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ArchivesRe: Names meaning life
in reply to a message by Rene
Well, it hinges on the meaning of meaning :-) Mystical meanings have little to do with either etymology or historical origins. In Hindu mysticism, moreover, there is no central authority, so anybody is free to turn what originally was a misconception into a sectarian belief. Ultimately a folk etymology does provide a meaning if enough people believe it.
In this case, I do not know what the author is talking about since (i) it is unfamiliar to me and (ii) I wonder whether he meant it as a pun (or folk etymology) between pranava and prana, except the pun does not work in Sanskrit: the -a- in pranava (both of them) is a schwa, whereas the first -a- in prana is the wide open -a- as in English car, and change of this long A to a short a is rather rare morphological transformation (the opposite is not uncommon), and sounds odd to the native ear.
But, the mystical sound oM is supposed to be the mystical sound behind all creation, behind all life and consciousness. And, sound is connected deeply to breath. But, by now, we are in the soft territory of semantic fuzziness and I do not know what to say.
In this case, I do not know what the author is talking about since (i) it is unfamiliar to me and (ii) I wonder whether he meant it as a pun (or folk etymology) between pranava and prana, except the pun does not work in Sanskrit: the -a- in pranava (both of them) is a schwa, whereas the first -a- in prana is the wide open -a- as in English car, and change of this long A to a short a is rather rare morphological transformation (the opposite is not uncommon), and sounds odd to the native ear.
But, the mystical sound oM is supposed to be the mystical sound behind all creation, behind all life and consciousness. And, sound is connected deeply to breath. But, by now, we are in the soft territory of semantic fuzziness and I do not know what to say.
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