eastern vs East

eastern is not a noun while East is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
eastern	No	Yes	No	No
East	Yes	No	No	No

eastern (noun)	East (noun)
	the countries of Asia
	the region of the United States lying to the north of the Ohio River and to the east of the Mississippi River

eastern (adjective)	East (adjective)
relating to or characteristic of regions of eastern parts of the world
of or characteristic of eastern regions of the United States
lying toward or situated in the east
from the east; used especially of winds
lying in or toward the east