Etymology

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Today it means: Even someone with limited abilities or opportunities is dominant over, and considered special by, those who have even fewer abilities and opportunities; the value of any ability depends on its prevalence. Full definition →

Latin in regione caecorum rex est luscus
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The story

  1. Latin · calque ofin regione caecorum rex est luscus
  2. English todayin the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Calque of Latin in regione caecorum rex est luscus, popularized by Desiderius Erasmus’ Adagia (1500). For further origin compare Aramaic בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור (literally “in the street of the blind, the one-eyed man is called the guiding light”), found in the Genesis Rabbah (4th or 5th century CE). This may be Erasmus’ direct source, but at least some traditional link between both forms seems likely.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.