left-turn
UK[ˈleft tɜːn]US[ˈleft tɜːrn]
n
A turn made by a vehicle to the left at an intersection or onto a different road.
Morpheme Breakdown
left
turn
left
direction
turn
action
Etymology
The compound "left-turn" is a modern, transparent formation in English, combining two native elements with clear directional and action-oriented meanings. The word "left" originates from an Old English term that initially connoted weakness or clumsiness, a semantic link reflecting the historical bias against left-handedness. Over centuries, it shed these negative connotations to become the standard directional term opposite "right." Paired with "turn," a word of Latin origin that entered English via Old French and came to mean any change in direction, the compound logically and literally describes the specific vehicular maneuver of changing direction to the left.
Analysis
Structure: left (direction) + turn (action)
left: From Old English lyft (weak, foolish), of West Germanic origin; later acquiring the sense 'opposite of right'. In this compound, it functions as a directional adjective.
turn: From Old English turnian, tyrnan, from Latin tornare (to turn on a lathe), from tornus (lathe). In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting an action or maneuver.
Examples
The driver signaled before making a left-turn onto Maple Street.
At this junction, left-turns are prohibited during rush hour.
He missed his left-turn and had to go around the block.