Rihthand

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. The hand found on the right side of a person's body, typically the stronger or more skilled one for most people ; placed on or toward the right side of something
2. A person's hand on the right side of the body, often used for writing and fine work ; located on the right side in relation to a particular point
3. The limb on the right side of the body that many people favor for tasks ; positioned toward the right-hand direction when facing forward from a reference point

Etymology: "Rihthand" is an Old English word, a compound of "riht" (right, straight, correct) and "hand". Its descendant "right" shows the sound change more clearly than the spelling does: the "gh" in "riht" once represented a sound like the one in Scottish "loch", and it was lost as English developed. Meanings of "riht" included "straight" and "just" alongside "right-handed", so the older word carried a wider sense of correctness than the modern side-of-the-body meaning. The noun and adjective "rihthand" appear in Old English texts with the literal sense of the hand on the right side of the body. Because most people are right-handed, the right side also came to be seen as the favoured or stronger one, which is why "right" later took on the senses of proper, legitimate and entitled.