Where does “dextérité” come from?
dextérité (Middle French) comes from Latin dexteritas, from Latin dexter, from Proto-Italic deksteros, from Proto-Indo-European deḱs(i)-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European deḱs- — right.
Ancestry of “dextérité”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | dexteritas | dexterity, aptness, readiness; prosperity,... |
| 2 | Latin | dexter | right (relative direction), right hand |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | deksteros | right side, direction |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱs(i)-tero- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱs- | right |