Is there a higher percentage of left handed people in places that write right to left (such as Hebrew or Arabic speaking countries) than in places that write left to right?
Not that I’ve noticed. Why should there be?
This is actually something I wondered, too. My main reason for wondering is hearing how left-handed writers often have a harder time with writing because of the awkward way that they have to hold the pen, so as not to smear the ink, etc. If most people tend to be naturally right-handed, regardless of their written language’s orientation, it seems that most people in right-to-left language countries would have that problem.
I’m not claiming this makes any sense, only that it was my thought-process while watching sign after sign go by in Egypt.
Only some lefties “hook” their hands when they write (i.e. angle the paper and hook their hand around so as to be writing almost sideways.) Unca Cece is one of them. I’m a leftie too, but I write straight across like most righties – and yes, it does result in smudging sometimes if I’m not careful.
I’m fairly convinced that one is genetically predisposed to writing with one hand or the other. I’ve been a leftie since as far back as I can remember and I’m certain I had no local influence to teach me to write like that; none of my relatives were lefites, nor were any of my friends that I recall. As a child I do recall it being a topic of curiosity with some kids when they saw me write.
I imagine it’s pretty much the same the world over.
I just bought a really interesting-looking book called “Right Hand, Left Hand” by Chris McManus that seems that it may answer your question somewhere. (I haven’t yet started to read it but have leafed through it.)