East

Lore & Background

East is one of the four cardinal directions, opposite west, and marks where the Sun rises. Its etymology traces through Middle English 'est', Old English 'ēast', Proto-Germanic *aus-to- or *austra-, and Proto-Indo-European *aus- 'to shine' or 'dawn'. Cognates include Old High German *ōstar, Latin 'aurora', and Greek 'ēōs'. Similar formations appear in Latin 'oriens', Greek 'anatolé', and Hebrew 'mariza'. The Germanic goddess Ēostre may have personified both dawn and the cardinal points. In the Middle Ages, east was called the Orient, abbreviated on compasses and maps as O, and sometimes abbreviated as E.

Reader's Guide

East holds significance in navigation, culture, and religion. By convention, the right-hand side of a map is east, derived from compass use placing north at the top; however, on retrograde-rotating planets like Venus and Uranus, the left-hand side is east. To go east using a compass, one sets a bearing or azimuth of 90°. Culturally, east is the direction of Earth's rotation and sunrise. Praying toward the east predates Christianity but was adopted by it, as the Orient was thought to contain mankind's original home; Christian churches have traditionally been oriented with the altar on the liturgical east. The Orient refers to the Eastern world relative to Europe, largely a metonym for Asia, divided into Far East, Middle East, and Near East. One study suggests that within an individual Northern Hemisphere city, the east end is typically poorer because prevailing winds blow from the west.

Did You Know?

• East is the opposite direction from west and the direction from which the Sun rises on Earth.
• The word 'east' comes from Proto-Indo-European *aus- 'to shine' or 'dawn'.
• By convention, the right-hand side of a map is east, but on maps of Venus and Uranus, the left-hand side is east.
• One study suggests that within an individual Northern Hemisphere city, the east end is typically poorer because prevailing winds blow from the west.

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