sinister

• adj.不吉な; 不吉な; 悲惨な; 左の

古フランス語のsinistre、左向き、好ましくない、ラテン語のsinister、左から。語源的な進化は、古代において悪や邪悪さを連想させる「左」の隠された意味に由来する。dextrose、デキストロース、器用さ、器用貧乏を比較せよ。

sinister

sinister: see left

sinister (adj.)

early 15c., "prompted by malice or ill-will, intending to mislead," from Old French senestre, sinistre "contrary, false; unfavorable; to the left" (14c.), from Latin sinister "left, on the left side" (opposite of dexter), of uncertain origin. Perhaps meaning properly "the slower or weaker hand" [Tucker], but Klein and Buck suggest it's a euphemism (see left (adj.)) connected with the root of Sanskrit saniyan "more useful, more advantageous." With contrastive or comparative suffix -ter, as in dexter (see dexterity).

The Latin word was used in augury in the sense of "unlucky, unfavorable" (omens, especially bird flights, seen on the left hand were regarded as portending misfortune), and thus sinister acquired a sense of "harmful, unfavorable, adverse." This was from Greek influence, reflecting the early Greek practice of facing north when observing omens. In genuine Roman auspices, the augurs faced south and left was favorable. Thus sinister also retained a secondary sense in Latin of "favorable, auspicious, fortunate, lucky."

Meaning "evil" is from late 15c. Used in heraldry from 1560s to indicate "left, to the left." Bend (not "bar") sinister in heraldry indicates illegitimacy and preserves the literal sense of "on or from the left side" (though in heraldry this is from the view of the bearer of the shield, not the observer of it).

1. There is nothing sinister or conspiratorial about the export licensing system.

このような輸出許可制度には陰険なものや人に顔向けできないものはありません。

2.There was something sinister about him that she found disturbing.

彼には邪悪なものがあって彼女を不安にさせた。

3.There was something cold and sinister about him.

クールで陰険な感じがします。

4.There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.

一連の犯罪の背後には険悪な陰謀がある。

5.In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design.

あなたの会話の中で、あなたはある陰謀に言及しました。