stänga

Stânga is a Romanian noun meaning the left side or the left-hand side of the body. It is used to indicate the direction toward the left, for example in phrases like "la stânga" (to the left) or to refer to the left side of an object, such as "mâna stângă" (the left hand) and "partea stângă a corpului" (the left part of the body). The term also appears in spatial expressions, such as "la stângaSeparator de pantă" in more technical contexts.

In politics, stânga refers to the left-wing of the political spectrum. The expression "stânga politică" designates ideologies and movements that typically emphasize social equality, welfare policies, and reformist or progressive programs. The term is used descriptively in political discourse to contrast with "dreapta" (the right).

Etymology and related forms: stânga is derived from the Latin-root tradition found in several Romance languages, where cognate terms refer to the left side. The Romanian word has its own phonetic evolution and orthography, including the diacritics â and ă, which distinguish it from other words and affect pronunciation.

Usage notes: In Romanian, stânga functions as a noun and can pair with adjectives that agree in gender and number, for example "mâna stângă" (the left hand) where the feminine form "stângă" agrees with "mână." The word is used in everyday speech, geography, navigation, and political discussion, always indicating the opposite of dreapta (right).