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'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.

Contents

Derivation

Usage of term

Perceptions and connotations

Regional variations

See also

Notes

References and further reading

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 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.

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 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''.
"Oriental" has been used by 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 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^[1].

Perceptions and connotations

Although ''oriental'' is generally considered a neutral term in the United Kingdom, other parts of the Commonwealth and most of Europe, 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'". ^[2]
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.''^[3]
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." ^[4] Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive,"^[5] Encarta states when the term is used as a noun it is considered " a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia" ^[6] However, the same reference also defines the adjectival usage as "relating to East Asia (dated)" or "high quality".

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 . 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 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.
Although ''Far Eastern'' is considered more politically correct than ''Oriental'', ''East Asian'' is preferred because some believe it to be significantly less Eurocentric. Other alternative terms include ''Asia and the Pacific'' or ''the Pacific Rim'' or ''the Pacific Basin'' (although these last can include Australia and western North and South America, especially in economic uses such as trading patterns).
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, including ''Nile-to-Oxus''. None of these have stuck, however.

See also

★ Turkic peoples

★ Orientalism

★ 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

1. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uy.html#Govt
2. http://www.muslim-answers.org/orientalism.htm
3. "Asian." The American Heritage Book of English Usage [1]
4. "Race, Ethnicity, and National Origin." Sensitive Language. Random House
5. "Oriental." Merriam-Webster
6. "Oriental." [2]

References and further reading

★ The American Oriental Society

★ The Oriental Instititute at University of Chicago

★ On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental'' Model Minority posting by Alan Hu

★ Banned Words For comparative analysis: a list "banned" words (including ''Oriental'') as documented by Diane Ravitch.