atman

Where does the word "atman" come from? It comes from Sanskrit atman, and was adopted directly into English (19th-20th c.).

Atman’s story begins in Sanskrit: atman meant “the self, soul, breath.” Meant 'breath, soul, self', properly 'breath'. It reached English by 19th-20th c. as atman. First recorded in 1785 in Charles Wilkins's translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the first direct English translation from Sanskrit. Today, atman means in Hindu philosophy, the true inner self or soul, ultimately identified with the universal spirit (Brahman).

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient atman "the self, soul, breath", meant 'breath, soul, self', properly 'breath'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 19th-20th c. atman "the true, innermost self, identified with the universal spirit", first recorded in 1785 in Charles Wilkins's translation of the Bhagavad Gita, the first direct English translation from Sanskrit.