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ἀριστερός

ἀριστερός, ἀριστερός, on the left, left; ominous

ἀριστερός [ᾰ], ά, όν,
  • left, on the left, ἐπʼ ἀριστερά towards, i.e. on, the left, Il. 2.526, al.; ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ χειρός Od. 5.277; ἐπʼ ἀ. χειρῶν A.R. 2.1266; ἐξ ἀριστερῶν Hp. Epid. 2.4.1; ἐν τοῖσι ἀριστεροῖσι ibid.
      • 2 ἀριστερά (with or without χείρ), ἡ, left hand, ἐξ ἀριστερῆς χειρός on the left hand, Hdt. 2.30; simply ἀριστερῆς χ. Id. 4.34; ἐξ ἀριστερᾶς S. Ph. 20, Pl. Ti. 72c, etc.; οὑξ ἀριστερᾶς . . ναός S. El. 7; ἐς ἀριστερὴν χεῖρα ἤιε, ἐν ἀριστερῇ ἔχειν, Hdt. 7.42.
      • 3 metaph., boding ill, ominous, because to a Greek, looking northward, unlucky signs came from the left, ἀ. ἤλυθεν ὄρνις Od. 20.242.
      • 4 awkward, erring, φρενόθεν ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ ἔβας turnedst to the leftward of thy mind, S. Aj. 182 (lyr.); ἐπʼ ἀριστερὰ εἴληφας τὸ πρᾶγμα in a sinister sense, Com.Adesp. 22.67 D.; τῷ ἀριστερῷ δέχεσθαι [λόγους] Plu. Isid. 2.378b. (Prop. ‘better’, cf. ἄριστος; euphemism (cf. εὐώνυμος) to avoid ill-luck.)

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