The term occidental, commonly used today to refer to things related to Western countries, was first introduced into English in the 15th century with primarily astrological connotations, denoting the direction where the sun sets. It wasn’t until about a hundred years later that it began to be applied to civilizations. Its origins can be traced back to Old French, which in turn comes from the Latin word occidens, derived from the verb occidere meaning “to fall down”, specifically in reference to the sun’s movement. The root of occidere is the prefix ob- (from Proto-Indo-European opi, meaning “against”) and the root cadere (from Proto-Indo-European kad, also meaning “to fall down”). Interestingly, occidere is also the source of the word occasion, through a sense of causation and opportunity. I found that quite fascinating!
