Orientalise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To transform an object or culture by incorporating aspects that are representative of Eastern customs and aesthetics
2. To modify or adapt an object or cultural element to reflect Eastern traditions or motifs
3. To alter the style or features of something so it resonates with the customs and artistic elements typical of Eastern cultures

Etymology: "Orientalise" is a British spelling of "orientalize", and the history is plain: it combines "oriental", an adjective meaning "of the East", with the verb-forming suffix "-ize", which comes from Greek "-izein" by way of Latin and French. The "-ize" ending turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into or make like" the base, so "orientalize" literally means to make something resemble the East. The base word carries the older story. "Oriental" began as a term for the lands east of the Mediterranean, drawn from Latin "oriens", "rising" (the sun rises in the east), and it was long used in English as a neutral geographic label. Only later did it come to carry the Western-centred assumptions that make the verb sound loaded today, since adding "-ize" to it turns a description of direction into an action performed on a thing or a culture.

Synonyms: orientalize