Etymology

dexterous

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Today it means: Skillful with one's hands. Full definition →

Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? ← Latin dexter ← Proto-Italic *deksteros
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*déḱs
  2. Proto-Indo-European*deḱs-terós
  3. Proto-Italic*deksteros
  4. Latindexter
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  7. English todaydexterous

From Latin dexter (“right, ready”) + -ous. Displaced native Old English handcræftiġ.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.