Oak has been used as a Quinine substitute in the treatment of fevers. Tannins provide many of the healing properties of oak. Tannins bind with proteins in tissues, making a barrier resistant to bacterial invasion. Tannins strengthen tissues and blood vessels.
The opposite term Occident derives from the Latin word occidens, meaning west (lit. setting < occido fall/set). This term meant the west (where the sun sets) but has fallen into disuse in English, in favor of Western world.
naÂ·tionÂ·alÂ·iÂ·ty. n. pl. naÂ·tionÂ·alÂ·iÂ·ties. 1. The status of belonging to a particular nation by origin, birth, or naturalization. 2. A people having common origins or traditions and often constituting a nation. 3. Existence as a politically autonomous entity; national independence.