levante

east

noun leh-VAHN-teh Rare

Origin: Italian levare ('to rise') — the direction where the sun rises.

Also means

Levant

Usage Note

Levante is a literary or poetic word for 'east', contrasted with ponente ('west'). It is also the proper noun il Levante for the eastern Mediterranean region (the Levant). In everyday speech Italians use est for compass east; levante appears in literature, wind names, and place names. The Ligurian Riviera di Levante is the stretch east of Genoa.

Examples

"Il vento di levante portava profumo di mare."

Natural Translation

The east wind carried the scent of the sea.

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