Overview
Arath is the eastern supercontinent of Azeroth, stretching from Lordaeron in the north through Khaz Modan to Elwynn in the south.
Eastern Kingdoms survives as a later common label for the same landmass, but Arath is the older and proper geographical name.
Geographical Hierarchy
- Azeroth - the planet and world-soul.
- Arath - the eastern supercontinent.
- Lordaeron - the northern subcontinent of Arath.
- Khaz Modan - the central subcontinent of Arath.
- Elwynn - the southern subcontinent of Arath.
Rationale
The old use of Azeroth for the southern subcontinent is removed to avoid duplicating the name of the planet and world-soul. Elwynn Forest is interpreted as a regional feature within the broader subcontinent of Elwynn, literally the forest of Elwynn.
The name Arath is connected to surviving terms such as Arathor, Arathi, and Arathi Highlands. The ancient empire of Arathor took its name from the continent rather than giving the whole continent its name.
Etymology
Arath means something like “the land.” Arathi therefore means something like “the people of the land.”
Arathor can be understood as “the union of the people of the land” or, more broadly, “the unification in this land.” The exact translation can remain flexible, but the important point is that Arath is the older geographical root and Arathor is a later political name derived from it.
Hooks
- Use Arath for the proper geographical name of the eastern supercontinent.
- Eastern Kingdoms can appear as a later common or administrative label.