English

amphidextrous

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

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱs-tero-sreconstructed
Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deksteros‘right’reconstructed
Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdexter‘right’
Englishearliest quotation 1963amphidextrous

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱs-tero-sreconstructed
Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deksteros‘right’reconstructed
Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdexter‘right’
Englishearliest quotation 1963amphidextrous

Earliest quotation: 1963, Harold Saxton Burr: “An amphidextrous man. Typhoid at eleven. Insufficiently treated chancre…”

Formed from amphi- + dexter ‘right’ + -ous

Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi

Ancient Greek ἀμφίς

English amphi-

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *deksteros ‘right’

dexterity, 5 more

through Latin dexter ‘right’

Today it means

adj —

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

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

Shirt and support for this word