Orientalization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of changing or developing aspects of something to align with Eastern cultural influences
2. The act of adopting or being influenced by elements characteristic of Eastern cultures
3. A process where features, customs, or aesthetics typically linked to East Asia or the Orient become integrated or highlighted

Etymology: "Oriental" began as a Latin word for direction. "Oriens" meant "rising," from "orior," to rise, and the east was where the sun rose. "Orientalis" meant "eastern," and English took the adjective by the late Middle English period, when it described lands and peoples beyond the Mediterranean. The suffix "-ize" comes from Greek "-izein," which formed verbs meaning "to make into" or "to conform to." Attached to "Oriental," it gave "orientalize," to make something resemble the East or to take on its manners. The noun adds the Latin "-ation" ending, which turns an action into a noun, so it names the process itself.