'left-handedness' originates from the combination of 'left' and 'handedness', where 'left' refers to the left side and 'handedness' refers to the preference for using one hand over the other.

'left-handedness' evolved from the Old English word 'lyft', meaning 'weak' or 'foolish', and 'handedness', which developed from the concept of hand preference.

Initially, 'left' had negative connotations, but over time, 'left-handedness' evolved to simply describe the preference for using the left hand.