Orient

Orient refers to the East. It is traditionally juxtaposed with the Occident, the Western world. Originally, the term Orient was used to designate the Near East, and in some languages, it is still used to describe that region. The term has also been used to denote the Far East. The term "Orient" derives from the Latin word oriens meaning "east" (lit. "rising" < orior " rise"). The use of the word "rising" refers to the east because that is where the sun rises.

Etymology and definitions

The term "Orient" comes from the Latin word oriens, which means "east". The use of the word for "rising" to refer to the east (where the sun rises) has analogs from many languages: compare the terms "Levant" (< French lever "rise"), "Anatolia" (< Greek anatole), "mizrahi" in Hebrew (< mizrach "east"), "sharq" in Arabic, and "shiqi" in Chinese.

Historical and cultural perspectives

In historical contexts, the Orient can refer to the Eastern world and culture of the Eastern world in general terms. This term is also used in some historical contexts to describe Eastern cultures in regions such as North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.

See also

• Orientalism
• Eastern world
• Occident
• East Asia
• Middle East
• North Africa

References

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  Map of the 4 Eastern Churches, 1800

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  Roman Empire with dioceses in 300 AD

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  Dioecesis Orientis, 400 AD

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  Saturn by Robert Hooke, 1666

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  Orient