Wiktionary

swastika

See also: Swastika, 卐, and 卍

English

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Sanskrit स्वस्तिक (svastika), from सु- (su-, “good, well”) + अस्ति (asti), a verbal abstract of the root of the verb "to be", स्वस्ति (svasti) thus meaning "well-being" — and the diminutive suffix क (ka); hence "little thing associated with well-being", corresponding roughly to "lucky charm". First attestation in English in 1871, a Sanskritism that replaced the Grecian term gammadion. From 1932 onwards it often referred specifically to the version used by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (also called the "hooked cross", or German Hakenkreuz).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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swastika (countable and uncountable, plural swastikas)

  1. (countable) A cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle to the right or to the left, used as a religious symbol by various ancient and modern civilizations, but now mainly seen and used in the West (with arms angled to the right) as a symbol of Nazism and fascism.
    • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Sending of Dana Da”, in In Black and White, Folio Society, published 2005, pages 423–4:
      This was signed by Dana Da, who added pentacles and pentagrams, and a crux ansata, and half-a-dozen swastikas, and a Triple Tau to his name, just to show that he was all he laid claim to be.
    • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 270:
      It is clear from archaeological finds that they enjoyed wearing Christian crosses, though they might enliven these with such symbols as the Indian swastika which Buddhists had brought them.
  2. (fascism, history, metonymically, uncountable) Nazi rule.
    • 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, spoken by Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody):
      "Is that what you think of me? I believe in the Grail, not the Swastika!"
    • 2011, Rudolph Herzog, translated by Jefferson Chase, Dead Funny: Humor in Hitler's Germany‎[1], Brooklyn: Melville House, →ISBN, page 36:
      “I can’t imagine anyone believes in Communist culprits instead of a contract job commissioned on behalf of the swastika.”

Synonyms

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Holonyms

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  • kolovrat (Slavic neopaganism, far-right politics)

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Dutch

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Etymology

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From Sanskrit स्वस्तिक (svastika).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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swastika f or m (plural swastika's)

  1. swastika
    Synonym: hakenkruis

French

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Noun

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swastika m or f (plural swastikas)

  1. Alternative spelling of svastika

Further reading

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Indonesian

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Etymology

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From Malay swastika. Ultimately from Sanskrit स्वस्तिक (svastika).

Noun

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swastika (first-person possessive swastikaku, second-person possessive swastikamu, third-person possessive swastikanya)

  1. swastika

Further reading

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Tagalog

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English swastika, from Sanskrit स्वस्तिक (svastika).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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swástiká (Baybayin spelling ᜐ᜔ᜏᜐ᜔ᜆᜒᜃ)

  1. swastika

Further reading

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  • “swastika”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=swastika&oldid=82602774"
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