OK … paint me green and call me Gumby, but I’m not sure about the grammatical dictates of “west” or “western” in reference to geographical regions.
I am wanting to clarify whether formally I write “West Asian region” or “Western Asian region” as the PC term for the Middle East. While I am at it I thought I might try to clarify the rule generally, because I’m sure I’ve had this problem before.
And the problem gets more tricky. How can it be: “South-West Sydney” and then “Western Sydney”?
The rest of Asia seems pretty consistent “East Asia”, “South-East Asia” and “South Asia”. So I’m leaning towards “West Asia” but it doesn’t sound quite right for some reason.
Can any grammar Nazis out there help me on this one?
No one will know what on earth you’re talking about if you write ‘West Asia’. I think most people don’t even know what ‘South Asia’ is.
If you’re referring to the countries on the map, I’d just go for vanilla ‘Middle East’.
Ben, Western Asia is probably Europe.
Fourcultures