left

Meanings

Adjective

• Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the opposite of right;.
• Pertaining to the political left.

Adverb

• On the left side.
• Towards the left side.
• Towards the political left.

Noun

• The left side or direction.
• The ensemble of left-wing political parties. Those holding left-wing views as a group.
• The left hand or fist.
• A punch delivered with the left fist.
• A wave breaking from left to right (viewed from the shore).

Verb

• Past of leave.
• Past of leave.

Origin

• From Middle English left, luft, leoft, lift, lyft, from Old English left, lyft, attested in Old English lyftādl, from Proto-Germanic *luft-, from *lubjaną (compare dialectal English lib, West Frisian lobje, Dutch lubben), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lewp-, *(s)lup-. Compare Scots left, North Frisian lefts, leeft, leefts, West Frisian lofts, dialectal Dutch loof, Low German.
• From Middle English left, variant of laft, from Old English læfd, past participle of lǣfan. More at leave.
• From Middle English levit, ilevet, y-levyd, from Old English ġelȳfd, ġelȳfed, past participle of Old English ġelȳfan, lȳfan, equivalent to leave + -ed.