English
Etymology
Latin oriens east
Adjective
oriental (less commonly Oriental)
- of or relating to the Orient or Asia, but most commonly to the Far East.
#: Note: this term is considered objectionable in American English.
- (zoölogy), capitalized: a zoögeographical region of southeast Asia.
- relating to orient lustre in a pearl
Noun
oriental (pl. orientals)
- A person from the Orient, or with ancestry from the Orient.
#: Note: this term is considered objectionable in American English.
Usage notes
The term "oriental", with connotations of exoticism, at one time referred to the people, culture, and nations of the Near East. More recently it has been used more to refer generically to the people, culture, and nations of the Far East. Even more recently, in some places it has come to be considered objectionable or offensive, particularly in its noun form. While "Orient|the Orient" has become a somewhat dated term, "oriental", particularly as an adjective, still sees frequent use.
One complaint has been its frequent use by some to denigrate Asian people and people of Asian descent, which many feel has given the word itself a bad connotation. Others object to the term being used as a blanket term for people of Asian or East Asian descent, since that ignores the varied and often disparate cultures and histories of that area, thus emphasizing the sameness or indistinguishability of those cultures and peoples (and in reverse, imputing on the user a lack of awareness and concern for the cultural difference within Asia. A third reason given is that the term is so a vague that it is never clear which countries are included within the term. Most users, however, do not employ the term with any malicious intent whatsoever, and view it as a convenient and innocent generic term in the absence of more precise information.
Major objections to the term are fairly recent, and so it still sees frequent use, often by people unaware that objections to it exist. As awareness of the cultures in Asia has increased, its usage has decreased. Its occasional replacements, such as "Asian" and "East Asian", can also be seen as offensive by others. It can still be found in the mainstream media, though less frequently than in decades past. When used to describe Asian foods and other products, it raises fewer objections, and this remains one of the most acceptable ways of using the term. The atmosphere of sensitivity surrounding "oriental" suggests that it should be used with caution.
Antonyms
occidental
Related terms
Orient
orientalism
orientalist
oriental rug
oriental cuisine
oriental tongue
See also
austral
boreal
Asia
asiatic
East Asia
Far East
Middle East
Occident
occidental
Persia
Persian rug
External links
bartleby.com on 'Oriental'
Dallas Morning News article related to the term
American Heritage notes on Oriental
Outlawing of the term ''oriental'' in official documents in Washington State
Excerpt from Paul Brians' "Common Errors in English"
Random House list of words to avoid
Explanations of terminology regard Asian Americans from soc.culture.asian.american
Encarta entry on the term
(British) Driving Standards Agency document on "race relations"
Spanish
Adjective
es-adj|pl=orientales
- eastern
- Oriental
Antonyms
occidental
Related terms
occidental
meridional/sureño
septentrional/norteño
et:oriental
el:oriental
es:oriental
fr:oriental
ko:oriental
io:oriental
hu:oriental
pl:oriental
pt:oriental
ru:oriental
fi:oriental
ta:oriental
te:oriental
vi:oriental
zh:oriental
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