Quick Definition
εὐώνυμος, ον Adj on the left-hand side, left
Strong's Definition
properly, well-named (good-omened), i.e. the left (which was the lucky side among the pagan Greeks); neuter as adverbial, at the left hand
Derivation: from G2095 (εὖ) and G3686 (ὄνομα);
KJV Usage: (on the) left
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
εὐώνυμος, -ον, (εὖ and ὄνομα) ; 1. of good name (Hes., Pind.), and of good omen (Plat. polit. p. 302 d.; lege. 6 p. 754e.); in the latter sense used in taking auguries; but those omens were euphemistically called εὐώνυμα which in fact were regarded as unlucky, i. e, which came from the left, sinister omens (for which a good name was desired); hence 2. left (so fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down): Acts xxi. 3; Rev. x. 2; ἐξ εὐωνύμων [cf. W. § 27,3; § 19s. v. δεξιά; B. 89 (78)], on the left hand (to the left): Mt. xx. 21, 23; xxv. 33, 41: xxvii. 38; Mk. x. 37 [RGL], 40; xv. 27.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
εὐώνυμος euōnymos 9x
of good name or omen; used also as an euphemism by the Greeks instead of ἀριστερός, which was a word of bad import, as all omens on the left denoted misfortune; the left, Mt. 20:21, 23; 25:33, 41
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
εὐώνυμος, -ον
(εὖ, ὄνομα), [in LXX chiefly for שְׂמאׄל ;]
of good name or omen
Euphemistic for ἀριστερός, left: Ac 21:3, Re 10:2; ἐξ εὐωνύμων, on the left: Mt 20:21, 23 25:33, 41 27:38, Mk 10:40 15:27.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
εὐώνυμος. It is curious that, while δεξιός is common, εὐώνυμος does not occur at all in the indices to P Oxy I.—XII. and BGU I.—IV. For an interesting usage see the astrological P Ryl II. 63 cited s.v. δεξιός, and cf. Sy// 801, a v/B.C. inscr. from Ephesus dealing with augury, where it is laid down that if a bird flying from right to left concealed its wing, it was a good omen (δεξιός), but if it raised its left wing (ἢν δὲ ἐπάρει τὴ[ν εἸὐώνυμον πτέρυγα), then, whether it raised or concealed the wing, it was of ill omen (εὐώνυμος).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
εὐώνυμος (euōnumos) — left/south. εὐώνυμ-ος, ον, (ὄνομα) __A of good name, honoured, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εὐ. χάρις the honour of a good name, [Refs]; δίκη.. μὴ εὐ. not creditable, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __A.2 expressed in well-chosen terms, λόγος [Refs 2nd c.AD+] __A.II having an auspicious name or sound, ἀριστοκρατία [Refs 5th c.BC+] __A.II.2 prosperous, fortunate, δίκα, πόδες, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __A.II.3 epithet of Artemis, Ἀρχ. Ἐφ. [Refs 4th c.BC+] __A.III euphemistic (like ἀριστερός) for left, on the left hand (because bad omens came from the left), ὠλένη εὐ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐξ εὐωνύμου (i.e. χειρός) [Refs]; κατὰ τὰ εὐ. [NT+5th c.BC+]; as military term, τὸ εὐ. κέρας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ εὐ. (without κέρας) [Refs 5th c.BC+] __A.III.2 euphemistic of bad omens, opposed to οἱ δεξιοὶ φύσιν, [Refs 6th c.BC+] __A.III.3 Astron., southerly, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
