ostasiatisches

Ostasiatisches is the neuter form of the German adjective ostasiatisch, meaning East Asian. It is used to describe things related to East Asia (Ostasien), a geographic and cultural region that generally includes China, Japan, the Koreas, Mongolia and Taiwan; in some classifications Hong Kong and Macau are also considered part of the region. The term appears in geography, ethnology, linguistics and cultural studies to designate attributes, phenomena or objects associated with East Asia.

Etymology and form: The word is built from Ostasien (East Asia) plus the suffix -isch to form an adjective. The neuter singular nominative/accusative ending is -es, yielding ostasiatisches.

Usage and examples: Like other German adjectives, ostasiatisch declines according to gender, number and case. In neuter singular nominative or accusative, the form is ostasiatisches. Examples: das ostasiatische Klima (the East Asian climate), ein ostasiatisches Kunsthandwerk (an East Asian craft). For feminine nouns, the form is ostasiatische (die ostasiatische Region). In plural usage, one can say ostasiatische Länder or ostasiatische Kulturen.

Context and scope: The term is primarily descriptive and neutral and is common in academic and descriptive writing. It is distinct from the noun Ostasien, which denotes the region itself; ostasiatisches functions as an adjective referring to features belonging to East Asia.

See also: Ostasien; Ostasiatische Sprachen; Ostasienkunde; East Asian studies.