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See also: lëft
English[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English left, luft, leoft, lift, lyft, from Old English left, lyft (“weak, clumsy, foolish”), attested in Old English lyftādl (“palsy, paralysis”). Compare Scots left (“left”), North Frisian lefts, leeft, leefts (“left”), West Frisian lofts (“left”), dialectal Dutch loof (“weak, worthless”), Low German lucht (“left”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
left (comparative more left or lefter, superlative most left or leftmost)
- The opposite of right; toward the west when one is facing north.
- (politics) Pertaining to the political left.
- Antonym: right
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
the west side of the body when one is facing north
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pertaining to the political left
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Adverb[edit]
left (not comparable)
- On the left side.
- Antonym: right
- Towards the left side.
- Antonym: right
- Turn left at the corner.
- Towards the political left.
- Antonym: right
- The East Coast of the US leans left in elections.
Translations[edit]
on the left side
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towards the left side
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Noun[edit]
left (plural lefts)
- The left side or direction.
- (politics) The ensemble of left-wing political parties. Those holding left-wing views as a group.
- The political left is holding too much power.
- (boxing) A punch delivered with the left fist.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
the left side
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the ensemble of left-wing political parties
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- 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
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle English left, variant of laft (“remaining, left”), from Old English lǣfd, ġelǣfd, past participle of lǣfan (“to leave”). More at leave.
Verb[edit]
left
- simple past tense and past participle of leave (“depart, separate from; (cause or allow to) remain”).
- 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.
Translations[edit]
remaining
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Etymology 3[edit]
From Middle English levit, ilevet, y-levyd, from Old English ġelȳfd, ġelȳfed, past participle of Old English ġelȳfan, lȳfan (“to allow, permit”), equivalent to leave (“to give leave to, allow, grant, permit”) + -ed.
Verb[edit]
left
- simple past tense and past participle of leave (“permit”).
- We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.
References[edit]
- The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, Walter W. Skeat.
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
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- en:Politics
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