Wiktionary

west

See also: West

EnglishEdit

 
West.
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

EtymologyEdit

PIE word
*wek(ʷ)speros

From Middle English west, from Old English west, from Proto-Germanic *westrą.

Cognate with Scots wast, Saterland Frisian Wääste, West Frisian west, Dutch west, German West, Danish vest. Cognate also with Old French west, French ouest, Spanish oeste, Portuguese oeste, Catalan oest, Galician oeste, Italian ovest (all ultimately borrowings of the English word). Compare also Latin vesper (“evening”), with which it is possibly cognate via Proto-Indo-European.

PronunciationEdit

  • enPR: wĕst, IPA(key): /wɛst/
  • Audio (UK)(file)
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛst

NounEdit

west (usually uncountable, plural wests)

  1. One of the four principal compass points, specifically 270°, conventionally directed to the left on maps; the direction of the setting sun at an equinox.
    Alternative form: (abbreviation) W
    We used to live in the west of the country.
    Portugal lies to the west of Spain.
  2. The western region or area; the inhabitants thereof. [circa 1300]
  3. (ecclesiastical) In a church: the direction of the gallery, opposite to the altar, and opposite to the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.
    • 1997, John Haskell; John Callanan, Sydney Architecture, UNSW Press, →ISBN:
      In two respects, however, the cathedral [of St. Mary's in Sydney, Australia] differs from English traditions: it is oriented north-south, not east-west; and its main entry is from the south (liturgical west) between the two towers, in the French manner.
    • 2000, Mark L. MacDonald, The Chant of Life: Liturgical Studies Four, Church Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 98:
      The seating for honored persons (clergy) is at the liturgical west, opposite the entrance and lectern.
    • 2007, Patrick Malloy, Celebrating the Eucharist: A Practical Ceremonial Guide for Clergy and Other Liturgical Ministers, Church Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 155:
      In most worship spaces, this will put the thurifer and gospeller facing liturgical west, book bearer facing liturgical east (or the book on the reading desk), and the torch bearers turned inward, facing the book.
    • 2014, Paul Porwoll, Against All Odds: History of Saint Andrew's Parish Church, Charleston, 1706-2013, WestBow Press, →ISBN, page 365:
      Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east (to avoid overcomplicating matters), not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus, the altar is located at the east end of the church, and the gallery, at the west.

Coordinate termsEdit

(compass points)

northwest north northeast
west   east
southwest south southeast


Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

Also see Appendix:Cardinal directions for translations of all compass points

AdjectiveEdit

west

  1. Situated or lying in or toward the west; westward.
  2. (meteorology) Of wind: from the west.
  3. Of or pertaining to the west; western.
  4. From the West; occidental.
  5. (ecclesiastial) Designating, or situated in, the liturgical west, that part of a church which is opposite to, and farthest from, the part containing the chancel.
    • 2008, Philip Temple, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville, Paul Mellon Ctr for Studies, →ISBN, page 356:
      Interior in 1925, (left) looking north to chancel and (right) looking south (to liturgical west end) It was on account of this connection that St James's became the clowns 'church', an annual clowns' service being held there ...
    • 2017, Stephen Kite, Building Ruskin's Italy: Watching Architecture, Routledge, →ISBN, page 48:
      as in the mosaic of the ascension on San Frediano's liturgical west (geographically east) façade.
    • 2019, Sarah Hosking; "Coventry Cathedral"; in Prickett Stephen Prickett, Edinburgh Companion to the Bible and the Arts, Edinburgh University Press, →ISBN, page 371:
      Spence had decided on a huge image of Christ on the [liturgical] east end [which is the geographic north], filling the entire wall and to be visible through the [liturgical] West Window (Fig. 24.2).

TranslationsEdit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

AdverbEdit

west (not comparable)

  1. Towards the west; westwards.

TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

west (third-person singular simple present wests, present participle westing, simple past and past participle wested)

  1. To move to the west; (of the sun) to set. [from 15th c.]

AnagramsEdit

CornishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From English west.

NounEdit

west m

  1. west

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle Dutch west, from Old Dutch west, from Proto-Germanic *westrą. Compare German West, English and West Frisian west, Danish vest.

PronunciationEdit

AdverbEdit

west

  1. (only in compounds) west
  2. westwards

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Coordinate termsEdit

  • (compass points)
noordwest noord noordoost
west   oost
zuidwest zuid zuidoost


Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • Afrikaans: wes
  • Negerhollands: west
  • → Papiamentu: wèst

ItalianEdit

EtymologyEdit

Unadapted borrowing from English west.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

west m (invariable)

  1. West (historic area of America)

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ west in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication

Low GermanEdit

VerbEdit

west

  1. past participle of wesen

Middle EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old English west, from Proto-West Germanic *west, *westr, from Proto-Germanic *westrą, from *westraz, from Proto-Indo-European *wek(ʷ)speros (“evening”).

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

west

  1. west (compass point)
  2. A location to the south; the south
  3. The west wind
Coordinate termsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit

AdjectiveEdit

west

  1. west, western
  2. At the west
DescendantsEdit

AdverbEdit

west

  1. To the west, westwards, westbound
  2. From the west, western
  3. In the west
DescendantsEdit

ReferencesEdit

Etymology 2Edit

AdjectiveEdit

west

  1. Alternative form of weste (“desolate”)

Etymology 3Edit

VerbEdit

west

  1. Alternative form of westen (“to move west”)

Northern KurdishEdit

NounEdit

west f

  1. act of tiring or getting tired

Derived termsEdit

Old EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *westrą, whence also Old High German west, Old Norse vestr.

PronunciationEdit

AdverbEdit

west

  1. west

DescendantsEdit

Old FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Old English west.

AdverbEdit

west

  1. west

DescendantsEdit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=west&oldid=71719129"