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In Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sinister#Latin https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sinister#Latin it shows a few definitions of "sinister" in Latin t
by ks2048 1y ago
In Wiktionary,
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sinister#Latin https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sinister#Latin
it shows a few definitions of "sinister" in Latin that seem contradictory. "left", "perverse/bad", but "auspicious" for Romans, while "inauspicious" for Greeks. And a Proto-Indo-European source which is positive.
- Telemakhos 1y agoThe PIE source is positive, because it was applied as a euphemism in Latin to what would have been laevus (cf. Greek λαιός), from the PIE word for "left." The Greeks, too, preferred euphemism to the direct term for "left": the much more common term ἀριστερά ("left") is a constrastive/comparative derived from ἄριστος, "best," so it means the "bester side."
- card_zero 1y agoNoa-names, a precaution against things like accidentally summoning a bear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noa-name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noa-name
- ks2048 1y agoInteresting. I knew Spanish izquierda (left) came from Basque, but I didn't realize it was to avoid a taboo word like sinister.
- card_zero 1y agoThese are euphemisms to avoid another euphemism, as the other poster says, sinister itself starting out as positive. The ancient euphemism treadmill.