West is the direction where the sun appears to set, opposite east.
“West” comes from Old English “west,” from Proto-Germanic “westrą,” related to a root meaning “evening” or “setting (sun).” Many languages tie the idea of west to sunset.
The direction “west” started as a story about the sun’s daily journey across the sky. Later, “the West” also became a cultural label, showing how compass words can turn into political and cultural identities.
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