oriental
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Adjective
oriental (comparative more oriental, superlative most oriental)
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Positive |
Comparative |
Superlative |
- eastern, of the east, of or relating to the Orient especially Asiatic, but most commonly to the Far East.
- (zoölogy), capitalized: a zoögeographical region of southeast Asia.
- of orient pearls, relating to orient lustre in a pearl
[edit] Antonyms
[edit] Translations
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
oriental (plural orientals)
- Oriental (capitalized) native of the East, or Asiatic, native, resident of the Orient
- A person from the Orient, or with ancestry from the Orient.
[edit] 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 "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 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, equivalent to the frequent use of the term westerner in Asia.
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.
[edit] Translations
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[edit] Derived terms
- orientalism
- orientalist
- oriental rug
- oriental cuisine
- oriental tongue
- orientality
- orientalise/orientalize
- Oriental Region
- oriental turquoise
[edit] Related terms
[edit] See also
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] 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"
[edit] References
- [1998] (2000) The Chambers Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd.
- [1975] (1976) The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary. Great Britain: Oxford University Press.
- [1974] (1974) Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English. London: Oxford University Press.
[edit] French
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /ɔ.ʁjɑ̃.tal/
- Homophones: orientale, orientales
[edit] Adjective
oriental m. (f. orientale, m. plural orientaux, f. plural orientales)
- Eastern, of the east, of or relating to the Orient especially Asiatic, but most commonly to the Far East.
[edit] Spanish
[edit] Adjective
oriental m. and f. (plural orientales)
