Etymograph

English

ambidextral

Ambidextral comes from Latin dexter ‘right", "skillful’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-tero-s.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱs-tero-sreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deksteros‘right’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdexter‘right", "skillful’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1871ambidextral

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱs-tero-sreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deksteros‘right’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdexter‘right", "skillful’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1871ambidextral

Earliest quotation: 1871, John Earle: “the ambidextral adjective; where two adjectives are given to…”

Formed from ambi- + dexter ‘right", "skillful’ + -al

Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’

Proto-Italic *amβō

Latin ambo ‘both’

English ambi-

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *deksteros ‘right’

dexterity, 5 more

through Latin dexter ‘right", "skillful’

dexter, 6 more

Today it means

adj Pertaining equally to the left and right sides.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-tero-s / ambidextral

Shirt and support for this word