Right is Righteous

[TheSpoon]

Discussions with friends this week have prompted me to do some brief research into the apparent prejudice against all things "Left" - the origins of which seem to disappear way back into this mists of time. It seems that almost all cultures have some sort of negative spin on the sinister (Latin) and gauche (French) side. It's almost like our very language prevents us from considering the Left as being equal in worth to the Right.

This article I found the most interesting has an occult flavour and links the Left to the Moon and the Feminine principle: _http://www.dpjs.co.uk/moon.html

Examples of prejudice against Left Handedness in various cultures is listed here:
_http://www.fortunecity.com/bennyhills/holygrail/176/history.htm

And this one from Wikipedia talks about "Left" in various languages:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handedness#Negative_associations_of_left-handedness_in_language

In English the sinister roots of the word "Left" aren't so obvious, but the political spin put on the "correctness" of Right are unmistakable as I see it.

Main Entry: Right
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English riht; akin to Old High German reht right, Latin rectus straight, right, regere to lead straight, direct, rule, rogare to ask, Greek - to stretch out
Date: before 12th century
1: righteous , upright
2: being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper <right conduct>
3: conforming to facts or truth : correct <the right answer>
4: suitable , appropriate <the right man for the job>
5: straight <a right line>
6: genuine , real
7 a: of, relating to, situated on, or being the side of the body which is away from the side on which the heart is mostly located b: located nearer to the right hand than to the left c: located to the right of an observer facing the object specified or directed as the right arm would point when raised out to the side d (1): located on the right of an observer facing in the same direction as the object specified <stage right> (2): located on the right when facing downstream <the right bank of a river> e: done with the right hand <a right hook to the jaw>
8: having the axis perpendicular to the base <right cone>
9: of, relating to, or constituting the principal or more prominent side of an object <made sure the socks were right side out>
10: acting or judging in accordance with truth or fact <time proved her right>
11 a: being in good physical or mental health or order <not in his right mind> b: being in a correct or proper state <put things right>
12: most favorable or desired : preferable ; also : socially acceptable <knew all the right people>
13often capitalized : of, adhering to, or constituted by the Right especially in politics

Taken from _http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right

 

[Johnno]

Reminds me of an out of towner asking a drunk on the train platform which side of the platform to catch his train home.

"If you take the right one you'll be left, if you take the left one you'll be right."

I always loved the wordplay in that one!

 

[Miss Isness]

Hi Spoon,

I don't know if you've seen my related blog article: http://www.onomatopea.com/dblog/articolo.asp?articolo=27 , but it's something I've often pondered. It's interesting to know that the prejudice goes so far back. That kind of explains why the world is in such a state of imbalance now, doesn't it?

 

[Pierre]

Discussions with friends this week have prompted me to do some brief research into the apparent prejudice against all things "Left" -

Same in French.

"Left" ("gauche") stands for "twisted" (when talking about a wood board for example) and also for "clumsy" (when talking about a person)

"right" ("droit") stand for "righteous" like in English and also means "straight" (straight like a "i" = droit comme un "i")

Following the woodboard example when a carpenter gets a "left" ("gauche") woodboard he unlefts it ("dégauchir) with a plane. thus the woodboard gets "right" ("droite")

 

[agni]

Discussions with friends this week have prompted me to do some brief research into the apparent prejudice against all things "Left" - the origins of which seem to disappear way back into this mists of time. It seems that almost all cultures have some sort of negative spin on the sinister (Latin) and gauche (French) side. It's almost like our very language prevents us from considering the Left as being equal in worth to the Right.

We live in "black & white" world, remember ? :)
Seems that same dynamics apply to left & right.