<font color=skyblue>I heard on the radio today, but missed the reference of veracity that the words Oriental and the Orient are to be removed from the English language. I do not know if he meant all of English, like the U.K., or just the American English...but that it was being compared to the "N" word used to make reference to blacks, when it was used in slavery-days.

In my experience, the Orient was the land East of London...the Asian Nations. I did not know that it was a crude slang that made the Asian Nations feel lowered.

Can anybody back me up on this rumor, and let me know if it is really a new law?

Also, does anyone on here that may be of Asian decent feel bad when a person says that you are from the Orient? Do you feel bad when referred to as Asian?

Can you please teach all of us the correct way to refer to your land and heritage?</font>

[ 07-02-2002, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

News to me!

I wonder what they will do with 'Oriental Noodles' hehe

Seems a little over the top, but I'm not Asian so I don't know how offensive the statement could be.

Orient is such a cool poetic word.

You can't ban a word. Any attempt is like trying to hold back the tide. Language is an unchainable beast.

I always thought that the orient was a geographical description for the eastern asian countries. The people from it would the be called orientals. Is that discriminating? Does that mean you can´t call people from Scandinavia Scandinavians?

[ 07-02-2002, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

That's crazy, I haven't heard anything about it.

Orient just means East surely? As in 'the orientalising influence in ancient Greek art' - just refers to Persian influence (Persia/Iran being East of Greece)

Exactly right Epona! Oriental from the latin word "oriens" which means ascending, the suns movement. And that of course is east! So to follow this reasoning the words sunrise, dawn, east and eastern will have to be banned as well lol...

<font color=Orange>Could you explain that a bit better for me, WillowIX ? I don't understand</font>

Eh? I have never seen 'Oriental' as an offensive word, or used as such, and truth be told, I find the term kinda spunky. ;)

The Orient Express,
Come see the sights of the Orient,
etc... ...

In fact, the word invokes imagery of exotic locations. I see it as a positive word.

Lol, I´ll try. The Orient was named from the latin oriens. Oriens means the suns upward movement and of course the sun rises in the east. So oriental is synonymous to the english word "east"... So if the word oriental is discriminating so is the word east...

Ban the word Orient?? [img]graemlins/saywhat.gif[/img]
Please tell me this is a little joke going round at the moment, it is neither offensive or racist.
I would have gone on, but WillowIX said why it's not already. ;)