We explain what the word namaste means, its origin and how it is used. Also, what meanings can it have in the east and in the west.
What is namaste?
The word namaste (pronounced and sometimes written as namaste or námaste) It is a greeting from the Sanskrit language a language originating from the ancient Indian civilization, whose origins date back to 3500 BC. c.
It is used both to greet and say goodbye, to say thank you and to denote respect on the other in numerous contemporary cultures, accompanied by a slight inclination of the torso or head and by a gesture that brings the palms of the hands together.
As with many of the practices and symbols inherited to the West from Eastern cultures, namaste is a greeting endowed with spiritual, mystical or pseudo-religious connotations, depending on the area in which it is practiced, and incorporated through practices such as yoga or meditation, and in religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism.
Origin of namaste
the word namaste It originates from Sanskrit, a classical language of India and one of the oldest Indo-European languages that they know each other. It is made up of the words namah (“reverence” or “adoration”) and tea (“to you” or “to you”), so that its original meaning could be understood as “I reverence you” or “I greet you.”
Some of the earliest appearances of this word in the West come from the years of British colonial rule of India, transliterated as namasthe (into English) and linked to traditional Indian representatives.
The term gained popularity after the independence of India and even more so when its culture and traditions began to enjoy high esteem among Westerners, at the end of the 20th century, during the so-called “New Age” period in which an attempt was made to find a way out of the Western philosophical dead end by using eastern culture.
Meanings of namaste
The position of joined palms that accompanies namaste is considered a mudra or symbolic posture typical of Eastern religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism.
It is considered a posture of communion, which by joining the two palms links the rational (right) and spiritual (left) aspects of the human being, along with a slight inclination of the head that denotes humility. In fact, in Hinduism the right palm is associated with the feet of the god and the left palm with the head of the devotee.
Namaste is very common as an opening and/or ending gesture of a yoga session, as a sign of gratitude and a greeting towards other practitioners and towards the practice itself.
Enthusiasm in the West for Eastern practices led many to adopt namaste. So new meanings emerged, generally linked to the divine and with other Western commonplaces from which Eastern religiosity is usually thought of. None of them, however, have any type of etymological or historical validity.
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References
- “Námaste” on Wikipedia.
- “Namaste” in Total Spanish Dictionary.
- “What does namaste mean? Origin and other curiosities” in Xulan Yoga.
- “How 'Namaste' entered the English language” in Merrian-Webster Dictionary.
