West 61026 213516876 2008-05-19T18:17:20Z J.delanoy 2372780 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/67.193.52.162|67.193.52.162]] ([[User talk:67.193.52.162|talk]]) to last version by Ejosse1 [[Image:Compass Rose English West.svg|thumb|250px|right|A [[compass rose]] with west highlighted]] :''This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see [[West (disambiguation)]]. '''West''' is most commonly a [[noun]], [[adjective]], or [[adverb]] indicating [[Direction (geometry, geography)|direction]] or [[geography]]. West is one of the four [[cardinal directions]] or [[compass]] points. It is the opposite of [[east]] and is [[perpendicular]] to [[north]] and [[south]]. By [[Norm (sociology)|convention]], the left side of a [[map]] is west. To go west using a compass for [[navigation]], set a [[Bearing (navigation)|bearing]] or [[azimuth]] of 270°. West is the direction opposite that of the [[Earth]]'s rotation on its axis, and is therefore the general direction towards which the [[Sun]] sets. West is also a last name. Moving continuously west is following a [[circle of latitude]], which, except in the case of the [[equator]], is not a [[great circle]]. The English word "west" is cognate to the [[Old High German]] word ''westar'', which may derive from an [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]] root from which the [[Latin]] word ''vesper'', meaning "evening", derives. "The West" often denotes the ''[[Western world]]''. Although a somewhat subjective term (see [[North-South divide]]), it always includes the noncommunist countries of Europe and America.<ref>[http://m-w.com/dictionary/west ''west'' at Merriam-Webster, Dictionary]</ref> ==Symbolic meanings== In Chinese [[Buddhism]], the West represents movement toward the [[Buddha (general)|Buddha]] or enlightenment (see [[Journey to the West]]). The ancient [[Aztec]]s believed that the West was the realm of the great goddess of [[water]], mist, and [[maize]]. In [[Ancient Egypt]], the West was considered to be the portal to the [[netherworld]], and is the cardinal direction regarded in connection with [[death]], though not always with a negative connotation. Ancient Egyptians also believed that the [[Goddess]] [[Amunet]] was a personification of the West.<ref>[[Joseph Campbell|Campbell, Joseph]]. The Mythic Image. Princeton University Press, 1981.</ref> The Celts believed that beyond the western sea off the edges of all maps lay the Otherworld, or Afterlife. In [[American literature]] (eg. ''[[The Great Gatsby]]''), moving west symbolizes gaining freedom, perhaps as an association with the settling of the Old West (see also [[Manifest Destiny]]). ==References== {{wiktionary}} <references /> {{CandODirections}} [[Category:Orientation]] [[ar:غرب]] [[az:Qərb]] [[bs:Zapad]] [[br:Kornôg]] [[bg:Запад]] [[ca:Oest]] [[cs:Západ]] [[co:Punenti]] [[de:Westen]] [[et:Lääs]] [[es:Oeste]] [[eo:Okcidento]] [[eu:Mendebalde (geografikoa)]] [[fa:باختر]] [[fr:Ouest]] [[gl:Oeste]] [[ko:서쪽]] [[hr:Zapad]] [[is:Vestur]] [[it:Ovest]] [[he:מערב]] [[ku:Rojava]] [[lv:Rietumi]] [[lt:Vakarai (pasaulio kryptis)]] [[ln:Límbe]] [[lmo:Ovest]] [[mr:पश्चिम दिशा]] [[nl:West]] [[ne:पश्चिम]] [[ja:西]] [[no:Vest]] [[nn:Vest]] [[nrm:Vouêt]] [[oc:Oèst]] [[pl:Zachód (kierunek)]] [[pt:Oeste]] [[ro:Vest]] [[qu:Kunti]] [[ru:Запад]] [[simple:West]] [[sk:Západ (svetová strana)]] [[cu:Западъ]] [[sl:Zahod]] [[sr:Запад]] [[sh:Zapad]] [[fi:Länsi]] [[sv:Väster]] [[ta:மேற்கு]] [[te:పడమర]] [[th:ทิศตะวันตก]] [[vi:Hướng Tây]] [[tr:Batı (yön)]] [[uk:Захід]] [[vec:Ovest]] [[wa:Coûtchant (costé del Daegne)]] [[yi:מערב]] [[zh-yue:西]] [[zh:西]] [[bat-smg:Vakarā]]