swastika

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See also: Swastika, 卐, and 卍

English

Hindu swastika.
National Socialist swastika

Etymology

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

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈswɒstɪkə/, /ˈswɒstəkə/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈswɑstɪkə/, /ˈswɑstəkə/
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "NZ" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈswɔstɘkɘ/

Noun

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 National Socialism 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!"
    • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 828: Parameter "trans" is not used by this template.

Synonyms

Holonyms

  • kolovrat (Slavic neopaganism, far-right politics)

Translations

Further reading

Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

swastika f or m (plural swastika's)

  1. swastika

French

Noun

swastika m or f (plural swastikas)

  1. Alternative spelling of svastika

Further reading

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