Etymology of 右に出る


What is the etymology of 右に出る, as in 「右に出る者はいない」? What on earth makes the
right superior to the left?

Relatedly, is 左に出る ever used to mean "inferior to"?




About the etymology:

A more old-fashioned way of saying "右に出る者はいない" is the proverb "その右に出(い)ずる者なし".
The source of this proverb seems to be from「史記 (an old Chinese history book:
[wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian))」([source:a
proverb dictionary](http://www.proverb.jp/proverb3602.html),
[source:chiebukuro](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1156704386)).

Google found me [a Chinese article about the idiom
無出其右](http://big5.zhengjian.org/articles/2009/2/21/57584.html) that cites an
anecdote from 史記 as its origin. How is that relevant? In fact, in Japanese,
"無出其右" is literally read as 其の右に出づる無し.

> ↓ 無出其右 (Chinese proverb)
>
> ↓ 其の右に出づる無し (Chinese proverb read the Japanese way)
>
> ↓ その右に出(い)ずる者なし (archaic Japanese)
>
> ↓ 右に出る者はいない (modern Japanese)

If someone can read and explain the story in the article, that could be the
root of the etymology. (It's not definite because the anecdote can be
fictitious.)

**Root of the idiom:**

As most people have said in other answers, in Chinese history, when a group of
people is gathered, they are placed in order of importance from right to left.
Right being the highest position.

Now, the idiom 無出其右 (origin of 右に出る者はいない) has its roots in an old Chinese
story.

During the Eastern Han dynasty, 班固 (Bān Gù), the great historian, was summoned
to the imperial court along with 10 other officials (including Xian ZhaoChen,
Tian Shu and Meng Shu) to debate important matters. Bān Gù being highly
knowledgeable and skilled at debate, none of the 10 other persons could stand
on his right.

_Translation and additional notes from the original sentence
“贤赵臣田叔、孟舒等十人，召见与语，汉廷臣无能出其右者。 " (无能出其右者 being the classical Chinese origin of
無出其右 and its Japanese version 右に出る者はいない)_




I don't know Chinese histroy but my Japanese dictionary says that during [Han
Dynastry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty) at China, they defined the
system that right side of the place (eg., for seat) is for higher rank. And
Japanese just follow it.

