dexter

See also: Dexter

English

Etymology

From Latin dexter, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs(i)-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs- ‎(“right”) (Pokorny, Watkins, 1969; et al.). Compare Homeric Greek δεξιτερός ‎(dexiterós, “right hand”), δεξιός ‎(dexiós, “right”), Old Church Slavonic дєснъ ‎(desnŭ, “right”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛkstə/

Adjective

dexter ‎(not comparable)

1. Right; on the right-hand side.
   • 1887, George William Foote; J. M. Wheeler, Crimes of Christianity, London: Progressive Publishing:

     Displaying his dexter palm, he exclaimed that there was a hand that never took a bribe; whereupon a smart auditor cried "How about the one behind your back?"

   • 1911, Saki, ‘The Match-Maker’, The Chronicles of Clovis:

     Clovis wiped the trace of Turkish coffee and the beginnings of a smile from his lips, and slowly lowered his dexter eyelid.

Translations

right

• German: dexter (de), rechts (de), rechtsseitig (de)

• Portuguese: destro (pt) m
• Telugu: కుడి (te) ‎(kuḍi)

Noun

dexter ‎(plural dexters)

1. (heraldry) The right side of a shield from the wearer's standpoint, and the left side to the viewer.
2. right hand

See also

• sinister

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Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *deksteros, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-. Cognates include Ancient Greek δεξιός ‎(dexiós) and Sanskrit दक्षिण ‎(dákṣiṇa).

Adjective

dexter m ‎(feminine dextra or dextera, neuter dextrum or dexterum); first/second declension

1. right (relative direction), right hand
2. skillful
3. fortunate, favorable
4. proper, fitting

Inflection

First/second declension, nominative masculine singular in -er.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
nominative	dexter	dextra	dextrum		dextrī	dextrae	dextra
genitive	dextrī	dextrae	dextrī		dextrōrum	dextrārum	dextrōrum
dative	dextrō		dextrō		dextrīs
accusative	dextrum	dextram	dextrum		dextrōs	dextrās	dextra
ablative	dextrō	dextrā	dextrō		dextrīs
vocative	dexter	dextra	dextrum		dextrī	dextrae	dextra

or

First/second declension, nominative masculine singular in -er.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
nominative	dexter	dextera	dexterum		dexterī	dexterae	dextera
genitive	dexterī	dexterae	dexterī		dexterōrum	dexterārum	dexterōrum
dative	dexterō		dexterō		dexterīs
accusative	dexterum	dexteram	dexterum		dexterōs	dexterās	dextera
ablative	dexterō	dexterā	dexterō		dexterīs
vocative	dexter	dextera	dexterum		dexterī	dexterae	dextera

Antonyms

• laevus
• sinister

Derived terms

• dextere
• dextrē
• dexteritas
• dextrale n, dextraliolum n
• dextrorsum, dextrorsus, dextroversum
• ambidexter

Related terms

• dextral

Descendants

• Catalan: destre
• Dalmatian: diastro
• English: dexterity, dexterous, dextrose
• French: dextre
• Ido: dextra

• Italian: destro, destrorso
• Old French: destre
• Portuguese: destro
• Romanian: zestre, dextru
• Sicilian: destru
• Spanish: diestramente, diestro

References

• dexter in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• dexter in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• dexter in Félix Gaffiot (1934), Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to give one's hand to some one: manum (dextram) alicui porrigere
    
  • (ambiguous) to give one's right hand to some one: dextram alicui porrigere, dare
    
  • (ambiguous) to shake hands with a person: dextram iungere cum aliquo, dextras inter se iungere