Lefties

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlɛftiz/

Definitions

1. A colloquial term for individuals who use their left hand predominantly in tasks and activities
2. A reference to people who are left-handed, often characterized by their unique approach to writing and other manual tasks
3. An informal label for those who favor their left side, affecting their abilities in sports, arts, and daily functions

Etymology: "Lefties" is simply the plural of "lefty," a word built from "left" and the suffix "-y," which English has long used to form informal nouns and adjectives from other words. The "-y" ending is old, reaching back through Middle English to Old English, where it was already attached to words to create nicknames and familiar forms. So the word is a plain, transparent formation: "left" with a clipped, friendly tail. The "-y" element is also ambiguous in its origins. Some accounts treat "lefty" as a noun formed with a nominal suffix, while others analyse the same ending as adjectival, descended from a Germanic adjective-forming element that also appears in older words for "left-handed" and "left-sided." Either way, the ending traces back through Proto-Germanic to the earliest layers of the language, and the word has always meant something close to "the one on the left."

Synonyms: southpaws, left-handed people

Antonyms: righties, right-handed people