Left Handed Language

Left-handers have been linguistically abused for centuries! There are hundreds of (mainly abusive) terms for left-handers.

There are a lot of sayings where "right" is good and "left" is bad e.g., "being in your right mind", "the divine right of kings", it will be all right in the end" as against being "left out", having "two left-feet", "a left-handed compliment" (one that is not really meant!).

Even the word for "left-handed" in many languages is very negative:

Language	Word for Left Handed	Meaning
Greek	Skaios	Ill-omened, awkward
Italian	Mancino	Crooked, maimed
Spanish	Zurdo	Reverse - No Ser Zurdo = Clever
French	Gauche	Awkward, clumsy
Dutch	Linkshandig	To "have two left hands" means to be clumsy.
German	Links, Linkisch	Awkward
Norwegian	Kjevhendt	Crooked-handed (also advised to us as keivhent, left-hander)
Swedish	Vänsterhänt
Australia	Mollie Dooker	Something to do with having fists like a girl
Portuguese	Canhoto
Latin	Sinister Dexter	On the left-hand side On the right hand side (dextrous)

If you have any more words to add to this list or can help further with origins / meanings / alternatives, please add a comment below and we will pick it up.