Europe is part of the so-called Western world.
The first thing we are going to do, before determining the meaning of the Western term, is to establish its etymological origin. By doing so we will discover that it comes from Latin, and more precisely from the word “occidentalis”, which is made up of the following components:
• The prefix “ob-“, which can be translated as “against”.
• The verb “cadere”, which is synonymous with “fall”.
• The particle “-nt-“, which is equivalent to “agent”.
• The suffix “-al”, which is used to indicate “relative to”.
Concept of western
Western is that belonging to or relating to the west (the west as a cardinal point, the region located in the western part or the place located to the west of another). Occidental is also that or that natural to the West .
For example: “In the West, polygamy is an almost non-existent tradition and is even punishable by law,” “You have to drive about forty kilometers to the west to get to the village,” “Some experts believe that, in recent decades, , the cultural gap between the West and the East has increased.”
a civilization
The notion of the West is often used as a reference to a civilization or a system made up of various countries that share a similar social, cultural and economic system. In this sense, the concept is understood in opposition to the East (another set of nations , with shared traditions and ideas that differ from those of the West).
Although there are no precise borders and most countries are multicultural, it is often said that the Western world is made up of Europe , America , Australia , New Zealand and South Africa . Some countries, such as Russia or Israel , may be located on one side or the other.
Broadly speaking, it can be stated that Western culture contemplates the separation between religion and State , is monotheistic and is governed by capitalism . Many of these precepts are also fulfilled in eastern countries (such as Japan ), although they have different traditions.
The discipline History of Western Art mainly studies artistic manifestations of the European continent.
Western art history
In addition to all this, we would have to talk about what has been called the History of Western art. It is that part of History that is responsible for analyzing and studying what were the different artistic manifestations that took place mainly in Europe during both Ancient Greece and during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.
However, later stages have also been added within that discipline on that continent. Hence, currents or movements such as the Renaissance, the Baroque, Neoclassicism or Realism are also studied.
Other uses of the notion
Within the field of precious stones and jewelry, it is common to use a series of terms that use the term we are now dealing with. Thus, for example, it is common to speak of western hyacinth, which is equivalent to topaz.
In the same way, the word Western turquoise is used. In this case, this is a fossil-type bone that, due to the copper oxide, has an accentuated blue color and is used to make all types of jewelry.
For astronomy and geography , western is the hemisphere where the Sun and the rest of the stars are hidden.