dexter

See also: Dexter

English

Etymology

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

Translations

heraldic "right"

• Danish: dexter (adjective)

See also

• sinister

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Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈdek.ster/, [ˈdɛk.stɛr]

Adjective

dexter (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

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
• dexteritās
• dextrāle n, dextrāliolum n
• dextrōrsum, dextrōrsus, dextrōversum
• ambidexter

Related terms

• dextral

Descendants

• Asturian: diestru
• Catalan: destre
• Dalmatian: diastro
• English: dexter (borrowing), dexterity, dexterous, dextrose
• French: dextre (borrowing)
• Friulian: diestri
• Ido: dextra
• Italian: destro

• Norman: dêtre
• Occitan: dèstre
• Old French: destre
• Portuguese: destro
• Romanian: dextru (borrowing), zestre
• Sicilian: destru
• Spanish: diestro

References

• dexter in Charlton T. Lewis and 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’s Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette (1934)
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (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