Oriental

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of the countries and cultures of East Asia, including their traditional arts, architecture, and customs
2. Pertaining to or originating from the eastern regions of Asia, especially in reference to their cultural practices, philosophies, and aesthetic traditions
3. Associated with the various nations of East Asia, focusing on their unique crafts, social customs, and historical influences

Etymology: The word traces back to the Latin "oriens," meaning "rising" or "sunrise," which is also where "east" came from in the Roman mind: the direction where the sun comes up. The English form came through Latin "orientalis," so the word has always pointed toward the sunrise. Europeans applied it broadly to lands east of their own, which included the Near East and much of Asia, so its reach was far wider than the East Asian sense it carries today. Its use as a noun for people is where the word has changed most. For a long time "Oriental" was a common label for people from Asia, but it has come to be seen as dated and often offensive, because it treats a vast and varied region as one exotic other. Many speakers now prefer naming a specific country or heritage. The adjective survives in some older contexts, such as Oriental rugs or porcelain, where the name is fixed by trade and long habit.

Synonyms: eastern, asiatic, far eastern

Antonyms: western