left

Wikipedia

English

Etymology 1

Middle English, left, lift, luft, from Old English left, lyft 'weak, useless', from Proto-Germanic *luft- (compare North Frisian leeft 'left', Dutch dialect loof 'weak, worthless', Low German dialect lucht 'left'), from *lubjanan 'to castrate, lop off' (cf. English dialect lib, West Frisian lobje, Dutch lubben), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leup, *(s)lup 'hanging limply'. More at lob, lop.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lɛft/, SAMPA: /lEft/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -ɛft

Adjective

left (comparative more left; lefter, superlative leftmost)

1. The opposite of right; toward the west when one is facing north.

   Turn left at the corner.

2. (politics) pertaining to the political left; liberal

The fruit to the viewer's left is smaller.

Translations

the west side of the body when one is facing north

Albanian: majtë Arabic: يسار (ar) (yasaar), شمال (ar) (shimaal) Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax) Basque: ezker (eu) Bulgarian: ляв (bg) (ljav) Catalan: esquerre Chickasaw: please add this translation if you can Chinese: Mandarin: 左 (cmn) (zuǒ) Croatian: lijevi (hr) Czech: levý (cs) m. Danish: venstre (da) Dutch: links (nl), linkse (nl) Esperanto: maldekstra (eo), liva (eo) Estonian: vasak, pahem Fijian: i mawī  (fj), mawi  (fj) Finnish: vasen (fi) French: gauche (fr) German: links (de) Gilbertese: máing Greek: Modern: αριστερός (el) (aristerós) Ancient: ἀριστερός Hawaiian: hema Hebrew: שמאלי (he) Hiligaynon: wala Hindi: बायां (hi) (bāyā̃) Hungarian: bal (hu) Ido: sinistra Indonesian: kiri (id) Acehnese: wie Balinese: kebot Buginese: abeo Javanese: kiwa (jv), kering  (jv) Madurese: kacer Makasar: kairi Minangkabau: kida Nias: kabera Sundanese: kenca  (su) Interlingua: sinistre (ia)

Irish: clé (ga) Italian: sinistro (it) Japanese: 左 (ja) (ひだり, hidarí) Khmer: cveeŋ  (km) Korean: 왼 (ko) (oen), 왼쪽의 (ko) (oenjjok-ui) Lakota: catkayata Latgalian: kairuo Latin: sinister (la) Latvian: kreisā (lv) Lithuanian: kairioji (lt) Luxembourgish: lénks (lb) Macedonian: лев (mk) (lev) m. Malay: kiri (ms) Maltese: xellug m. Maori: mauii  (mi) Mi'kmaq: inaganeq Norwegian: venstre (no) Ojibwe: namanjinik, namanjinikan pl. Persian: چپ (fa) (chap) Polish: lewy (pl) m., lewa (pl) f., lewe (pl) n. Portuguese: esquerdo (pt) Romani: stungo Romanian: stâng (ro) Romansch: seniester (rm) Russian: левый (ru) (lévyj) Samoan: tau-aŋavale (sm) Scottish Gaelic: ceàrr (gd), clì (gd) Shor: сол Slovene: levo (sl) Spanish: izquierdo (es), izquierda (es) Swahili: kushoto (sw) Swedish: vänster (sv) Tagalog: kaliwa  (tl) Tahitian: 'aui Telugu: ఎడమ (eDama) Thai: ซ้าย (th) (sáai) Tongan: hema Turkish: sol (tr) Urdu: باياں (ur) (bāyā̃) Vietnamese: trái (vi)

pertaining to the political left; liberal

Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax) Finnish: vasemmistolainen (fi) Macedonian: лев (mk) (lev) m., левичарски (mk) (levíčarski) m. Norwegian: venstre (no) Polish: lewicowy m.

Portuguese: de esquerda, liberal Russian: левый (ru) (lévyj), либеральный (ru) (liberál’nyj) Spanish: de izquierda (es), liberal (es), liberal (es) Swahili: kushoto (sw) Swedish: vänster (sv) c.

Synonyms

• left-hand
• sinister
• sinistral

Antonyms

• right

Derived terms

• left-hand
• left-handed
• left wing
• two left feet

Adverb

left (not comparable)

1. On the left side.
2. Towards the left side.

Translations

on the left side

Arabic: على اليسار (ar) (ʿála al-yasār), على الشمال (ar) (ʿála al-šimāl) Belarusian: злева (be) (zléva) Bulgarian: отляво (bg) (otljávo) Chinese: Mandarin: 左邊 (cmn), 左边 (cmn) (zuǒbiān), 在左邊 (zh), 在左边 (zh) (zài zuǒbiān) Czech: na levé (cs) Dutch: links (nl) Finnish: vasemmalla (fi) French: à gauche (fr) German: links (de) Greek: αριστερά (el) (aristerá) Italian: a sinistra (it)

Japanese: 左に (ja) (ひだりに, hidari-ni) Korean: 왼쪽에 (ko) (oenjjog-e) Macedonian: на левата (mk) (na lévata) Navajo: nishtłʼajígo Persian: چپ (fa) (čap), در سمت چپ (fa) (dar semet čap) Polish: na lewo (pl) Portuguese: à esquerda (pt) Russian: слева (ru) (sléva) Slovak: na ľavé (sk) Slovene: na levi (sl) Spanish: a la izquierda (es) Ukrainian: зліва (uk) (zlíva) Vietnamese: ở bên trái (vi)

towards the left side

Arabic: إلى اليسار (ar) (ʾíla al-yasār), إلى الشمال (ar) (ʾíla al-šimāl) Belarusian: налева (be) (naléva) Bulgarian: наляво (bg) (naljávo) Chinese: Mandarin: 向左 (zh) (xiàng zuǒ) Czech: vlevo (cs) Dutch: links (nl) Finnish: vasemmalle (fi) French: à gauche (fr) German: links (de), nach links (de) Hindi: बायें (hi) (bāyẽ)

Italian: a sinistra (it) Luxembourgish: lénks (lb) Macedonian: лево (mk) (lévo) Polish: w lewo (pl), na lewo (pl) Russian: налево (ru) (nalévo), влево (ru) (vlévo) Serbo-Croatian: на̏ле̄во (sh) (налево), nȁlēvo (sh) Slovak: vľavo (sk) Slovene: levo (sl) Spanish: a la izquierda (es) Ukrainian: налево (uk) (nalévo)

Noun

left (plural lefts)

1. The left side.
2. (politics) The ensemble of left-wing political parties. Those holding left-wing views as a group.

   The political left is not holding enough power.

3. (boxing) A punch delivered with the left fist.

Translations

the left side

Arabic: یسار Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax) Basque: ezker Bulgarian: левица (bg) (levitsa) Catalan: esquerra f. Dutch: linkerkant (nl) m. Finnish: vasen puoli French: gauche (fr) f. German: Linke (de) f. Hungarian: baloldal Italian: sinistra (it) f. Japanese: 左 (ひだり, hidarí) Kurdish: چه‌پ (ku)

Lakota: catkayatan Macedonian: левица (mk) (lévica) f. Norwegian: venstresiden (no) c. Persian: چپ (fa) (čhap) Polish: lewa (pl) f. Portuguese: esquerda (pt) f. Romanian: stângă f. Russian: левый (ru) (lévyj) Spanish: izquierda (es) f. Swahili: kushoto (sw) Swedish: vänster (sv) c. Telugu: ఎడమ (eDama) Turkish: sol (tr)

the ensemble of left-wing political parties

Arabic: يسار (ar) (yasaar) m. Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax) Bulgarian: левица (bg) (levitsa) Catalan: esquerra f. Croatian: ljevica (hr) f. Dutch: linkerkant (nl) m., links (nl) n. Finnish: vasemmisto (fi) French: gauche (fr) f. German: Linke (de) f. Hungarian: baloldal Indonesian: sayap kiri Italian: sinistra (it) f.

Japanese: 左翼 (さよく, sayokú) Macedonian: левица (mk) (lévica) f. Norwegian: venstresiden (no) c. Polish: lewica f. Portuguese: esquerda (pt) f. Romanian: stângă f. Russian: левый (ru) (lévyj) Slovene: levica (sl) Spanish: izquierda (es) f. Swahili: kushoto (sw) Swedish: vänster (sv) c., vänstern (sv) c. Turkish: sol (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Afrikaans: links Albanian: majta f. Mandarin: 左 (zuǒ) Esperanto: maldekstra Sardinian: manca f. Telugu: వామ పక్షం (vaama pakshaM) Vietnamese: trái, phía bên trái (1); cánh tả (2)

Synonyms

• 9 o'clock
• port

Derived terms

• lefty
• to the left

Etymology 2

Middle English left, variant of laft (“remaining, left”), from Old English lǣfd, ġelǣfd, past participle of lǣfan (“to leave”). More at leave.

Verb

left

1. Simple past tense and past participle of leave.
2. remaining

   There are only three cups of juice left.

Translations

remaining

Armenian: մնացած (hy) (mnac’aç) Bulgarian: останал (bg) (ostanal) Chinese: Mandarin: 餘下 (zh), 余下 (zh) (yúxià), 剩下 (zh) (shèngxia) Croatian: preostali (hr) Czech: zbývající (cs) m. Dutch: achtergelaten (nl) Esperanto: restaĵo Finnish: (with verbs signifying movement) jäljelle (fi); (with stative verbs) jäljellä (fi) German: übrig (de) Hindi: बाक़ी (hi) (bāqī) Hungarian: hátralévő

Japanese: 残った (ja) (のこった, nokotta) Kurdish: ماوه‌ (ku) Macedonian: останат (mk) (óstanat) m., преостанат (mk) (preóstanat) m. Maltese: fdal Norwegian: igjen (no), til overs (no) Polish: pozostały m. Portuguese: deixado (pt) Romanian: rămas Russian: оставшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja), остальной (ru) (ostal’nój) Spanish: sobrado (es) m., sobras (es) f. Swahili: kushoto (sw) Swedish: kvar (sv) Telugu: మిగిలిన (migilina)

Etymology 3

From a verbal use of leave (“permission”), perhaps connected to Middle English leven (“to give leave to, permit, concede”), from Old English līefan, lȳfan (“to allow”). More at leave.

Verb

left

1. (Ireland) (colloquial) permitted, allowed to proceed.

   We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.

References

• The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, Walter W. Skeat.

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: ever · saw · things · #158: left · part · off · took

Anagrams

• felt
• TEFL