sinister

English

WOTD – 31 October 2006

Alternative forms

• sinistre(obsolete)

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishsinistre(“unlucky”),fromOld Frenchsenestre,sinistre(“left”),fromLatinsinister(“left hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈsɪnɪstə/
• (US)IPA^(key):/ˈsɪnɪstɚ/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Audio(General Australian):

  (file)

• Accented on the middle syllable by the older poets, such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Dryden.

Adjective

sinister(comparativemoresinister,superlativemostsinister)

1. Inauspicious,ominous,unlucky,illegitimate(as inbar sinister).
   • 1611,Ben[jamin] Jonson,Catiline His Conspiracy,London:[…][William Stansby?] forWalter Burre,→OCLC,(please specify the page):

     All the several ills that visit earth,
     Brought forth by night, with asinisterbirth.

   • 1922,Michael Arlen,“1/5/1”,in“Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎^[1]:

     And in the meanwhile, Society shivered a little feverishly, filled now with the scions of those who had come over with the Jewish and American Conquests. Escutcheons were becoming valueless, howsinistersoever the blots and clots upon them.

2. Evilor seemingly evil; indicating lurking danger or harm.

   sinisterinfluences

   thesinisteratmosphere of the crypt

3. (archaic)Of theleftside.

   Antonym:dexter

   • c.1602,William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene v],column 2:

     my Mothers bloud
     Runs on the dexter checke, and thisſiniſter
     Bounds in my fathers:

   • c.1604–1605(date written),William Shakespeare,“All’s Well, that Ends Well”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene i],page235:

     His ſicatrice, with an Embleme of warre, heere on hisſiniſtercheeke;

   • 1911,Saki,‘The Unrest-Cure’,The Chronicles of Clovis:

     Before the train had stopped he had decorated hissinistershirt-cuff with the inscription, ‘J. P. Huddle, The Warren, Tilfield, near Slowborough.’

4. (heraldry)On theleftside of ashieldfrom the wearer's standpoint, and the right side to the viewer.

   Antonym:dexter

5. (obsolete)Wrong,as springing fromindirectionorobliquity;perverse;dishonest.
   • 1625,Francis [Bacon],“Of Judicature”, inThe Essayes[…],3rd edition, London:[…]Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret,→OCLC:

     Nimble andsinistertricks and shifts.

   • 1667,Robert South,The Practice of Religion Enforced by Reason:

     He scorns to undermine another's interest by anysinisteror inferior arts.

   • 1822,[Walter Scott],The Pirate.[…],volume(please specify |volume=I to III),Edinburgh:[…][James Ballantyne and Co.] forArchibald Constable and Co.;London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co.,→OCLC:

     He read in their looks[…]sinisterintentions directed particularly toward himself.

Derived terms

Terms derived fromsinister

• bar sinister
• baton sinister
• bend sinister
• sinister aspect
• sinisterbase
• sinister chief
• sinistral

Translations

ominous

• Bulgarian:зловещ(bg)(zlovešt),злокобен(bg)(zlokoben)
• Catalan:sinistre(ca)
• Czech:zlověstným
• Esperanto:minaca
• Finnish:pahaenteinen(fi),uhkaava(fi)
• French:sinistre(fr)morf
• German:sinister(de)
• Greek:

  Ancient:ἀπαίσιος(apaísios)

• Japanese:Tả trước の(hidarimae no)
• Macedonian:зло́кобен(zlókoben)
• Persian:گجسته(phát)(gojaste)
• Plautdietsch:dreiwent
• Polish:złowrogi(pl)m,złowieszczy(pl)m,arcygroźny(pl)
• Portuguese:sinistro(pt)
• Russian:злове́щий(ru)(zlovéščij),злополу́чный(ru)(zlopolúčnyj)

evil

• Arabic:شَرِير(ar)m(šarīr)
• Bulgarian:зъл(bg)(zǎl)
• Czech:zlý(cs)m,hrozivý(cs)m
• Finnish:paha(fi)
• French:sinistre(fr)morf
• German:böse(de),sinister(de)
• Hebrew:מרושעm(merusha),רשע(he)m(rasha)
• Italian:sinistro(it)m
• Japanese:Ác い(ja)(warui),Gian な(ja)(yokoshima na)
• Kazakh:залым(zalym)
• Macedonian:зло́бен(zlóben),зол(zol)
• Malay:jahat(ms)
• Polish:złowrogi(pl)m,arcygroźny(pl)
• Portuguese:sinistro(pt)
• Romanian:sinistru(ro)
• Russian:злой(ru)(zloj)
• Spanish:siniestro(es)

of the left

• Bulgarian:отляво(otljavo)
• Czech:levý(cs)m
• Finnish:vasemmanpuolinen
• German:sinister(de),links(de),linksseitig(de)
• Irish:clé
• Italian:sinistra(it)f
• Japanese:Tả の(ja)(hidari no)
• Portuguese:sinistro(pt),sestro(pt),esquerdo(pt)
• Russian:находя́щийсясле́ва(naxodjáščijsja sléva)
• Spanish:siniestro(es)
• Telugu:ఎడమ(te)(eḍama)

heraldic "left"

• Bulgarian:ляв(bg)(ljav)
• Danish:sinister(da),heraldisk venstre
• Finnish:vasen(fi),vasta-(fi)
• French:sénestre(fr)
• German:linker(de)m
• Italian:sinistra(it)
• Spanish:siniestro(es),izquierdo(es)
• Swedish:sinister(sv),vänster(sv)

Anagrams

• insister,resistin,sinistre

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

sinister(comparativesinisterder,superlativesinisterst)

1. sinister

Declension

Declension ofsinister
uninflected	sinister
inflected	sinistere
comparative	sinisterder
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		sinister	sinisterder	hetsinisterst hetsinisterste
indefinite	m./f.sing.	sinistere	sinisterdere	sinisterste
	n.sing.	sinister	sinisterder	sinisterste
	plural	sinistere	sinisterdere	sinisterste
definite		sinistere	sinisterdere	sinisterste
partitive		sinisters	sinisterders	—

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ziˈnɪstɐ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

sinister(strong nominative masculine singularsinisterer,comparativesinisterer,superlativeamsinistersten)

1. sinister

Declension

Positive forms ofsinister

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		eristsinister	sieistsinister	esistsinister	siesindsinister
strong declension (without article)	nominative	sinisterer	sinistere	sinisteres	sinistere
	genitive	sinisteren	sinisterer	sinisteren	sinisterer
	dative	sinisterem	sinisterer	sinisterem	sinisteren
	accusative	sinisteren	sinistere	sinisteres	sinistere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	dersinistere	diesinistere	dassinistere	diesinisteren
	genitive	dessinisteren	dersinisteren	dessinisteren	dersinisteren
	dative	demsinisteren	dersinisteren	demsinisteren	densinisteren
	accusative	densinisteren	diesinistere	dassinistere	diesinisteren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	einsinisterer	einesinistere	einsinisteres	(keine)sinisteren
	genitive	einessinisteren	einersinisteren	einessinisteren	(keiner)sinisteren
	dative	einemsinisteren	einersinisteren	einemsinisteren	(keinen)sinisteren
	accusative	einensinisteren	einesinistere	einsinisteres	(keine)sinisteren

Comparative forms ofsinister

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		eristsinisterer	sieistsinisterer	esistsinisterer	siesindsinisterer
strong declension (without article)	nominative	sinistererer	sinisterere	sinistereres	sinisterere
	genitive	sinistereren	sinistererer	sinistereren	sinistererer
	dative	sinistererem	sinistererer	sinistererem	sinistereren
	accusative	sinistereren	sinisterere	sinistereres	sinisterere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	dersinisterere	diesinisterere	dassinisterere	diesinistereren
	genitive	dessinistereren	dersinistereren	dessinistereren	dersinistereren
	dative	demsinistereren	dersinistereren	demsinistereren	densinistereren
	accusative	densinistereren	diesinisterere	dassinisterere	diesinistereren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	einsinistererer	einesinisterere	einsinistereres	(keine)sinistereren
	genitive	einessinistereren	einersinistereren	einessinistereren	(keiner)sinistereren
	dative	einemsinistereren	einersinistereren	einemsinistereren	(keinen)sinistereren
	accusative	einensinistereren	einesinisterere	einsinistereres	(keine)sinistereren

Superlative forms ofsinister

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		eristamsinistersten	sieistamsinistersten	esistamsinistersten	siesindamsinistersten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	sinisterster	sinisterste	sinisterstes	sinisterste
	genitive	sinistersten	sinisterster	sinistersten	sinisterster
	dative	sinisterstem	sinisterster	sinisterstem	sinistersten
	accusative	sinistersten	sinisterste	sinisterstes	sinisterste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	dersinisterste	diesinisterste	dassinisterste	diesinistersten
	genitive	dessinistersten	dersinistersten	dessinistersten	dersinistersten
	dative	demsinistersten	dersinistersten	demsinistersten	densinistersten
	accusative	densinistersten	diesinisterste	dassinisterste	diesinistersten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	einsinisterster	einesinisterste	einsinisterstes	(keine)sinistersten
	genitive	einessinistersten	einersinistersten	einessinistersten	(keiner)sinistersten
	dative	einemsinistersten	einersinistersten	einemsinistersten	(keinen)sinistersten
	accusative	einensinistersten	einesinisterste	einsinisterstes	(keine)sinistersten

Further reading

• “sinister”inDigitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “sinister”in Uni Leipzig:Wortschatz-Lexikon

Latin

Etymology

FromProto-Italic*senisteros,of unclear origin. Possibly a euphemism fromProto-Indo-European*senh₂-is-(“more obtaining”),from*senh₂-(“to seek, gain”)(thus the direction of "left" as "the more favorable (side)" ), and cognate withSanskritसनोति(sanoti,“to gain, procure”),सनीयान्(sanīyān,“more useful, more advantageous”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/siˈnis.ter/,[s̠ɪˈnɪs̠t̪ɛr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/siˈnis.ter/,[siˈnist̪er]

Adjective

sinister(femininesinistra,neutersinistrum,comparativesinistrior,superlativesinistimus);first/second-declensionadjective (nominative masculine singular in-er)

1. left

   Synonyms:laevus,scaevus

   Antonym:dexter

2. perverse,bad;oradverse,hostile
   • 1st BC,Virgilius

     moressinistri
     arboribus Notussinister

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

3. (religion)auspicious(for Romans) orinauspicious(for Greeks)
   • 1st BC,Virgilius

     sinistracornix

     good omen

   • 2nd century,Apuleius

     sinistropede profectus

     started with bad omen

Declension

First/second-declensionadjective (nominative masculine singular in-er).

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	sinister	sinistra	sinistrum		sinistrī	sinistrae	sinistra
Genitive	sinistrī	sinistrae	sinistrī		sinistrōrum	sinistrārum	sinistrōrum
Dative	sinistrō		sinistrō		sinistrīs
Accusative	sinistrum	sinistram	sinistrum		sinistrōs	sinistrās	sinistra
Ablative	sinistrō	sinistrā	sinistrō		sinistrīs
Vocative	sinister	sinistra	sinistrum		sinistrī	sinistrae	sinistra

Descendants

• Late Latin:sinexter
  • Italo-Romance:
    • Italian:sinèstro(archaic)
  • North Italian:
    • Friulian:signestri
    • Romansch:sanester,seniester(Sursilvan),saniester(Sutsilvan),schnester(Puter,Vallader)
    • Venetan:senestro
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Old Catalan:senestre
    • Old French:senestre
      • Middle French:senestre
        • French:senestre,sénestre,senêtre
      • Norman:s'nêtre
    • Occitan:senèstre
  • Ibero-Romance:
    • Asturian:siniestru
    • Old Galician-Portuguese:sẽestro,seestro
      • Portuguese:sestro
    • Old Spanish:siniestro
      • Ladino:siniestro,סינייסטרו
      • Spanish:siniestro
• →Catalan:sinistre
• →Dutch:sinister
• →English:sinister
• →French:sinistre
• →Galician:sinistro
• →Portuguese:sinistro
• →Romanian:sinistru

References

• “sinister”,inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary,Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “sinister”,inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary,New York: Harper & Brothers
• Castiglioni-Mariotti, IL