Western
/ˈwɛs.tən/noun
Relating to the west or coming from the west.
Did you know?English western comes from a Germanic root for “evening” and “west,” because the west was imagined as the sunset side of the world—the realm of fading light.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wes-
“to shine, glow; evening, dusk”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*westra-
“western”
Old English
OE
westerne
“western, situated toward the west”
Middle English
ME
western
“western; from the west”
Modern English
English
western
“relating to the west or the western direction”