To the Romans, the right hand was dexter and the left, sinister. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon warned that, “A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand; but a fool’s understanding is at his left.” To the Jews, as to the Indians, the Arabs and many ancient peoples, the left side was the wrong way. And the wrong way was evil. Even when it wasn’t evil, it was still a poor idea.
In English, the word left is derived from the old English lyft, meaning weak, foolish, and worthless.
Daniel Greenfield, Domestic Enemies: The Founding Fathers’ Fight Against the Left, pg. xiii
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