I.left, that is on the left, towards the left side (rare; most freq. in Appul.; syn. laevus, sinister).
I. Lit.: “itinera portarum,” i. e. running from right to left, Vitr. 1, 5, 2: “iter,” Serv. Verg. A. 3, 351.—
II. Trop.
A. Awkward, perverse, stupid, silly: “scaevus profecto et caecus animi forem, si, etc.,” Gell. 12, 13, 4: “mulier,” App. M. 9, p. 223, 22: “scaevus iste Romulus,” Sall. H. Fragm. 1, 41, 5 Dietsch: “fabula,” Paul. Nol. Carm. 11, 44.—
B. Of fortune, unfavorable, untoward, unlucky: fortunam scaevam an saevam verius dixerim, App. M. 2, p. 120, 21: “praesagium,” id. ib. 10, p. 247; 7, p. 194, 39.—Sup.: “scaevissimum somnium,” App. M. 4, p. 154, 23.—Hence, subst.: scaeva , ae, f., a sign or token in the sky (observed by a Roman on his left; v. laevus), an omen: bonae scaevae causă...Ea dicta ab scaevā id est sinistră, quod quae sinistra sunt, bona auspicia existimantur...a Graeco est, quod hi sinistram vocant σκαιάν, Varr. L. L. 7, § 97 Müll.; cf. Fest. p. 325 ib.: “bona scaeva est mihi,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 39; so, “bona,” id. Stich. 5, 2, 24: “canina scaeva,” taken from the barking of a dog, id. Cas. 5, 4, 4.
