According to Oxford Learner's Dictionary,
in or into a position right beside somebody/something
following in order or importance after somebody/something
If:
A is next to B
it should mean that A is immediately beside B (as per the cited definition). I would normally assume that A comes after B or is to to B's right.
Context
I'm trying to the solve the "Einstein's Riddle" and two of the givens are:
- The Norwegian lives in the first house.
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
If the Norwegian is the first house in a row of five houses, it can't possibly come after the blue house. In this case, knowing the correct position is most important. What should I assume? I'm arranging the houses horizontally from left to right. So, will the N house be leftmost? If so, will the blue house be to its right?
Question
Now the question is:
Is A to the right of B? Or to the left?
Definition #2 seems to suggest that A comes after B — that is, to the right (assuming things are ordered from left to right, as is generally).
However, if A and B are next to each other, A is to the right of B, and B is to the left of A. Either ways are possible then.
Which one is a correct interpretation of 'next to'?