mancino

Mancino is an Italian term used as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it designates a person who uses the left hand. As an adjective, it describes something related to or performed with the left hand. The feminine forms are mancina and the plural mancini (masculine or mixed) and mancine (feminine).

Etymology and sense development: The word derives from Latin forms such as mancinus or manc(us), related to manus, meaning hand, and by extension to left-handedness. In Italian, the term has long been used to indicate left-handedness, and it remains common in everyday speech. The opposite form is destro, meaning right-handed.

Usage: Mancino is a standard, neutral descriptor in modern Italian. It is used in casual speech as well as in sports and anatomical contexts to indicate left-handedness. Examples include phrases describing a person as mancino or references to a mano mancina (left hand). The term agrees with gender and number, yielding mancino/mancina and mancini/mancine in plural.

Other uses: Mancino is also a surname in Italy, and may appear in personal names or place-based contexts.

See also: For contrast, the antonym destro is used for right-handedness in Italian. The term is part of everyday language and does not carry intrinsic value judgments in contemporary usage.