Where does “oriental” come from?
Oriental comes from Middle English oriental, from Middle French oriental, ultimately meaning of or relating to the east.
oriental (English): Alternative letter-case form of Oriental
Definitions
- Alternative letter-case form of Oriental
Ancestry of “oriental”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Oriental | Of a pearl or other precious stone: having a... |
| 2 | Middle English | oriental | — |
| 3 | Middle French | oriental | — |
| 4 | Latin | orientālis | of the east, eastern |
| 5 | Latin | oriēns | rising |
| 6 | Latin | orior | I rise, get up; I appear, become visible; I am... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ér- | to move, to stir |
Words derived from “oriental”