adjective dexterous skilled, handy, able, clever DN.i.45, DN.i.74, DN.i.78; DN.iii.190 (+ analasa) MN.i.119; MN.iii.2; SN.i.65; Cnd.141 (+ analasa & sampajāna); Ja.iii.247; DN-a.i.217 (= cheka); Mil.344 (rūpadakkhā those who are of “fit” appearance).
Vedic dakṣa = Gr. ἀρι δείκετος & δεςιός; dakṣati to be able; to please, satisfy, cp. daśasyati to honour, Denom. fr. *dasa = Lat. decus honour, skill All to *dek in Lat. decet to be fit, proper, etc. On var theories of connections of root see Walde, Lat. Wtb. under decet. It may be that *deks is an intens. formation fr. *diś to point (see disati), then the original meaning would be “pointing,” i.e. the hand used for pointing. For further etym. see dakkhiṇa