etymology - Is the term 'Occidental' still in common usage - or is it a legacy of a bygone age?


I've heard of the word 'Occidental' or 'The Occident' used to mean the same as Oriental or 'The Orient' but applied to the European continent. This I've seen in historic fiction, such as the works of Patrick O'Brian, and 'The Occidental' - being a pub in Sydney.


Apart from that - I've never heard anyone use this term in conversation. Is it still used?



Answer



Occident is the antonym of orient, not a synonym.



Oc·ci·dent
noun \ˈäk-sə-dənt, -ˌdent\
: west
(from sunset)



Occident is not "used to mean the same as Oriental". However, the word is very rarely used, and today, it is mostly limited to sense of the Western World.


This ngram shows the limited and declining use or the words. Notice oriental itself steeply falling in recent years.



1950-2008: occident,occidental,orient,oriental Occident,Occidental,Orient,Oriental,OCCIDENT,OCCIDENTAL,ORIENT,ORIENTAL


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