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{{short description|Archaic term for the Eastern world}}
{{easternculture}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
[[File:1800 Wilkinson Map of the 4 Eastern Churches rectified.jpg|thumb|Ancient Orient of the [[Roman Empire]] and its ecclesiastical order after the [[Council of Chalcedon]], 451|300x300px]]
The '''Orient''' is a term referring to the East in relation to [[Europe]], traditionally comprising anything belonging to the [[Eastern world]]. It is the antonym of the term ''[[Occident]]'', which refers to the [[Western world]].


In English, it is largely a [[metonym]] for, and coterminous with, the continent of [[Asia]] – loosely classified into [[Southwest Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[South Asia]], [[Central Asia]], [[East Asia]], and sometimes including the [[Caucasus]]. Originally, the term ''Orient'' was used to designate only the [[Near East]], but later its meaning evolved and expanded, designating also Central Asia, Southwest Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, or the [[Far East]].
'''The Orient''' is a term traditionally used in Western culture to refer to the Middle East ([[Southwest Asia]] and [[Egypt]]), [[South Asia]] and [[East Asia]].
== Derivation ==
The term "Orient" is derived from the Latin word ''oriens'' meaning "east" (lit. "rising" < ''orior'' "rise"). 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 ''levant'' "rising"), "[[Anatolia]]" (< Greek ''anatole''), and "The Land of the Rising Sun" to refer to [[Japan]].


The term '''oriental''' is often used to describe objects and people coming from the Orient/eastern Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of ORIENTAL |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oriental |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref>
The opposite term "[[Occident]]" is derived from the Latin word ''occidens'' meaning "west" (lit. "setting" < "occido" "fall/set"). This term was once used to describe the West (where the sun sets) but is slowly falling into disuse.


== Etymology ==
[[File:Roman Empire with dioceses in 300 AD.png|thumb|330px|right|Administrative Dioceses of the Roman Empire, c. 300, including the original [[Diocese of the Orient]]]]
The term "Orient" derives from the [[Latin language|Latin]] word ''oriens'', meaning "east" (lit. "rising" < ''orior'' " rise"). The use of the word for "rising" to refer to the east (where the sun rises) has analogues from many languages: compare the terms "Arevelk" in {{langx|hy|Արեւելք}} (Armenian ''Arevelk'' means "East" or "Sunrise"), "[[Levant]]" (< French ''levant'' "rising"), "Vostok" {{langx|ru|link=no|Восток}} (< Russian ''voskhod'' {{langx|ru|link=no|восход}} "sunrise"), "[[Anatolia]]" (< Greek ''anatole''), "mizrah" in [[Hebrew]] ("zriha" meaning sunrise), "sharq" {{langx|ar|شرق}} (< Arabic ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|yashriq}}'' {{lang|ar|يشرق}} "rise", ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|shurūq}}'' {{langx|ar|شروق}} "rising"), "shygys" {{langx|kk|шығыс}} (< Kazakh ''shygu'' {{langx|kk|шығу}} "come out"), {{langx|tr|doğu}} (< Turkish ''doğmak'' to be born; to rise), "xavar" {{langx|fa|خاور}} (meaning east), {{zh|東}} ({{zh|hp=dōng}}, a pictograph of the sun rising behind a tree<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Harbaugh | first1 = Rick | title = Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary | chapter = 東 | publisher = Han Lu Book & Pub. Co. | year = 1998 | page = 227 | url = http://zhongwen.com/d/170/x70.htm | access-date = 26 October 2010 | isbn = 0-9660750-0-5}}</ref>) and "[[The Land of the Rising Sun]]" to refer to Japan. In Arabic, the [[Mashriq]] literally means "the sunrise", "the east", the name is derived from the verb ''sharaqa'' ({{langx|ar|شرق|link=no}} "to shine, illuminate, radiate" and "to rise"), from sh-r-q root (ش-ر-ق), referring to the east, where the sun rises.<ref name="Shushtarī2009">{{cite book|last=Alvarez|first=Lourdes María|title=Abu Al-Ḥasan Al-Shushtarī|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atDKUFnFAKMC&pg=PA157|year=2009|publisher=Paulist Press|isbn=978-0-8091-0582-3|page=157}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Peek|first1=Philip M.|last2=Yankah|first2=Kwesi|title=African Folklore: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmmUAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA442|date=2003-12-12|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-94873-3|page=442}}</ref> Historically, the Mashriq was the southern part of the Eastern Roman Empire.


Many ancient temples, including [[Paganism|pagan temples]], [[Hindu temple|Hindu temples]], [[Buddhist temple|Buddhist temples]], [[Jain temple|Jain temples]], and the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, were built with their main entrances facing the East. This tradition was [[Orientation of churches|carried on in Christian churches]].
Also. It is common knowledge that Oriental Seasoning is made of Asian girls. Usually between the ages of 18 and 21. (Needs citation)


The opposite term "[[Occident]]" derives from the [[Latin language|Latin]] word ''occidens'', meaning ''west'' (lit. ''setting'' < ''occido'' ''fall/set''). This term meant the west (where the sun sets) but has fallen into disuse in English, in favour of "[[Western world]]".
== Usage of term ==
Traditionally, ''the Orient'' referred primarily to the cultures and countries of what are now considered the [[Middle East]]. This particularly included regions that used to be known as [[Persian Empire|Persia]], [[Mesopotamia]], [[Asia Minor]], and [[Egypt]]. As awareness of the countries of Eastern Asia grew in Western European and American consciousness in the late 19th century, the term came to refer to [[China]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]], and surrounding nations; remnants of the older conception of the Orient still exist in the English language in such collocations as ''[[Oriental rug]]'' and ''Oriental [[harem]]''.


== History of the term ==
"Oriental" has been used by [[Western world|the West]] as a term to describe cultures, countries, peoples and goods from the Orient. Oriental is also used as an adjective akin to "eastern", especially in the Spanish-speaking world. For example, the [[Philippines|Philippine]] island [[Mindoro]] is divided into two provinces whose titles include the words "oriental" and "occidental" respectively. The official name of [[Uruguay]] is the República Oriental del Uruguay or Oriental Republic of Uruguay because it is located to the east of the [[Rio de la Plata]]<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uy.html#Govt</ref>.
{{Further|Orientalism}}
[[File:Dioecesis Orientis 400 AD.png|thumb|270px|right|Late Roman [[Diocese of the Orient]], c. 400]]
Territorialization of the Roman term ''Orient'' occurred during the reign of emperor [[Diocletian]] (284–305), when the [[Diocese of the Orient]] ([[Latin language|Latin]]: ''Dioecesis Orientis'') was formed. Later in the 4th century, the [[Praetorian prefecture of the Orient]] ([[Latin language|Latin]]: ''Praefectura Praetorio Orientis'') was also formed, including most of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], from the [[Diocese of Thrace|Thrace]] eastwards; its easternmost part was the original ''Diocese of the Orient'', corresponding roughly to the [[Syria (region)|region of Syria]].


Over time, the common understanding of "the Orient" has continually shifted eastwards, as European people travelled farther into Asia. It finally reached the Pacific Ocean, in what Westerners came to call "the Far East". These shifts in time and identification sometimes confuse the scope (historical and geographic) of Oriental Studies. Yet there remain contexts where "the Orient" and "Oriental" have kept their older meanings (e.g., "Oriental spices" typically are from the regions extending from the Middle East to sub-continental India to Indo-China). Travellers may again take the [[Orient Express]] train from Paris to its terminus in the European part of [[Istanbul]], a route established in the early 20th century.
==Perceptions and connotations ==
Although ''oriental'' is generally considered a neutral term in the [[United Kingdom]], other parts of the Commonwealth and most of Europe,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} there is some controversy regarding the connotations and implications of the term in North America. According to Abdurrahman R. Squires "politically correct terms have taken the place of the word 'Orientalism'". <ref>http://www.muslim-answers.org/orientalism.htm</ref>


In European [[historiography]], the meaning of "the Orient" changed in scope several times. Originally, the term referred to Egypt, the [[Levant]], and adjoining areas<ref name="LewisWigen1997">{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=Martin W.|last2=Wigen|first2=Kären|title=The myth of continents: a critique of metageography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C2as0sWxFBAC&pg=PA53|access-date=8 November 2011|year=1997|publisher=University ù Africa|isbn=9780520207431}}</ref> as far west as Morocco. During the 1800s, India, and to a lesser extent China, began to displace the Levant as the primary subject of Orientalist research, while the term also appears in mid-century works to describe an appearance or perceived similarity to "Oriental" government or culture, such as in [[Tolstoy]]'s 1869 novel [[War and Peace]], in which [[Napoleon]], upon seeing the "oriental beauty" of Moscow, calls it "That Asiatic city of the innumerable churches, holy Moscow!",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tolstoy |first1=Leo |title=War and Peace |date=1957 |publisher=Penguin |location=Harmondsworth |page=1034}}</ref> while in 1843 the American historian [[William H. Prescott|William Prescott]] uses the phrase "barbaric pomp, truly Oriental" to describe the court life of [[Aztec]] nobility in his history of the [[conquest of the Aztec Empire]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prescott |first1=William |title=History of the Conquest of Mexico |publisher=Random House Modern Library |location=New York |page=21}}</ref> As late as 1957 [[Karl Wittfogel]] included Rome and the [[Inca]]n Empire in his study of what he called [[Oriental Despotism]], demonstrating the term still carries a meaning in [[Western thought]] that transcends geography. By the mid-20th century, Western scholars generally considered "the Orient" as just East Asia, Southeast Asia, and eastern Central Asia.<ref name="LewisWigen1997"/> As recently as the early 20th century, the term "Orient" often continued to be used in ways that included North Africa. Today, the term primarily evokes images of China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia, and peninsular Southeast Asia.<ref name="LewisWigen1997"/> "The Orient" being largely a cultural term, large parts of Asia—[[Siberia]] most notably—were excluded from the scholarly notion of "the Orient".<ref name="LewisWigen1997"/>
While a number of reference works used in the United States describe ''Oriental'' as pejorative, antiquated or offensive in some instances, the ''American Heritage Book of English Usage'' notes that
:''It is worth remembering, though, that Oriental is not an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. It is most objectionable in contemporary contexts and when used as a noun, as in "the appointment of an Oriental to head the commission". In these cases Asian (or a more specific term such as Vietnamese, Korean, or Asian American, if appropriate) is the only acceptable term. But in certain historical contexts, or when its exotic connotations are integral to the topic, Oriental remains a useful term.''<ref> "Asian." The American Heritage Book of English Usage [http://www.bartleby.com/64/C006/007.html#ASIAN]</ref>
Random House's ''Guide to Sensitive Language'' states "Other words (e.g., Oriental, colored) are outdated or inaccurate." This ''Guide to Sensitive Language'' suggests the use of "Asian or more specific designation such as Pacific Islander, Chinese American, [or] Korean." <ref>"Race, Ethnicity, and National Origin." Sensitive Language. [http://www.randomhouse.com/words/language/avoid_guide.html#race Random House]</ref> Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive,"<ref>"Oriental." [http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=oriental Merriam-Webster]</ref> Encarta states that when the term is used as a noun it is considered " a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia" <ref>"Oriental." [http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861684868/Oriental.html] </ref> However, the same reference also defines the adjectival usage as "relating to East Asia (dated)" or "high quality".


Equally valid terms for the Orient still exist in the English language in such collocations as [[Oriental studies]] (now Asian Studies in some countries).
===Regional variations===
Major objections to the use of the word "Oriental" to describe people are chiefly limited to [[North America]]. Its use is not controversial in [[Europe]], where the word is neutral and in widespread usage {{Fact|date=June 2007}}. In France the terms "l'Occident" and "l'Orient" are used without any negative associations in academic contexts. In Europe the term is often used to describe such things as [[Eastern world|the East]]'s cuisine and goods, ancient culture, and religions, at times to denote an exotic quality with upmarket or mildly positive connotations. In the UK the term "[[Asian]]" has become almost exclusively tied to the [[Indian subcontinent]], as evidenced through [[BBC Asian Network]], a radio station of the BBC devoted to the [[British Asian]] community.


The adjectival term Oriental has been used by the West to mean cultures, peoples, countries, Asian rugs, and goods from the Orient. "Oriental" means generally "eastern". It is a traditional designation (especially when capitalized) for anything belonging to the [[Eastern world|Orient]] or "East" (for Asia), and especially of its [[Eastern Culture|Eastern culture]]. It indicated the eastern direction in historical astronomy, often abbreviated "Ori".<ref>[[Robert Hooke|Hooke, Robert]]. 1666. [[:File:Saturn Robert Hooke 1666.jpg|Drawing of Saturn]] in Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society publication) Volume 1</ref><!-- and look at old world maps and celestial for sources., and so on --> In contemporary American English, ''Oriental'' usually refers to things from the parts of East Asia traditionally occupied by [[East Asian people|East Asians]] and most [[Central Asians]] and [[Southeast Asians]] racially categorized as "[[Mongoloid]]". This excludes [[Jewish diaspora|Jews]], Indians, [[Arabs]], and most other South or West Asian peoples. Because of historical discrimination against Chinese, Korean and Japanese, in some parts of the United States, some people consider the term derogatory. For example, [[Washington (state)|Washington State]] prohibits the word "Oriental" in legislation and government documents and prefers the word "Asian" instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2001-02/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5954.PL.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305151322/http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2001-02/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5954.PL.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Senate bill (pdf file)|archivedate=5 March 2009}}</ref>
Those who believe the term is derogatory or archaic prefer to employ geographical terms for people and places typically described by ''oriental'', e.g., ''South Asia'', ''East Asia'', and ''South-East Asia''. Although ''Far Eastern'' is considered more politically correct than ''Oriental'', ''East Asian'' is preferred because some believe it to be significantly less Eurocentric. {{Fact|date=June 2007}} Other alternative terms include ''Asia and the Pacific'' or ''the Pacific Rim'' or ''the Pacific Basin''.


In more local uses, "oriental" is also used for eastern parts of countries such as [[Oriental (Morocco)|Morocco's Oriental Region]]. "Oriental" may also be used as an synonym of "eastern", especially in [[Romance languages]]. Examples include the "oriental" and "occidental" provinces of [[Mindoro Island|Mindoro]] and [[Negros Island|Negros]] in the Philippines, and the French [[département]] of [[Pyrénées-Orientales]].
With regard to the now antiquated sense of the Orient, referring to the wider Islamic region, the Orientalist [[Marshall Hogdson]] tried to introduce several terms{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, including ''Nile-to-Oxus''. None of these have stuck, however.


Since the 19th century, "orientalist" has been the traditional term for a scholar of [[Oriental studies]]; however, the use in English of "Orientalism" to describe academic "Oriental studies" is rare: the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' cites only one such usage, by [[Lord Byron]] in 1812. "[[Orientalism]]" is more widely used to refer to the works of the many 19th-century artists who specialized in "Oriental" subjects and often drew on their travels to North Africa and Western Asia. Artists, as well as scholars, were already described as "Orientalists" in the 19th century. In 1978, the Palestinian-American scholar [[Edward Said]] published his influential and controversial book, ''[[Orientalism (book)|Orientalism]]'', and used the term to describe a pervasive Western tradition, both academic and artistic, of prejudiced outsider interpretations of the [[Arab world|Arab]] and [[Muslim world]]s that has been shaped by the attitudes of European [[imperialism]] in the 18th and the 19th centuries.<ref>Nosal, K R. ''American Criticism'', New York Standard, New York. 2002</ref>
==See also==

*[[Orientalism]]
== Current usage ==
=== British English ===
In [[British English]], the term ''Oriental'' is sometimes still used to refer to people from East and Southeast Asia (such as those from China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines and Indonesia).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/whats_the_matter_with_saying_the_orient|title=Oriental Countries}}</ref> Judges in the United Kingdom have been issued with guidelines to encourage political correctness where ''oriental'' should be avoided because it is imprecise and may be considered racist or offensive.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aspinall |first=Peter |date=January 2005 |title=Language matters: The vocabulary of racism in health care |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/135581960501000112 |journal=Journal of Health Services Research & Policy |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=57–59 |doi=10.1177/135581960501000112 |pmid=15667706 |issn=1355-8196}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-26 |title=Judges given new advice on political correctness - Crime - UK - The Independent |website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/judges-given-new-advice-on-political-correctness-563204.html |access-date=2024-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126144933/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/judges-given-new-advice-on-political-correctness-563204.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 }}</ref>

"Asian" in Great Britain sometimes refers to people who come specifically from [[South Asia]] (in particular Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Iran, and Afghanistan), since [[British Asians]] as a whole make up approximately 9.3% of the population within the United Kingdom, and people of an ethnically South Asian background comprise the largest group within this category.<ref name="2021census">{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/bulletins/ethnicgroupenglandandwales/census2021|title=2021 Census: Ethnic group, England and Wales|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=29 November 2022|access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref> "Orientals" refers exclusively to people of East and Southeast Asian origin, who constitute approximately 0.7% of the UK population as a whole. Of these, the majority are of Chinese descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-the-united-kingdom---part-1/rft-ks201uk.xls|title=2011 Census: KS201UK Ethnic group, local authorities in the United Kingdom, Accessed 19 April 2014}}</ref>
''Orient'' is also a word for the lustre of a fine [[pearl]].<ref name="Oxford">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120719032708/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/orient orient: definition of orient in Oxford dictionary (British & World English)]. Oxforddictionaries.com. Retrieved on 12 April 2014.</ref> Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been called "Pearl of the Orient" along with Shanghai. In the UK, and much of the commonwealth, it is not considered a pejorative term, with many East Asian people choosing to use it themselves - notably in the names of East Asian businesses such as restaurants and takeaway outlets.

People in the United Kingdom from [[Southwest Asia]], [[Asia Minor]] and [[Near East]] are often referred to by the term, "Middle Eastern". These can include [[Arabs]], [[Kurds]], [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]], West Asian [[Armenians]], [[Yezidis]], Egyptians (including [[Copts]]), [[Mandaeans]], among others.

In some specific contexts, for example the carpet and rug trade, the older sense of "oriental" to cover not just East Asia but [[Central Asia]], [[South Asia]] and [[Turkey]] may still be used; an [[Oriental rug]] may come from any of these areas.

=== American English ===
[[File:HaremPool.jpg|thumb|''[[Harem]] Pool'' by the [[Orientalism|Orientalist]] painter [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]] c. 1876; nude women in harem or bathing settings are a staple of much Orientalist painting]]

The term ''Oriental'' may sound dated or even be seen as a [[pejorative]], particularly when used as a noun.<ref name="merriam-webster.com">{{cite web |title=Definition of ORIENTAL |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oriental |website=www.merriam-webster.com}}</ref> [[John Kuo Wei Tchen]], director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute at [[New York University]], said the basic criticism of the term began in the U.S. during a cultural shift in the 1970s. He has said: "With the U.S.A. [[anti-war movement]] in the '60s and early '70s, many Asian Americans identified the term 'Oriental' with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite 'others{{'"}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://journalism.nyu.edu/publishing/archives/livewire/archived/oriental_rugs_or_people/|title=Oriental: Rugs or People?|work=nyu.edu|access-date=5 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904084158/http://journalism.nyu.edu/publishing/archives/livewire/archived/oriental_rugs_or_people/|archive-date=4 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> by making a distinction between "Western" and "Eastern" ancestral origins.

This is particularly relevant when referring to lands and peoples not associated with the historic "Orient": outside of the former Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and Sasanian Empire (Persia), including the former [[Diocese of the Orient]], as well as others lands sharing cultural legacies with the [[Oriental Orthodox churches]] and [[Oriental Catholic Churches]]. In contrast, regions of Asia further East, outside of the cultural domination of Abrahamic religions, do not share these same historical associations, giving way for the term "oriental" to have different connotations.

In 2016, President [[Barack Obama|Obama]] signed New York Congresswoman [[Grace Meng]]'s legislation H.R. 4238 replacing the word with ''Asian American'' in federal law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/280751-obama-signs-measure-striking-oriental-and-negro-from-federal/|title=Obama signs measure striking 'oriental' and 'negro' from federal law|last=Weaver|first=Dustin|date=20 May 2016|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref><ref>"APAs in the News/News Bytes: Legislation to Remove 'Oriental' From Federal Law Passes Senate, ''[[Pacific Citizen]]'', May 20 – June 2, 2016, p. 4"</ref>

=== China ===
The Chinese word 东方 (東方 dongfang, tungfang) is translated as "oriental" in the official English names of several entities, e.g. [[Oriental Art Center]], [[Oriental Movie Metropolis]]. In other cases, the same word is more literally translated as "eastern", e.g. [[China Eastern Airlines]].

=== Uruguay ===
The official name of [[Uruguay]] is ''Oriental Republic of Uruguay'', the adjective ''Oriental'' refers to the geographic location of the country, east of the [[Uruguay River]].

The term ''Oriental'' is also used as Uruguay's [[demonym]], usually with a formal or solemn connotation. The word also has a deep historical meaning as a result of its prolonged use in the region, since the 18th century it was used in reference to the inhabitants of the [[Banda Oriental]], the historical name of the territories that now compose the modern nation of Uruguay.

=== German ===
In German, ''Orient'' is usually used synonymously with the area between the [[Near East]] and East Asia, including [[Israel]], the [[Arab world]], and [[Greater Persia]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

The term ''Asiaten'' (English: Asians) means Asian people in general. Another word for Orient in German is ''Morgenland'' (now mainly poetic), which literally translates as "morning land". The antonym "Abendland" (rarely: "Okzident") is also mainly poetic, and refers to (Western) Europe.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

== See also ==
*[[Orientalizing Period]] of Archaic Greek art
*[[Orientalizing Period]] of Archaic Greek art
*[[Asian]]
*[[Eastern world]]
*[[Western world]]
*[[Orient Express]]
*[[Politically Correct]]
*[[School of Oriental and African Studies]] (SOAS), [[University of London]]


==Notes==
== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*[Ankerl, Guy] ''Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western'' (INUPRESS), Geneva, 2000. {{ISBN|2-88155-004-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Bitar |first=Amer |date=2020 |title=Bedouin Visual Leadership in the Middle East: The Power of Aesthetics and Practical Implications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4oBEAAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=9783030573973}}


==External links==
===References and further reading===
{{wiktionary|Orient|orient|Oriental|oriental}}
* [http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ The American Oriental Society]
*[http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ The American Oriental Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615034611/http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ |date=15 June 2015 }}
* [http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/default.html The Oriental Instititute] at University of Chicago
*[https://oi.uchicago.edu/ Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa, formerly the Oriental Institute] at University of Chicago
* [http://www.modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental''] Model Minority posting by Alan Hu
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20021218103234/http://modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental''] [[Model Minority]] posting by Alan Hu.
* [http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/ Banned Words] For comparative analysis: a list "banned" words (including ''Oriental'') as documented by Diane Ravitch.
*[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27233 ''The Critic in the Orient''] by George Hamlin Fitch
*[http://www.zadiraks.de/ German Orient Gate]
*[http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/whats_the_matter_with_saying_the_orient ''What's the Matter with Saying the Orient?''] by Christopher Hill for [http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org "About Japan: A Teacher's Resource"]


{{Eastern world}}
[[Category:Asia]]
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Geography terminology]]
[[an:Orién]]
[[Category:Ethnic and religious slurs]]
[[bs:Orijent]]
[[Category:Asia-Pacific]]
[[cs:Orient]]
[[da:Orienten]]
[[Category:Orientalism]]
[[Category:Historical regions]]
[[de:Orient]]
[[Category:English words]]
[[es:Oriente]]
[[Category:Eastern culture]]
[[fr:Orient]]
[[nl:Oosten]]
[[ja:オリエント]]
[[no:Orienten]]
[[pt:Oriente]]
[[ro:Oriente]]
[[sk:Orient]]
[[sv:Orienten]]
[[zh:东洋]]

Latest revision as of 16:03, 29 December 2024

For other uses, see Orient (disambiguation).

Ancient Orient of the Roman Empire and its ecclesiastical order after the Council of Chalcedon, 451

The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term Occident, which refers to the Western world.

In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the continent of Asia – loosely classified into Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and sometimes including the Caucasus. Originally, the term Orient was used to designate only the Near East, but later its meaning evolved and expanded, designating also Central Asia, Southwest Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Far East.

The term oriental is often used to describe objects and people coming from the Orient/eastern Asia.[1]

Etymology

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Administrative Dioceses of the Roman Empire, c. 300, including the original Diocese of the Orient

The term "Orient" derives from the Latin word oriens, meaning "east" (lit. "rising" < orior " rise"). The use of the word for "rising" to refer to the east (where the sun rises) has analogues from many languages: compare the terms "Arevelk" in Armenian: Արեւելք (Armenian Arevelk means "East" or "Sunrise"), "Levant" (< French levant "rising"), "Vostok" Russian: Восток (< Russian voskhod Russian: восход "sunrise"), "Anatolia" (< Greek anatole), "mizrah" in Hebrew ("zriha" meaning sunrise), "sharq" Arabic: شرق (< Arabic yashriq يشرق "rise", shurūq Arabic: شروق "rising"), "shygys" Kazakh: шығыс (< Kazakh shygu Kazakh: шығу "come out"), Turkish: doğu (< Turkish doğmak to be born; to rise), "xavar" Persian: خاور (meaning east), Chinese: 東 (pinyin: dōng, a pictograph of the sun rising behind a tree[2]) and "The Land of the Rising Sun" to refer to Japan. In Arabic, the Mashriq literally means "the sunrise", "the east", the name is derived from the verb sharaqa (Arabic: شرق "to shine, illuminate, radiate" and "to rise"), from sh-r-q root (ش-ر-ق), referring to the east, where the sun rises.[3][4] Historically, the Mashriq was the southern part of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Many ancient temples, including pagan temples, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Jain temples, and the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, were built with their main entrances facing the East. This tradition was carried on in Christian churches.

The opposite term "Occident" derives from the Latin word occidens, meaning west (lit. setting < occido fall/set). This term meant the west (where the sun sets) but has fallen into disuse in English, in favour of "Western world".

History of the term

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Further information: Orientalism
Late Roman Diocese of the Orient, c. 400

Territorialization of the Roman term Orient occurred during the reign of emperor Diocletian (284–305), when the Diocese of the Orient (Latin: Dioecesis Orientis) was formed. Later in the 4th century, the Praetorian prefecture of the Orient (Latin: Praefectura Praetorio Orientis) was also formed, including most of the Eastern Roman Empire, from the Thrace eastwards; its easternmost part was the original Diocese of the Orient, corresponding roughly to the region of Syria.

Over time, the common understanding of "the Orient" has continually shifted eastwards, as European people travelled farther into Asia. It finally reached the Pacific Ocean, in what Westerners came to call "the Far East". These shifts in time and identification sometimes confuse the scope (historical and geographic) of Oriental Studies. Yet there remain contexts where "the Orient" and "Oriental" have kept their older meanings (e.g., "Oriental spices" typically are from the regions extending from the Middle East to sub-continental India to Indo-China). Travellers may again take the Orient Express train from Paris to its terminus in the European part of Istanbul, a route established in the early 20th century.

In European historiography, the meaning of "the Orient" changed in scope several times. Originally, the term referred to Egypt, the Levant, and adjoining areas[5] as far west as Morocco. During the 1800s, India, and to a lesser extent China, began to displace the Levant as the primary subject of Orientalist research, while the term also appears in mid-century works to describe an appearance or perceived similarity to "Oriental" government or culture, such as in Tolstoy's 1869 novel War and Peace, in which Napoleon, upon seeing the "oriental beauty" of Moscow, calls it "That Asiatic city of the innumerable churches, holy Moscow!",[6] while in 1843 the American historian William Prescott uses the phrase "barbaric pomp, truly Oriental" to describe the court life of Aztec nobility in his history of the conquest of the Aztec Empire.[7] As late as 1957 Karl Wittfogel included Rome and the Incan Empire in his study of what he called Oriental Despotism, demonstrating the term still carries a meaning in Western thought that transcends geography. By the mid-20th century, Western scholars generally considered "the Orient" as just East Asia, Southeast Asia, and eastern Central Asia.[5] As recently as the early 20th century, the term "Orient" often continued to be used in ways that included North Africa. Today, the term primarily evokes images of China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Mongolia, and peninsular Southeast Asia.[5] "The Orient" being largely a cultural term, large parts of Asia—Siberia most notably—were excluded from the scholarly notion of "the Orient".[5]

Equally valid terms for the Orient still exist in the English language in such collocations as Oriental studies (now Asian Studies in some countries).

The adjectival term Oriental has been used by the West to mean cultures, peoples, countries, Asian rugs, and goods from the Orient. "Oriental" means generally "eastern". It is a traditional designation (especially when capitalized) for anything belonging to the Orient or "East" (for Asia), and especially of its Eastern culture. It indicated the eastern direction in historical astronomy, often abbreviated "Ori".[8] In contemporary American English, Oriental usually refers to things from the parts of East Asia traditionally occupied by East Asians and most Central Asians and Southeast Asians racially categorized as "Mongoloid". This excludes Jews, Indians, Arabs, and most other South or West Asian peoples. Because of historical discrimination against Chinese, Korean and Japanese, in some parts of the United States, some people consider the term derogatory. For example, Washington State prohibits the word "Oriental" in legislation and government documents and prefers the word "Asian" instead.[9]

In more local uses, "oriental" is also used for eastern parts of countries such as Morocco's Oriental Region. "Oriental" may also be used as an synonym of "eastern", especially in Romance languages. Examples include the "oriental" and "occidental" provinces of Mindoro and Negros in the Philippines, and the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales.

Since the 19th century, "orientalist" has been the traditional term for a scholar of Oriental studies; however, the use in English of "Orientalism" to describe academic "Oriental studies" is rare: the Oxford English Dictionary cites only one such usage, by Lord Byron in 1812. "Orientalism" is more widely used to refer to the works of the many 19th-century artists who specialized in "Oriental" subjects and often drew on their travels to North Africa and Western Asia. Artists, as well as scholars, were already described as "Orientalists" in the 19th century. In 1978, the Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said published his influential and controversial book, Orientalism, and used the term to describe a pervasive Western tradition, both academic and artistic, of prejudiced outsider interpretations of the Arab and Muslim worlds that has been shaped by the attitudes of European imperialism in the 18th and the 19th centuries.[10]

Current usage

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British English

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In British English, the term Oriental is sometimes still used to refer to people from East and Southeast Asia (such as those from China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines and Indonesia).[11] Judges in the United Kingdom have been issued with guidelines to encourage political correctness where oriental should be avoided because it is imprecise and may be considered racist or offensive.[12][13]

"Asian" in Great Britain sometimes refers to people who come specifically from South Asia (in particular Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Iran, and Afghanistan), since British Asians as a whole make up approximately 9.3% of the population within the United Kingdom, and people of an ethnically South Asian background comprise the largest group within this category.[14] "Orientals" refers exclusively to people of East and Southeast Asian origin, who constitute approximately 0.7% of the UK population as a whole. Of these, the majority are of Chinese descent.[15] Orient is also a word for the lustre of a fine pearl.[16] Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been called "Pearl of the Orient" along with Shanghai. In the UK, and much of the commonwealth, it is not considered a pejorative term, with many East Asian people choosing to use it themselves - notably in the names of East Asian businesses such as restaurants and takeaway outlets.

People in the United Kingdom from Southwest Asia, Asia Minor and Near East are often referred to by the term, "Middle Eastern". These can include Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Assyrians, West Asian Armenians, Yezidis, Egyptians (including Copts), Mandaeans, among others.

In some specific contexts, for example the carpet and rug trade, the older sense of "oriental" to cover not just East Asia but Central Asia, South Asia and Turkey may still be used; an Oriental rug may come from any of these areas.

American English

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Harem Pool by the Orientalist painter Jean-Léon Gérôme c. 1876; nude women in harem or bathing settings are a staple of much Orientalist painting

The term Oriental may sound dated or even be seen as a pejorative, particularly when used as a noun.[17] John Kuo Wei Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute at New York University, said the basic criticism of the term began in the U.S. during a cultural shift in the 1970s. He has said: "With the U.S.A. anti-war movement in the '60s and early '70s, many Asian Americans identified the term 'Oriental' with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite 'others'",[18] by making a distinction between "Western" and "Eastern" ancestral origins.

This is particularly relevant when referring to lands and peoples not associated with the historic "Orient": outside of the former Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and Sasanian Empire (Persia), including the former Diocese of the Orient, as well as others lands sharing cultural legacies with the Oriental Orthodox churches and Oriental Catholic Churches. In contrast, regions of Asia further East, outside of the cultural domination of Abrahamic religions, do not share these same historical associations, giving way for the term "oriental" to have different connotations.

In 2016, President Obama signed New York Congresswoman Grace Meng's legislation H.R. 4238 replacing the word with Asian American in federal law.[19][20]

China

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The Chinese word 东方 (東方 dongfang, tungfang) is translated as "oriental" in the official English names of several entities, e.g. Oriental Art Center, Oriental Movie Metropolis. In other cases, the same word is more literally translated as "eastern", e.g. China Eastern Airlines.

Uruguay

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The official name of Uruguay is Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the adjective Oriental refers to the geographic location of the country, east of the Uruguay River.

The term Oriental is also used as Uruguay's demonym, usually with a formal or solemn connotation. The word also has a deep historical meaning as a result of its prolonged use in the region, since the 18th century it was used in reference to the inhabitants of the Banda Oriental, the historical name of the territories that now compose the modern nation of Uruguay.

German

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In German, Orient is usually used synonymously with the area between the Near East and East Asia, including Israel, the Arab world, and Greater Persia.[citation needed]

The term Asiaten (English: Asians) means Asian people in general. Another word for Orient in German is Morgenland (now mainly poetic), which literally translates as "morning land". The antonym "Abendland" (rarely: "Okzident") is also mainly poetic, and refers to (Western) Europe.[citation needed]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Definition of ORIENTAL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  2. ^ Harbaugh, Rick (1998). "東". Chinese Characters: A Genealogy and Dictionary. Han Lu Book & Pub. Co. p. 227. ISBN 0-9660750-0-5. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  3. ^ Alvarez, Lourdes María (2009). Abu Al-Ḥasan Al-Shushtarī. Paulist Press. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-8091-0582-3.
  4. ^ Peek, Philip M.; Yankah, Kwesi (12 December 2003). African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 442. ISBN 978-1-135-94873-3.
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Martin W.; Wigen, Kären (1997). The myth of continents: a critique of metageography. University ù Africa. ISBN 9780520207431. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  6. ^ Tolstoy, Leo (1957). War and Peace. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 1034.
  7. ^ Prescott, William. History of the Conquest of Mexico. New York: Random House Modern Library. p. 21.
  8. ^ Hooke, Robert. 1666. Drawing of Saturn in Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society publication) Volume 1
  9. ^ "Senate bill (pdf file)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2009.
  10. ^ Nosal, K R. American Criticism, New York Standard, New York. 2002
  11. ^ "Oriental Countries".
  12. ^ Aspinall, Peter (January 2005). "Language matters: The vocabulary of racism in health care". Journal of Health Services Research & Policy. 10 (1): 57–59. doi:10.1177/135581960501000112. ISSN 1355-8196. PMID 15667706.
  13. ^ "Judges given new advice on political correctness - Crime - UK - The Independent". Independent.co.uk. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  14. ^ "2021 Census: Ethnic group, England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  15. ^ "2011 Census: KS201UK Ethnic group, local authorities in the United Kingdom, Accessed 19 April 2014".
  16. ^ orient: definition of orient in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). Oxforddictionaries.com. Retrieved on 12 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Definition of ORIENTAL". www.merriam-webster.com.
  18. ^ "Oriental: Rugs or People?". nyu.edu. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  19. ^ Weaver, Dustin (20 May 2016). "Obama signs measure striking 'oriental' and 'negro' from federal law". The Hill. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  20. ^ "APAs in the News/News Bytes: Legislation to Remove 'Oriental' From Federal Law Passes Senate, Pacific Citizen, May 20 – June 2, 2016, p. 4"

Further reading

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Look up Orient, orient, Oriental, or oriental in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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