Here's a great old-school English word that I think should be re-introduced into the everyday lexicon: Levant, also sometimes referred to as
I was recently talking on the phone with my buddy Diana Moon, and I referred to "politics in the Levant." She stopped me and said, "the what?" At first I thought she just didn't know what I meant, so I started to explain it. A learned woman she, she interrupted my explanation. She knew what I meant, she was just a bit startled to hear someone say it out loud. It's a word that one normally only sees in history books and scholarly publications.
What's it mean? Well, it's the region otherwise known as "the Holy Land" or "the Middle East." The American Heritage dictionary defines it as follows:
"The countries bordering on the eastern Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Egypt."
I pronounce it in a fairly middle-American way: "luh-VANT." A more old-school way to pronounce it would probably be "leh-VAHNT." Either way, it's basically the east-southeast coast of the Mediterranean. A rough map looks like this:
In short, it's what we generally call "the Middle East" or "the Holy Land." Only calling it "the Levant" is a bit more personal and a bit less politically loaded. To me, anyway. Time was, we would have simply called it "Palestine," the old Roman word for the same region. But now if you say "Palestine," it has a far more political meaning, with variations depending on who you're talking to
"Levant." I love that word. For whatever reason, I'd like to see others using it too. It seems to transcend modern politics, and yet to describe the region in a much less impersonal way than "the Middle East."
Excellent. Thank you. Yes, I've used that term myself, and you've given me an idea to use it more often. The Levant. Good to see it precisely defined. Another term that's fallen out of favor is Near East, much used by scholars when I was growing up, especially in connection with ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. We speak of the Middle East ("Middle" between what and what?), mainly, it seems, in connection with Islam. We used to speak of the Far East, also exotic and romantic (I don't hear that any more, not Politically Correct).
Reminds me of Eric Ambler's novel, "The Levanter", which I am dismayed to find was published over 30 years ago.
My favorite word for the middle east is "outremer". Every time i see it in print, i envision Knights Templar, etc. Actually, I think I only see it in print when I'm reading about Knights Templar.
I've used "levant" alot, as soon as I realized that everyone says "Israel-Palestine Issue", which might be perceived as giving top billing to Israel.
Would "Palestine-Israel" issue be perceived as giving top billing to the other side of the argument, or does it not matter in which order the words are used?
Good point, Dean.
And he shall be Levant, and he shall be a good man...
I love that word, too. Robert Kaplan uses it consistently in his books.
I can see it now...
late 2003: Levant becomes the term of choice to refer to the Palestine/Isreal/Jordan land area.
early 2004: Lavantite suicide bomber kills 19 Isrealis. Levantas, recently formed by former Hamas members, issues press releas stating "the oppressed Levantites have struck a blow against the children of pigs and monkeys"
...Levant' the direction of the sunrise.
...Levanter a wind in the Mediterranean from the direction of the Levant.
Dean that is a good word. I am glad you brought out this word and I can see by the comments so far others like it as well.
Funny how age difference or the era between us in words bring out different thoughts. Well, I am an admitted Sanguine and a Melancholy Baby.
Jerry brought out so eloquently a verse from the Bible which lead me to Jesus and it took me right back to Egypt.
...Just a small note here. My Dad, Mom, and Grandmothers referred to the eastern portion of the Mediterranean and its seaboard, The Levant.
... Now there again Dean, My folks were young lovers in the 40's and my Dad served in the military.
Many wonderful words have gone array.
Levant is one of the old-fashioned, and now poetic, ways to render the cardinal directions in French: le Levant, le Couchant, le Midi, la Minuit (the Rising, the Setting, the Midday, the Midnight). Eurocentric or Mediterranocentric, of course, but poetic nonetheless.
Same pattern as le Midi de la France for the South of France and il Mezzogiorno d'Italia for the South of Italy. The Midnight of France or the Midnight of Italy for some reason didn't seem to catch on so well.
when i was searching meaning of my first name which is levent or levant, i realized that it has a meaning of the man coming from the levant countries 'eastern countries'.so i suprised, because until now i think it means only 'old ottoman navy soldier'.but first it was used by italians for ottoman navy soldiers as having a meaning of 'the man from east'. i just want to share this information with you.thank you..