English → Latin
“oriental” in Latin
sōlthe Sun; a sun; goldspectōto watch, observe, look at, consider; to examine, try, test; to aim, strive, or endeavour afterāsiānusAsianāsiāticusAsiaticasiaA kind of rye
The English word oriental itself goes back to Latin orior, through orientālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
oriental
ad orientem (solem) spectans, ad orientem vergens (situate toward the east): Asianus (belonging to Asia or the East): Asiaticus (proper to or that has happened in Asia or the East): or, by the genitive. Asiae (of Asia; e.g., Oriental customs, Asiae mores). ☞ Orientalis is not classical.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for oriental?
- The usual Latin words for “oriental” are sōl, spectō, āsiānus; also āsiāticus, asia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.