<. Cf. similar sense evolution in Dutch recht, German recht “right (not left),” from Old High German reht, which meant only “straight, just.”
The usual PIE root (*dek-) is represented by Latin dexter (see dexterity). Other derivations on a similar pattern to English right are French droit, from Latin directus “straight;” Lithuanian labas, literally “good;” and Slavic words (Bohemian pravy, Polish prawy, Russian pravyj) from Old Church Slavonic pravu, literally “straight,” from PIE *pro-, from root *per- (1) “forward, through” (see per).
The political sense of “conservative” is first recorded 1794 (adj.), 1825 (n.), a translation of French Droit “the Right, Conservative Party” in the French National Assembly (1789; see left (adj.)).
Old English rihtan “to straighten, rule, set up, set right, amend; guide, govern; restore, replace,” from riht (adj.); see right (adj.1). Cf. Old Norse retta “to straighten,” Old Saxon rihtian, Old Frisian riuchta, German richten, Gothic garaihtjan. Related: Righted; righting.
Old English riht (West Saxon, Kentish), reht (Anglian), “that which is morally right, duty, obligation,” also “rule of conduct; law of a land;” also “what someone deserves; a just claim, what is due; correctness, truth; a legal entitlement, a privilege,” from the root of right (adj.1). Meaning “the right” (as opposed to the left) is from mid-13c.; political use from 1825. From early 14c. as “a right action, a good deed.” Meaning “a blow with the right fist” is from 1898. The phrase to rights “at once, straightway” is 1660s, from sense “in a proper manner” (Middle English).
Old English rehte, rihte “in a straight or direct manner,” from right (adj.1). Right on! as an exclamation of approval first recorded 1925 in black slang, popularized mid-1960s by Black Panther movement.
In addition to the idioms beginning with right
- right and left
- right as rain
- right away
- right in the head
- right off
- right off the bat
- right of way
- right on
- right out
- right side of the tracks
- right side, on someone’s
- right tack
- right up one’s alley
also see:
- all right
- all right for you
- all right with one
- by rights
- come (right) out with
- dead to rights
- get right
- give one’s eyeteeth (right arm)
- go right
- go (right) through one
- hang a left (right)
- have a right to
- have a screw loose (one’s head screwed on right)
- heart in the right place
- hit (right) between the eyes
- in one’s own right
- in one’s right mind
- in the right
- left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
- might makes right
- not right in the head
- (right) on the money
- on the right foot
- on the right tack
- play one’s cards right
- price is right
- put right
- sail (right) through
- serve one right
- set right
- set to rights
- step in the right direction
- strike the right note
- that’s right
- turn out all right
- two wrongs do not make a right
- when it comes (right down) to