): εὐώνυμος (euṓnumos)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “left”): δεξιός (dexiós), δεξιτερός (dexiterós)

Descendants

• Greek: αριστερός (aristerós)

Further reading

• “ἀριστερός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀριστερός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀριστερός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀριστερός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• G710 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • left idem, page 484.
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press