It comes from the Latin "laevus".
Funnily enough, although "sinister" came to mean "the bad side", it may have come from Proto-Indo-European for the "favourable side".
Funnily enough, although "sinister" came to mean "the bad side", it may have come from Proto-Indo-European for the "favourable side".
I wonder whether the old Latin (right == good/left == dodgy) thing has been perpetrated here or it it is coincidental.
I also wonder whether old Latin speakers really had a snag with sinister ie left handers or is that a modern affectation.