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Asian

 [ey-zhuhn, ey-shuhn]   Origin

A·sian

   [ey-zhuhn, ey-shuhn]
adjective
1.
of, belonging to, or characteristic of Asia or its inhabitants.
noun
2.
a native of Asia.

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Asian is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
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Origin:
1555–65; < Latin Asiānus < Greek Asiānós. See Asia, -an

Related forms
half-A·sian, adjective, noun
non-A·sian, adjective, noun
pro-A·sian, adjective

Can be confused: Asian, Asiatic, oriental.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
Asian (ˈeɪʃən, ˈeɪʒən)
 
—adj
1.  of or relating to Asia or to any of its peoples or languages
2.  (Brit) of or relating to natives of the Indian subcontinent or any of their descendants, esp when living in Britain
 
—n
3.  a native or inhabitant of Asia or a descendant of one
4.  (Brit) a native of the Indian subcontinent or a descendant of one
 
usage  To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided. If you are talking about one specific group, it is better to say so, for instance people of Indian descent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

Asian
1560s, from L. Asianus (adj. and n. "belonging to the province of Asia," "an inhabitant of Asia"), from Gk. Asianos, from Asia (see Asia). Ousted Asiatic as the preferred term in Britain c.1950.
EXPAND
"The term 'Asiatic' has come to be regarded with disfavour by those to whom it is applied, and they feel entitled to be brought into line with usage in regard to Europeans, Americans and Australians." ["Times Literary Supplement," Feb. 6, 1953]
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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