Etymology

orient

or·i·ent
O1R1I1E1N1T1

Today it means: The part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning; the east. Full definition →

First used 19th c.Middle English orient ← Anglo-Norman orient ← Old French orient
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orient · proper noun, noun, adjective1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromorient“eastern; from Asia or the Orient; brilliant, shining (characteristic of jewels from the Orient)”
  2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₃er-“to move, stir; to rise, spring”
  3. Latin · derived fromoriēns“the east; daybreak, dawn; sunrise; (participle) rising; appearing; originating”
  4. Old French · derived fromorient“east direction; Asia, Orient”
  5. Anglo-Norman · derived fromorient
  6. Middle English · inherited fromorient
  7. English todayorient

The noun is derived from Middle English orient, oriente, oryent, oryente, oryentte (“the east direction; eastern horizon or sky; eastern regions of the world, Asia, Orient; eastern edge of the world”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman orient, oriente, and Old French orient (“east direction; Asia, Orient”) (modern French orient), or directly from its etymon Latin oriēns (“the east; daybreak, dawn; sunrise; (participle) rising; appearing; originating”), present active participle of orior (“to get up, rise; to appear, become visible; to be born, come to exist, originate”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to move, stir; to rise, spring”). The adjective is derived from Middle English orient (“eastern; from Asia or the Orient; brilliant, shining (characteristic of jewels from the Orient)”), from Middle English orient (noun); see above.

orient · verb2

  1. French · derived fromorient
  2. French · derived fromorienter“to orientate; to guide; to set to north”
  3. English todayorient

The verb is derived from French orienter (“to orientate; to guide; to set to north”) from French orient (noun) (see above) + -er (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs).

Orient · proper noun, proper noun, noun3

See orient.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*h₃er- all →

areriseraiseearnyearnrine

First known use, by meaning

  • from 14th c. Usually preceded by the: alternative letter-case form of Orient (“a region or a part of the world to the east of a certain place; countries of Asia, the East (especially East Asia)”)
  • 19th c. A pearl originating from the Indian region, reputed to be of great brilliance; (by extension) any pearl of particular beauty and value.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.