Orient
From Nordan Symposia
Jump to navigationJump to searchThe printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Anglo-Norman Orient, oriente and Middle French orient the East (c1100 in Old French; French orient), region situated to the east of a given point (beginning of the 12th cent.), the corresponding compass point (first half of the 12th cent.), sparkle of the eyes (1573), lustre of a pearl (1742) and its etymon classical Latin orient-, the eastern part of the world, the part of the sky in which the sun rises, the east, the rising sun, daybreak, dawn, use as noun - rising, eastern, present participle - to rise < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit to raise, move, vati rises, moves, Avestan ar- to set in motion, move, r naoiti moves, ancient Greek to rise. Opposed, in senses A. 1 , A. 2, B. 2 to OCCIDENT n., OCCIDENT adj.
- A. n. 1. a. Usu. with the. That part of the world situated to the east of a particular point; eastern countries, or the eastern part of a country; the East. Cf. OCCIDENT n. Originally used with reference to countries lying immediately to the east of the Mediterranean or Southern Europe (i.e. east of the Roman Empire); now usually understood to mean East Asia, or occas. Europe or the Eastern hemisphere, as opposed to North America.
- b. pearl of orient n. (also pearl of the orient) a pearl from the seas around India, as distinguished from those of less beauty found in European mussels; (hence, more generally) a brilliant or precious pearl. Obs.
- 2. That part of the heavens in which the sun and other celestial objects rise; the corresponding point of the compass, or the region of the earth lying in the direction of this; the east. Usu. with the. Chiefly poet.
- 3. The rising of the sun; daybreak, dawn. Also fig. Obs.
- 4. The colour or special lustre of a pearl of the best quality.
- 5. = pearl of orient n. at sense A. 1b. Obs.
- B. adj. 1. a. Of a pearl or other precious stone, originally one coming from the East: of superior value and brilliancy, lustrous, precious. Also fig. Now rare.
- b. gen. Brilliant, radiant, resplendent. Chiefly poet. and literary. Obs. Occas. with allusion to the sun. Cf. sense A. 3.
- 2. poet. Situated in or belonging to the east; eastern, oriental; facing east. Obs.
- a. Of the sun, daylight, etc.: rising. Also fig. Chiefly poet.
- b. Of the colour of the dawn; bright red. Now only in Orient red.
