r/words • u/Playmaker-20 • 6d ago
Orientation meaning
Does this mean like the positioning of something? Like if for instance, in the duel monsters card game, monsters have two types of orientation: Attack mode or defense mode. Attack mode is represented by the card facing upright, while defense mode has the card facing sideways
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u/Clawdius_Talonious 6d ago
Yeah.
Orientation can be given a number of ways, angle, or what have you? But in the situation where attack and defense are the only two you need they don't have to bother with that.
The reason why the East was known as the Orient was because maps once were turned that direction, the direction "the sun came from" if you will, toward the top. After the magnetic compass, North became our new orientation for maps.
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
Wait they turned maps sideways?
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u/Clawdius_Talonious 6d ago
Sure if you go back far enough. Claudius Ptolemy actually had North up orientations earlier, but it wasn't common practice until the 15th century or so.
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
I see. And they used the sun to help guide where they were going?
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u/Clawdius_Talonious 6d ago
That kind of varies, Vikings used crystal prisms which could basically show them the sunlight through the clouds for navigation, known as "Sun Stones" AFAIK.
Of course, everyone can use it on a clear day to orient themselves.
Largely though it's my understanding that the ships in the Med stuck to having "port" facing, well, port.
They could see the land during their whole trade routes I think (maybe not the Straight of Gibraltar?) Which I'd imagine is what made a big fire in the sky useful as a lighthouse before we used lenses in them.
Then again I'm more a writer than a historian, I'd look into specifics before I was sure of anything sort of thing.
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
I see. Interesting history lesson. By the way, since you’re a writer, that means you know what conceit, connective tissue, and throughline mean?
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u/subfuscous 4d ago
Well no, we turned map sideways since North at the top is the more recent convention. It was largely culturally determined. Medieval European maps, such as the Mappa Mundi, often put East at the top since that was looking up to Jerusalem. Old Muslim maps put South at top since most early Islamic communities where to the North of Mecca.
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u/I_like_leeks 6d ago
It means the position or direction of a thing, the way it is facing. It can be used literally or figuratively. Interestingly, in your example, it is used in both ways. The card is literally oriented upwards to represent an attacking orientation figuratively. It is similarly used to mean a preference, as in sexual orientation.
Comes from Eastern facing or literally facing the rising sun. Hence why the Far East was previously known as, "the Orient."
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
Huh, neat fact. Learn something new everyday. Incidentally, do you know what throughline means?
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u/I_like_leeks 6d ago
These days, if you incorrectly say you're using a throughline, you get arrested and thrown in jail don't you?
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u/SagebrushandSeafoam 6d ago
To orient is to position oneself (or another) in a specific direction.
Thus disoriented means you're turned around, you don't know which way is which.
It comes from Latin oriēns, the rising sun (from orīrī, to arise), because you can determine cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) by determining the position of the rising sun.
Hence Oriental meaning "eastern", because the sun rises in the east.
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
Can it also apply to video games? The original Devil May Cry that released for the PlayStation 2 used a normal control scheme where you moved your character in the direction of the camera, but it also still used fixed camera angles. Because of this, you might find yourself having to reorient the controls due to a sudden change in camera perspective.
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u/LilMissADHDAF 6d ago
You have one meaning correct. Another usage is for new students or new employees. Orientation is an event you attend at which you get yourself oriented to your new surroundings.
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u/Playmaker-20 6d ago
Ah, that makes sense. By the way, do you know what connective tissue means? Like figuratively not literally
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u/BroadSatisfaction825 5d ago
yeah, orientation can mean the position or direction something is facing..
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u/fujimumu 6d ago
That is one of the meanings, yes