Where did the political terms "Right" and "Left" come from?

Question

To whose right? To the left of whom?

Answer 1

It goes back to the French political court of the late 18th century, where the liberals sat on the left of the president and the nobles sat on his right.

Answer 2

Right is the GOP and always right. Left is the liberals and always wrong. Left as in "left without a clue"

Answer 3

Right, meaning correct minded,  left meaning not normal.

Answer 4

the seating arrangements of the French legislature in the 1700s...the royalists (those loyal to the king) sat on the right side, the radicals sat on the left side.

Answer 5

"Following a tradition started by the first National Assembly during the French Revolution, the “left-wing” parties sit to the left as seen from the president’s seat, and the “right-wing” parties sit to the right, and the seating arrangement thus directly indicates the political spectrum as represented in the Assembly."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Nati...

Answer 6

"Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties: 1. Those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes. 2. Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise depositary of the public interests. In every country these two parties exist, and in every one where they are free to think, speak, and write, they will declare themselves. Call them, therefore, Liberals and Serviles, Jacobins and Ultras, Whigs and Tories, Republicans and Federalists, Aristocrats and Democrats, or by whatever name you please, they are the same parties still and pursue the same object. The last one of Aristocrats and Democrats is the true one expressing the essence of all."

Answer 7

Originated in the french revolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-right_...