For example, in English the word right (opposite of left) and right (privileges, as in human rights) are homonyms. In Spanish, derecho/a also means both of those things. Don’t the concepts behind those words predate the cross-pollination of the two languages? Why do they share this homonym quality?

  • FuglyDuck
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    1 year ago

    Wait ‘till OP finds out that Sinister was originally the word for “left”

    • AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      1 year ago

      Meanwhile, the French word for left is “gauche”.

      Which leads to a famous quip from a Canadian conservative politician some decades ago: “the Canadian left is more gauche than sinister”

    • Calanthesrose
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      You just blew my mind. Thank you for that. Also indirectly introduced me to a way to learn a new word a day.