It's often interesting to look at the associations that we have with the words "right" and "left," especially when considering right and left brained tendencies...

        RIGHT                                                           LEFT
 
            Correct                                                                                       Clumsy
            Direct                                                                                        Awkward
            Equitable                                                                                    Insincere
            Duty                                                                                           Indirect
            Fair                                                                                            Weak
            Good                                                                                           Worthless
            Honest                                                                                        Gauche
            Lawful                                                                                        Sinister
            Privilage                                                                                      Poor
            Perpendicular                                                                               Defective
            Upright                                                                                        Doubtful
            Conservative                                                                                Without Bounds

This isn't just a part of our culture, as seen in the language of many, many others...

                LANGUAGE                                    WORD                                   MEANING

Anglo-Saxon
Lefan (v)
to leave, to be left
Arab
usrawl
weakness, dishonor
Hindi
Khabba labra
weakness, dishonor
Turkish
solak
weakness, dishonor
Russian
lievia
weakness, dishonor
Chinese
young tso show
theih tao
counter, oppose
German
das linksseyn link
someone awkward
French
gauche
left - originally was "bent"
Saxon
winstre
evil
Danish
venstre
evil
Swedish
wanstre
evil
Icelandic
vinistri
evil
Spanish
zurdo (left handed)
going in the wrong direction
Italian
mancini
defective
Portuguese
conhoto (left handed)
weak, mischievious

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Page last updated 13 October 2000