Left-handed language
A lot of language around the world and throughout history has been very detrimental to left-handers, whether it is the names we are called or the words that are used to mean “left-handed”.
| Left-handed language
Sayings where the word “left” does not fit |
Left-handed language
Left Handers do not do any better in foreign languages, as we show below. This is mainly based on personal communications from people who live in the countries concerned and we cannot guarantee it is correct! If you have any more examples or any comments or corrections, please add them using the comments link at the bottom and we will update the main table as appropriate
Left handed terms by country and what they mean
| Country / Language | Words for “Left-Handed” | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | ShammaliA’asar | Mohammad says: In arabic we call left handed people as (Shammali) or (A’asar) meaning Lefty for both words. The 2nd arabic word might mean Difficult.Marwan said:It is amazing to get to discover items and products that would have made our life easier. In the Arab countries left handers are called †feshlawe †or †A’asar †the first word means loser while the second means the one who faces hard times, both words shows who our cultures considers left handers as losers or people with less abilities, while on the contrary we have more skills but we just need suitable tools. |
| Australia | Mollie Dooker | Something to do with having fists like a girl |
| Belarus | Liewsha | Meaning:Sneaky or Mistrustful |
| Botswana | Ntsogotlho and Molema | In the Setswana language, if someone calls you NTSOGOTLHO they mean someone who uses a hand for the loo but if they say MOLEMA it simply means your left-hand.Generally, in Botswana people who are left-handed are considered very intelligent but in some minor tribes they consider us to be handicapped. Before, many would try and force their children to use their right-hand but that has since gone. |
| Bulgarian | In Bulgarian we have three words describing a left-handed person – Левичар (Levichar), Левогер (Levoger) and Левак (Levak). The last one is considered very offensive. We also have a term called лефтерен (lefteren), which describes something that’s not working properly or isn’t strong enough. As you can see, the word is derived from English left. | |
| Chinese | In Chinese, the word left is sometimes associated with the “dark side”. There is a phrase that associated the evil with the word left “Zuo”. IF I am not wrong, in Cantonese, the word left also means hindering. But this will require the native Cantonese speaking people to verify.Eva tells us: I am a native Cantonese. I just want to verify that you’re right about the Cantonese saying zuo†it means hindering, in the way of something which is seen as bad. | |
| Danish | Venstre-hÃ¥ndetKejthÃ¥ndetAvethÃ¥ndet | neutral, “using the left hand”, to be “kejtet” means to be clumsy, awkward (dialect): “avet” means clumsy, wrong |
| Dutch | Linkshandig | Lefthanded Another meaning of the dutch word “Links” but only in the dialect “Brabants” (from Noord-Brabant, a province of the Netherlands) is “inside-out”, especially used for clothing. Like in: “Je hebt je shirt links aan” (you are wearing your T-shirt inside-out) |
| Finnish | Vasenkätinen Vasuri | Left-handed “Lefty” |
| French | Gauche | Awkward, clumsy |
| German | Links, Linkisch | Awkward |
| Greek | Skaios | Ill-omened, awkward Comment received – there’s no word like that in greek… the word is aristeros, coming from aristos, meaning someone who succeeds. Update from Katerina in Greece: I don’t know the word you display for left handed in greek althought I’m a native greek. Aristeros is more used, though the most frequent word is aristeroxeiras which literally means left handed. A rude way to call a left handed is stravos†which means crooked or twisted (I was often called like that by my grandmother when I was trying to help her in the kitchen, although she didn’t mean to be rude) |
| Hindi | Ulta Haanth | The left hand in Hindi is called “Ulta Haanth”, which literally translates to the opposite, wrong, bad hand. So much has this permeated that most lefties don’t realise what they’re saying, and wind up using the phrase themselves |
| Hungarian | Hungarian language is quite straightforward: Right – “Jobb” (also a synonym for better) comes from the word “Jo” which means good Left – “Bal” (also a synonym for bad, or used grammatically negative meaning to positive word, for example: Balszerencse – “Left” Luck = disaster Baleset – “Left” event = accident etc….you get the point | |
| Indonesia | Kidal | means lefty. It is interesting because in my culture, kidal or lefty also means impolite.Halida from Indonesia tells us “I’d like to comment of the Indonesian meaning for the left-handed term. I’m an Indonesian and it’s true that the word for left-handed is “kidal”. But as far as I know (and I’ve asked my friends from various ethnic groups) it doesn’t have any negative meaning. The official Indonesian dictionary defines “kidal” as “being more skillful with the left side of the body (left hand) rather than the right side”. I am of Minang ethnic group and since a lot of the words in Indonesian language come from Minang language I’m guessing “kidal” in Indonesia comes from the Minang language, “kida” which simply means “left”, no negative meaning whatsoever. The Minang language itself, depending on the region, uses the word “kida” or “kedoh” for left-handed. |
| Iran | Chapool | Arezou from Iran tells us: In my country there is a word “Chapool” ,which means lefty. However, I would like to say that in Iran there is a goood concept about the left handed people and every one believes that left handers are more intelligent than others. This is the opinion which I have heard hundreds of times when people understand that I am left handed. I am 32 years old and I have never heard bad words but only compliments from the people around. Although when I was a child my mother told me to eat my meal with my right hand and it is not good in formal parties to eat with left hand. All I tried to say is that it is not all over the world there are mocking words aligned to left handers. I mean some countries have a positive assumption to the left handed people |
| Irish | CiotógCitogCithogCloot | In the Gaelic language, pronounced ‘kitt-ogue’ (as in ‘rogue’). Also means “the strange one”. The term is also used by Irish people speaking in English – it would be frequently used in sports commentary and there is a TV production company called Ciotog Films. Left or Stupid is the Irish name for left handers, especially completely left handed people. It’s slightly negative, meaning awkward…I cant work with you. some of my Irish relatives call me caggy mufty [not sure about the spelling!]. ‘Citeog’ is the Irish expression for a leftie. Nobody knows where it first started but its generally an endearing term and not at all offensive ciotógach = Gaelic (Irish) for left-handed |
| Italian | Mancini | Crooked, maimed Italian for left side is “sinistra”; a like term for sinister. Update from Esra: Left handed in Italian is actually either MANCINO (for male ) and MANCINA ( for female).. Mancini is plural form of Mancino which is male.So you should use both il MANCINO (male) la MANCINA (female). |
| Japanese | I’ve been learning Japanese; the Japanese for left-handed is “hidari kiki” which as far as I can gather has no negative connotations. Hidari-kiki has no negative connotations, and ‘southpaw’, from the American Baseball term is also often used. An obsolete term, ‘gitcho’ is no longer used, on the assumption that it was derogatory since there was no equivalent term for right-handed. However, the possible origin of the term itself shows no particular bias – the word ‘gitcho’ is the name of the stick used in a Heian era stick and ball game, and ‘hidari-gitcho’ is simply the word used for hitting the ball with the stick in the left hand. | |
| Kenya | Njenga in Kantas tell us “Did you know Maasai name for a left hander means a monkey?” | |
| Korean | Oen | right – Oreun(in Korean). It means right, correct (it is like English ‘right’). Also, Oreunson(right hand) is often replaced ‘Bareunson’, its mean is perpectly same ‘right’. It is very interesting. left – oen(it sounds like ‘when’) It means ‘wrong’, ‘bad’ in old Korean. It is used in Korean proberb sometimes |
| Latin | Sinister Dexter | On the left-hand side On the right hand side (dextrous) |
| Malaysia | In Malaysia, our local language Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language) term left-handedness as Kidal. (“ki” as in KEY and “dal” as in “DAHL” like Roald Dahl) | |
| Mexico | Chueco | Literally, “chueco” means twisted or non-straight. |
| Northern Ireland | I’m from a small town in Northern Ireland where a lot of our dialect is Ulster-Scotch. Every time I went to write, or do anything with my left hand I was called “KITTER FISTED” or “AWKWARD ANNIE”! In fact, I’m only 29 but went to seconday school with a lefty who had the ‘devil beat out of him’and was forced to use his right hand. Oh the ignorance of it all….!! | |
| Norwegian | Kjevhendt | Crooked-handed (also advised to us as keivhent, left-hander) In Norwegian it’s more common (and correct)to say “venstrehendt” instead of keivhendt (kjevhendt) “Venstrehendt” simply means left handed as opposed to “høyrehendt” which means “righthanded”. |
| Philippines | Kaliwete | Unfortunately, it also has another negative meaning like the other languages. When someone is a “kaliwete,” or mentioned to be “nangangaliwete” (present tense verb form), it can mean that a person is a two-timer or is being unfaithful. |
| Poland | In polish language lefthanded mean leworÄ™czny( correct) also people use words as: maÅ„kut, Å›maja, lewus. The last phrases are offensive for lefthanders. Leworeczcy or mankut in Polish, meaning:illegalUpdate from Paul: You’re wrong – there’s no such word like leworeczcy†or mankut†( maÅ„kut†is correct). canIf you want to say that something is illegal, you use word lewy†which means left†in english | |
| Portuguese | canhoto | Portuguese “canhoto” meaning; lacking ability or physical co-ordination; clumsy; badly done or made “Canhoto” is a popular name for the Devil here in Portugal and there are many superstitions and even popular festivities in which Canhoto appears as the Devil himself, in rituals such as “queimar o Canhoto” (“burning the Canhoto”), in some regions, a kind of Halloween. Also, when speaking of a potentially terrible event or a bad omen it is a Portuguese traditional gesture to knock three times on wood with the right hand and say “Diabo sejas cego, surdo e mudo! Lagarto, lagarto, lagarto sejas canhoto!” which translates roughly into “Devil be blind, deaf and mute! Lizard, lizard, lizard be left-handed!”. This is probably so because by cursing the Devil to be left-handed it will prevent him from doing harm so efficiently, as is a popular misconception to believe left-handed to be awkward and clumsy. There is also another popular saying – “Figas Canhoto!” (usually accompanied by the gesture of hooking the right forefinger over the (right) thumb which is traditionally used to ward off evil, jinxes, the Devil), “Figas” being the plural name of said gesture and Canhoto the Devil himself. In Portugal we also have the word “Esquerdino” which indicates “someone who habitually uses the left hand”, which is better accepted because “canhoto” is a derogatory definition, but is best used on a daily basis. |
| Romanian | Stângaci | which means “left-hander” as well as “unskillful” |
| Russian | in russian LEVSHA.it is meaning not trustworthy.in Ortodoxy church left side is a women`s side In Russia classmates often say about lefthanders: “Левша-ÐºÑ€Ð¸Ð²Ð°Ñ Ð´ÑƒÑˆÐ°”.It means, lefthander has a wry soul 😉 Liefshá,liewshá and lifshá are lefties in Russian and meaning:not trustworthy and sneaky.The variant:na lievo,meaning:sneaky | |
| Scotland | I’m Scottish and up here left handed people are called corrie-fisted. It comes from the Gaelic cearr meaning left, or wrong hand. There are also some local dialect versions, such as caurrie-haundit and corrie dukit. | |
| Serbian | In Serbian we both write and read it the same-LEVORUK if it’s a male or LEVORUKA if it’s female.And that literaly means LEFT HAND! | |
| Spanish | Zurdo Siniestro Chueco | Reverse – No Ser Zurdo = Clever. Not usually used in an insulting way. In Argentina, the “zurdos” are seen as quite intelligent people In spanish right handers are called “diestro” (which means= able), and siniestro means creapy, freak TwistedAnother word for lefthanded in spanish is ZOCATO. This means the fruit before is ripe, when is yellow and rough |
| Swahili | left is kushoto, or weak | |
| Swedish | vänsterhänt | left-handed. According to my etymological dictionary the word “vänster” (“left”) originally meant “the favourable [side]”, and is related to the word “vän” (“friend”). So, maybe you should add a list of languages where the word “left” actually is a positive one! :-)Linnea says: Here in Sweden I have heard another word for lefty that is less nice than the common word vänsterhänt†and that is felhänt†which means wrong-handed. |
| Turkish | Solak | From Esra: Turkish Solak is correct but doesn’t have any other meaning. SOL’s mean is Left in Turkish. Together with AK it means left side user. There is no any other meaning as clumsy or something, just left -side user. Aysun tells us: “There is not even a single word in Turkish that insult left handed people” |
| Ukrainian | Lifshá | Meaning:Sneaky or Mistrustful |
| Venezuela | MochoLa Mocha | Adolfo tells us: Here in Venezuela we often use the term mocho†to refer to a lefty, or la mochaâ€, to refer to the left hand. Mocho†would roughly translate as maimedâ€, or awkward, clumsy†or stuff like that, and la mocha†would be something like the maimed (hand)â€. |
| Wales | When I was young in Wales I was often referred to as being “llaw bwt” i.e. stump handed. Not very flattering, but as I didn’t speak Welsh at the time it didn’t really mean anything to me! Also the Welsh for LEFT is CHWITH, and if something is O’I CHWITH it is wrong, or out of place |
