left

See also: lëft

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English left, luft, leoft, lift, lyft, from Old English left, lyft (“weak, useless”), from Proto-Germanic *luft- (compare Scots left (“left”), North Frisian lefts, leeft, leefts (“left”), West Frisian lofts (“left”), dialectal Dutch loof (“weak, worthless”), Low German lucht (“left”)), from *lubjaną (“to castrate, lop off”) (compare dialectal English lib, West Frisian lobje, Dutch lubben), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leup, *(s)lup (“hanging limply”). More at lob, lop.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛft/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛft

Adjective

left (comparative more left or lefter, superlative most left or leftmost)

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

   The left side.

2. (politics) pertaining to the political left

The fruit to the viewer's left is smaller.

Synonyms

• left-hand
• sinister
• sinistral

Antonyms

• right

Derived terms

Terms derived from left

• left-hand

• left-handed

• left-to-right

• right-to-left

Related terms

• left wing
• two left feet

Translations

the west side of the body when one is facing north

• Afrikaans: links
• Albanian: majtë (sq)
• Arabic: يَسَار (yasār), شِمَال (šimāl)
• Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax)
• Asturian: izquierdu (ast), esquierdu (ast)
• Azeri: sol (az)
• Basque: ezker (eu)
• Belarusian: ле́вы (ljévy)
• Bulgarian: ляв (bg) (ljav)
• Burmese: ဘယ် (my) (bhai), ဝဲ (my) (wai:)
• Catalan: esquerre (ca)
• Central Dusun: gibang
• Chickasaw: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 左 (zo²)

  Mandarin: 左 (zh) (zuǒ)

• Czech: levý (cs) m, levá f, levé n
• Danish: venstre (da)
• Dutch: links (nl), linker (nl)
• Esperanto: maldekstra, liva
• Estonian: vasak, pahem
• Faroese: vinstra
• Fijian: i mawī, mawi
• Finnish: vasen (fi)
• French: gauche (fr)
• Georgian: მარცხენა (marcxena)
• German: link (de)

  Old High German: winstero, winistro, winstro

• Gilbertese: máing
• Greek: αριστερός (el) m (aristerós)

  Ancient: ἀριστερός m (aristerós), εὐώνυμος m (euṓnumos)

• Hawaiian: hema
• Hebrew: שְׂמֹאל (he) (smol)
• Hiligaynon: wala
• Hindi: बायां (bāyā̃)
• Hungarian: bal (hu)
• Icelandic: vinstri (is)
• Ido: sinistra (io)
• Indonesian: kiri (id)

  Acehnese: wie

  Balinese: kebot

  Buginese: abeo

  Javanese: kiwa (jv), kering

  Madurese: kacer

  Makasar: kairi

  Minangkabau: kida

  Nias: kabera

  Sundanese: kiwa

• Interlingua: sinistre
• Irish: clé
• Italian: sinistro (it)
• Japanese: 左 (ja) (ひだり, hidari)
• Kazakh: сол (kk) (sol)
• Khmer: ឆ្វេង (km) (cveeŋ)
• Korean: 왼 (ko) (oen), 왼쪽 (ko) (oenjjok)
• Kyrgyz: сол (ky) (sol)
• Lakota: catkayata
• Lao: ຊ້າຍ (sāi)

• Latgalian: kairuo
• Latin: sinister
• Latvian: kreiss
• Lithuanian: kairioji
• Luxembourgish: lénks
• Lü: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: лев (lev)
• Malay: kiri (ms)
• Maltese: xellug m
• Maori: mauii
• Mi'kmaq: inaganeq
• Mongolian: зүүн (mn) (züün)
• Neapolitan: sinisto
• Norwegian: venstre (no)
• Ojibwe: namanjinik, namanjinikan pl
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: лѣвъ (lěvŭ)

• Old East Slavic: лѣвъ (lěvŭ)
• Old English: winestra
• Old Frisian: winstera
• Persian: چپ (fa) (čap)
• Polish: lewy (pl)
• Portuguese: esquerdo (pt)
• Quechua: lluq'i
• Romani: stungo
• Romanian: stâng (ro)
• Romansch: seniester
• Russian: ле́вый (ru) (lévyj)
• Samoan: tau-aŋavale
• Scottish Gaelic: ceàrr, clì
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: леви, лијеви

  Roman: levi (sh), lijevi (sh)

• Shor: сол
• Slovak: ľаvý
• Slovene: levi
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: lěwy

  Upper Sorbian: lěwy

• Spanish: izquierdo (es), izquierda (es)
• Swahili: kushoto (sw)
• Swedish: vänster (sv)
• Tagalog: kaliwa (tl)
• Tahitian: ʻaui
• Tajik: чап (tg) (čap)
• Tamil: இடது (ta) (iṭatu)
• Telugu: ఎడమ (te) (eḍama)
• Thai: ซ้าย (th) (sáai)
• Tongan: hema
• Turkish: sol (tr)
• Turkmen: çep
• Ukrainian: лі́вий (lívyj)
• Urdu: باياں (bāyā̃)
• Uzbek: soʻl (uz)
• Vietnamese: trái (vi)
• Vilamovian: lewo
• Welsh: chwith (cy)
• Yiddish: לינק (link)
• Zhuang: please add this translation if you can

pertaining to the political left

• Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax)
• Catalan: esquerrà (ca)
• Czech: levicový m
• Danish: venstre (da), venstreorienteret
• Finnish: vasemmistolainen (fi)
• German: links (de)
• Greek: αριστερός (el) m (aristerós)
• Japanese: 左翼 (ja) (さよく (sayoku)), 左派 (さは (saha))
• Latvian: kreiss
• Macedonian: лев m (lev), левичарски m (levičarski), лев (lev)

• Norwegian: venstre (no)
• Persian: اشکلك (eškelak)
• Polish: lewicowy (pl)
• Portuguese: de esquerda, liberal (pt), esquerdista (pt)
• Russian: ле́вый (ru) (lévyj), либера́льный (ru) (liberálʹnyj)
• Spanish: de izquierda, liberal
• Swahili: kushoto (sw)
• Swedish: vänster (sv) c
• Ukrainian: лі́вий (lívyj)
• Yiddish: לינק (link)

Adverb

left (not comparable)

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

   Turn left at the corner.

Translations

on the left side

• Arabic: عَلَى اَلْيَسَار (ʿalā l-yasār), عَلَى اَلشِّمَال (ʿalā š-šimāl)
• Aromanian: astãnga
• Asturian: a la izquierda, a la esquierda
• Bashkir: һулдағы (huldağï), һул яҡ (hul yaq)
• Belarusian: зле́ва (zljéva)
• Bulgarian: отля́во (otljávo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 左邊 (zh), 左边 (zh) (zuǒbiān), 在左邊, 在左边 (zài zuǒbiān)

• Czech: na levé
• Danish: til venstre, på venstre hånd
• Dutch: links (nl)
• Faroese: til vinstru
• Finnish: vasemmalla
• French: à gauche (fr)
• Georgian: მარცხნივ (marcxniv), მარცხენა მხარეს (marcxena mxares)
• German: links (de)
• Greek: αριστερά (el) (aristerá)
• Italian: a sinistra
• Japanese: 左に (ja) (ひだりに, hidari-ni)

• Korean: 왼쪽에 (ko) (oenjjoge)
• Latin: a sinistra parte
• Latvian: kreisi, pa kreisi
• Macedonian: на левата (na levata), одлево (odlevo)
• Navajo: nishtłʼajígo
• Neapolitan: sinista
• Persian: چپ (fa) (čap), در سمت چپ (dar semet čap)
• Polish: na lewo (pl)
• Portuguese: à esquerda
• Romanian: la stânga
• Russian: сле́ва (ru) (sléva)
• Slovak: na ľavé
• Slovene: na levi
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: nalěwo

• Spanish: a la izquierda
• Ukrainian: злі́ва (zlíva), ліво́руч (livóruč)
• Vietnamese: ở bên trái
• Walloon: a hintche, a gåtche, a pawene

towards the left side

• Arabic: إِلَى اَلْيَسَار (ʾilā l-yasār), إِلَى اَلشِّمَال (ʾilā š-šimāl)
• Aromanian: astãnga
• Bashkir: һулға (hulğa)
• Belarusian: нале́ва (naljéva)
• Bulgarian: наля́во (naljávo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 向左 (zh) (xiàng zuǒ)

• Czech: vlevo (cs)
• Danish: til venstre
• Dutch: links (nl)
• Finnish: vasemmalle
• French: à gauche (fr)
• Georgian: მარცხნივ (marcxniv)
• German: links (de), nach links (de)
• Greek: αριστερά (el) (aristerá)
• Hebrew: שמאלה (smóla)
• Hindi: बायें (bāyẽ)

• Hungarian: balra (hu)
• Italian: a sinistra
• Latvian: pa kreisi
• Luxembourgish: lénks
• Macedonian: лево (levo), налево (nalevo)
• Polish: w lewo, na lewo (pl)
• Portuguese: esquerdo (pt), sestro (pt)
• Romanian: la stânga
• Russian: нале́во (ru) (nalévo), вле́во (ru) (vlévo)
• Serbo-Croatian: на̏ле̄во, nȁlēvo (sh)
• Slovak: vľavo
• Slovene: levo
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: nalěwo

• Spanish: a la izquierda
• Ukrainian: налі́во (nalívo)
• Walloon: a hintche, a schlintche mwin, so gåtche mwin, so pawene

Noun

left (plural lefts)

1. The left side or direction.
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.

Synonyms

• (left side or direction): 9 o'clock, port
• (politics):

Derived terms

• lefty
• to the left

Translations

the left side

• Arabic: يسار
• Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax)
• Bashkir: һул (hul)
• Basque: ezker (eu)
• Bulgarian: левица (bg) (levica)
• Burmese: ဘယ် (my) (bhai)
• Catalan: esquerra (ca) f
• Danish: venstre (da)
• Dutch: linkerkant (nl) m
• Finnish: vasen (fi), vasen puoli
• French: gauche (fr) f
• Georgian: მარცხენა (marcxena), მარცხენა მხარე (marcxena mxare)
• German: Linke (de) f
• Greek: αριστερά (el) f (aristerá)
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} baloldal
• Italian: sinistra (it) f
• Japanese: 左 (ja) (ひだり, hidarí)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: چه‌پ (ku)

• Lakota: catkayatan
• Latvian: ^{(please verify)} kreisā puse , ^{(please verify)} kreisais sāns
• Macedonian: левица f (levica)
• Maore Comorian: potro
• Neapolitan: sinista f
• Norman: gauche f
• Norwegian: venstresiden c
• Persian: چپ (fa) (čap)
• Polish: lewa (pl) f
• Portuguese: esquerda (pt) f
• Romanian: stângă f
• Russian: ле́вый (ru) (lévyj)
• Slovak: ľavica f
• Spanish: izquierda (es) f
• Swahili: kushoto (sw)
• Swedish: vänster (sv) c
• Telugu: ఎడమ (te) (eḍama)
• Turkish: sol (tr)

the ensemble of left-wing political parties

• Arabic: يَسَار m (yasār)
• Armenian: ձախ (hy) (jax)
• Bulgarian: левица (bg) (levica)
• Catalan: esquerra (ca) f
• Czech: levice (cs) f
• Danish: venstrefløjen
• Dutch: linkerkant (nl) m, links (nl) n
• Finnish: vasemmisto (fi)
• French: gauche (fr) f
• Georgian: მემარცხენეები (memarcxeneebi), მემარცხენეობა (memarcxeneoba)
• German: Linke (de) f
• Greek: αριστερά (el) f (aristerá)
• Hebrew: שְׂמֹאל (he) c
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} baloldal
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} sayap kiri
• Italian: sinistra (it) f

• Japanese: 左翼 (ja) (さよく, sayokú)
• Latvian: kreisā
• Macedonian: левица f (levica)
• Norwegian: venstresiden c
• Persian: چپگرا (čapgerâ)
• Polish: lewica (pl) f
• Portuguese: esquerda (pt) f
• Romanian: stângă f
• Russian: ле́вый (ru) (lévyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: ljevica (sh) f
• Slovene: levica
• Spanish: izquierda (es) f
• Swahili: kushoto (sw)
• Swedish: vänster (sv) c, vänstern 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 Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} links
• Albanian: ^{(please verify)} majta f
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} maldekstra
• Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 左 (zh) (zuǒ)

• Sardinian: ^{(please verify)} manca f
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} వామ పక్షం (vāma pakṣaṃ)
• Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} trái (vi), (1) ^{(please verify)} phía bên trái, (2) ^{(please verify)} cánh tả

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.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Afore we got to the shanty Colonel Applegate stuck his head out of the door. His temper had been getting raggeder all the time, and the sousing he got when he fell overboard had just about ripped what was left of it to ravellings.

2. Remaining.

   There are only three cups of juice left.

Translations

remaining

• Armenian: մնացած (hy) (mnacʿac)
• Bulgarian: останал (bg) (ostanal)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 餘下 (zh), 余下 (zh) (yúxià), 剩下 (zh) (shèngxia)

• Czech: zbývající (cs) m
• Danish: tilbage (da)
• Dutch: over (nl)
• Esperanto: restaĵo
• Faroese: eftir
• Finnish: (with verbs signifying movement) jäljelle, (with stative verbs) jäljellä (fi)
• German: übrig (de)
• Greek: έμεινα (el) (émeina)
• Hindi: बाक़ी (bāqī)
• Hungarian: hátralévő
• Italian: rimasto

• Japanese: 残った (ja) (のこった, nokotta)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: ماوه‌ (ku)

• Macedonian: останат m (ostanat), преостанат m (preostanat)
• Maltese: fdal
• Norwegian: igjen (no), til overs
• Polish: pozostały (pl)
• Portuguese: deixado, sobrar (pt), restar (pt)
• Romanian: rămas (ro)
• Russian: оста́вшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja), остально́й (ru) (ostalʹnój)
• Serbo-Croatian: preostali (sh)
• Spanish: sobrado (es) m, sobras (es) f
• Swahili: kushoto (sw)
• Swedish: kvar (sv)
• Telugu: మిగిలిన (te) (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.

Statistics

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

References

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

Anagrams

• felt
• TEFL