nirvana
nir-VAH-nuh · noun
SanskritEnglish
Origin
Borrowed from Sanskrit nirvāṇa, meaning 'blown or put out, extinguished,' built from nis- ('out') plus vā ('to blow').
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Journey
The word arrived carrying its Sanskrit sense of extinguishing intact.
Related words
The vā root behind it is cognate with Russian véter ('wind'), and with English weather, vent, and wind — all tracing back to that same idea of moving air.
More words
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