ātman
/ˈɑːtmən/
noun
Origin
Sanskrit
ātman — breath, soul, self
Overview
Meaning Now
- The individual self or soul, considered in Indian philosophy as the true, eternal essence of a living being.
- The universal consciousness or the supreme self that remains unchanged despite the transience of the body and mind.
Literal older meaning
breath, wind, or self.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Sanskrit → Hindi
Earliest form
ātman
Earliest period
1500–1200 BCE
Journey
The concept of ātman is foundational to Indian philosophy, particularly within the Vedanta school, which emphasizes the identity of the individual ātman with Brahman, the ultimate reality of the universe.
Evolution
- Vedic Sanskrit
ātman
“breath, principle of life”
Initially associated with the physical breath.
- Upanishadic period
ātman
“the metaphysical, eternal self”
Transition from biological to philosophical significance.
- Middle Indo-Aryan
appa
“self”
Phonological simplification in Prakrit.
- Modern Hindi
ātmā
“soul, spirit”
Re-borrowed/standardized from Sanskrit form.
Connections
Word parts
ātman
root
breath, soul
Related across languages
German
Atem
breath
Old English
eðm
breath
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.