It's funny that etymologically that means left and dextrous means right. It means "on the left side." Ambisinister means "left-handed" or "clumsy in the use of both hands." So, if ambidextrous means you have skill or skillful use of both hands, ambisinistrous means you're clumsy with both hands. And the implication being most people were right-handed so that you have the facility of your right hand. And ambidextrous means "having equal facility with both hands," but in the Latin ambi- means "both" and dexter means "right." One example I can think of as the word ambidextrous. And it turns out they are often words that are pairings in which one of the words is much more frequently used than its parallel pair, or its opposite. That's probably not true, but it's easy to feel like there's a word for everything. I think we often think that there's a word for everything. And what better place to jet off to than your couch? Here's Peter Sokolowski with a portmanteau for our times. And you're ready to take some well-deserved time away from your inbox. On each episode, Merriam-Webster editors, Ammon Shea, and Peter Sokolowski, and I explore some aspect of the English language from the dictionary's vantage point.Īt last, you've finished your last email. And Word Matters is produced by Merriam-Webster in collaboration with New England Public Media.
We often think that there's a word for everything.Ĭoming up on Word Matters, on staycations and North America's marsupials. There is only one marsupial found in North America north of Mexico. Plus, we do a deep dive on 'staycation' and various other leisure-related portmanteaus! This week we finally address it: the two spellings of everyone's favorite North American marsupial.
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