bardo

See also: Bardo and bardò

English

WOTD – 2 December 2017

Etymology

Folios 35 and 67 of a manuscript of the Bardo Thodol (Liberation through Hearing during the Intermediate State), often known in the West as the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The text is intended as a guide through the after-death experiences that a person’s consciousness has in the bardo.

Borrowed from Tibetan བར་དོ (bar do), from བར (bar, “interval”) + དོ (do, “two”), in the sense of an interval between two states.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːdəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑɹdoʊ/
• Hyphenation: bar‧do

Noun

bardo (plural bardos)

1. (Tibetan Buddhism) The state of existence between death and subsequent reincarnation.
   • 1863, Emil Schlagintweit, “Details Characteristic of the Religion of the People”, in Buddhism in Tibet: Illustrated by Literary Documents and Objects of Religious Worship. With an Account of the Buddhist Systems Preceding It in India. [...] With a Folio Atlas of Twenty Plates and Twenty Tables of Native Print in the Text, Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus; London: Trübner & Co., →OCLC, page 109:

     According to the belief of the Tibetans, that is considered an untimely death, which, in opposition to the ordinary course of nature, is accelerated by evil spirits, such as Sringan, Dechad, Jungpo, and others. As a consequence of premature decease, the "Bardo," is prolongated. This is the middle state between the death and the new re-birth, which does not follow immediately, but there exists an interval, which is shorter for the good than for the bad. The prolongation of this intermediate state is considered as a punishment caused by evil spirits who have only power over sinful men.

   • 1996, Victoria LePage, “The Perfection of the Shortest Path”, in Shambhala: The Fascinating Truth behind the Myth of Shangri-La, 1st Quest edition, Wheaton, Ill.: The Theosophical Publishing House, →ISBN, page 95:

     The soul's gradual progress to God in terms of a spiralling pathway up the side of the cosmic mountain, from one spiritual station to the next, is an image common to almost all of the world's mystical systems; but few mention the direct path from the base of the mountain straight up to the summit. Even the Bardo Thodol mentions the direct path only once, and then glancingly, confining itself solely to a description of the soul's circuitous afterlife journey through the heaven-worlds. The shortcut for heroes that bypasses the heaven-worlds or bardos and takes them straight to the divine world—in one lifetime, so it is said—is so well guarded in religious literature that the relevant Tibetan Buddhist texts are written in the "twilight language," a cipher that can be understood only with the help of revelation.

   • 1998, Susanne Paolo, “Prologue”, in Bardo (The Brittingham Prize in Poetry), Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, →ISBN, page xiii:

     The bardo in Tibetan means an intermediate state, most specifically the one after death when your soul wanders through the heavens and hell, trying to avoid rebirth into samsara—the realm of the material—and achieve nirvana or Buddhahood. […] Like everything the bardo journey takes place both inside you and outside. Like everything it's both a metaphor and not. I was born in the fifties in a nation suspended in the bardo state between a war a decade over and the hellsmoke light of a new war pulling in the East.

   • 2013, Sogyal Rinpoche, “The Near-Death Experience”, in Lee W. Bailey, Jenny Yates, editors, The Near-Death Experience: A Reader, Routledge, →ISBN, page 173:

     Some writers have suggested the near-death experience expresses the stages of the dissolution process in the bardo of dying. It is premature, I feel, to try to link the near-death experience too precisely with the bardo descriptions, […]

   • 2014, C. J. Cala, “Babble On”, in Four Different Faces, [s.l.]: C. J. Cala, →ISBN, page 151:

     Possessing both omniprescence and omniscience, they now stared beyond the abyss of astral space—beyond the six bardos of Tibetan Buddhism—spreading their karmic seeds across the infinite coordinates of the cosmological Minkowski continuum.

   • 2015, Evan Thompson, “Dying: What Happens when We Die?”, in Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 292:

     "Bardo," as noted, means in-between state. So whenever we're in between two states, no matter what the scale, we're in a bardo state. These two states could be living and dying or being awake and being asleep, but they could also be the just-past moment of thought and the moment to come. Thus "bardo" includes the gap between the cessation of one moment of thought and the arising of the next moment.

   • 2015 January, Jan Jarboe Russell, “The All-American Camp”, in The Train to Crystal City: FDR’s Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America’s only Family Internment Camp during World War II, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, page 233:

     For internees the war was experienced in exile. The Buddhists in Crystal City understood it as a bardo state—a provisional period between the lives before their confinement, and the dream of freedom after the war.

Translations

state of existence between death and subsequent reincarnation

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 中有 (zh) (zhōngyǒu), 中陰 / 中阴 (zh) (zhōngyīn)

• Czech: bardo
• Dutch: bardo
• Estonian: bardo
• Finnish: bardo (fi)
• French: bardo (fr)
• Galician: bardo (gl) m
• German: Bardo (de)
• Japanese: 中陰 (ja) (ちゅういん, chūin), 中蘊 (ちゅううん, chūun), 中有 (ja) (ちゅうう, chūu)
• Korean: 바르도 (bareudo), 중유 (ko) (jung'yu)
• Lithuanian: bardo
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bardo

• Polish: bardo (pl)
• Portuguese: bardo (pt)
• Russian: бардо́ (ru) n (bardó), ба́рдо (ru) n (bárdo)
• Slovak: bardo
• Spanish: bardo budista
• Swedish: bardo (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Tibetan: བར་དོ (bar do)
• Vietnamese: trung hữu

Further reading

• bardo on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Broda, Board, dobra, broad, Broad, Broad., Borda, dorab, B road, abord, Dobra, board, adorb

Esperanto

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin bardus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbardo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ardo
• Syllabification: bar‧do

Noun

bardo (accusative singular bardon, plural bardoj, accusative plural bardojn)

1. bard

Further reading

• “bardo”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “bardo”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾdo/ [ˈbaɾ.ð̞ʊ]
• Rhymes: -aɾdo
• Hyphenation: bar‧do

Etymology 1

From Paleo-Hispanic, perhaps from Proto-Celtic *wradyos (compare Welsh gwraidd, "root")

Noun

bardo m (plural bardos)

1. hedge; fence

   Synonyms: barda, bardal, sebe

Etymology 2

From Irish bard.

Noun

bardo m (plural bardos)

1. poet (of a certain rank); bard

   Synonym: vate

References

• “bardo”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “bardo”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “bardo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “bardo 'vate'”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Tibetan བར་དོ (bar do), of བར (bar, “interval”) + དོ (do, “two”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈbardo/ [ˈbar.do]
• Rhymes: -ardo
• Syllabification: bar‧do

Noun

bardo (uncountable)

1. (Tibetan Buddhism) bardo (state of existence between death and subsequent reincarnation)

Further reading

• “bardo”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbar.do/
• Rhymes: -ardo
• Hyphenation: bàr‧do

Etymology 1

From Latin bardus, from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *bardos, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerdʰh₁ós, derived from the root *gʷerH- (“to praise”).

Noun

bardo m (plural bardi)

1. bard (ancient Celtic poet and singer)
2. (by extension) poet

   Synonyms: aedo, cantore, poeta, rapsodo, (literary) vate

Derived terms

• bardito

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bardo

1. first-person singular present indicative of bardare

Further reading

• bardo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• borda, brado, broda, rabdo-

Latin

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈbaːr.doː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈbar.do]

Adjective

bārdō

1. dative/ablative singular masculine/neuter of bārdus

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈbar.doː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈbar.do]

Noun

bardō m

1. dative/ablative singular of bardus

References

• "bardo", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “bardo”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bьrdo.

Noun

bardo n

1. comb (in a loom)

Further reading

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “bardo”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999), “bardo”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Old Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bьrdo. First attested in the 15th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /baːrdɔ/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /bɒrdɔ/

Noun

bardo n

1. reed, weaving comb
   • 1874-1891 [15th century], Rozprawy i Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Filologicznego Akademii Umiejętności‎^{[1], [2], [3]}, volume XXIV, page 364:

     Perticam fullonis strvną knapska, bardv

     [Perticam fullonis struna knapska, bardo]

Descendants

• Polish: bardo, Bardo

References

• Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000), “bardo”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “bardo”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish bardo.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈbar.dɔ/

• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈbɒr.dɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ardɔ
• Syllabification: bar‧do
• Homophone: Bardo

Noun

bardo n

1. (obsolete) reed, weaving comb

   Synonyms: grzebień tkacki, płocha, przybijaczka

Declension

Declension of bardo

	singular	plural
nominative	bardo	barda
genitive	barda	bared
dative	bardu	bardom
accusative	bardo	barda
instrumental	bardem	bardami
locative	bardzie	bardach
vocative	bardo	barda

Further reading

• “bardo”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)
• Maria Renata Mayenowa; Stanisław Rospond; Witold Taszycki; Stefan Hrabec; Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023), “bardo”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
• Danuta Lankiewicz (14.06.2016), “BARDO”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814), “bardo”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “bardo”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “bardo”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 98

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bardus, from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *bardos.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbaʁ.du/ [ˈbaɦ.du]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbaʁ.du/ [ˈbaɦ.du]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾ.du/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈbaʁ.du/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ˈbaɻ.du/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbaʁ.do/ [ˈbaɦ.do]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾ.du/ [ˈbaɾ.ðu]

• (Rio Grande do Sul) IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾ.do/

Noun

bardo m (plural bardos)

1. bard

   Synonyms: menestrel, escaldo, rapsodo, trovador, vate, músico, poeta, cantor

Further reading

• “bardo”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “bardo”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin bardus, from Gaulish [Term?], from Proto-Celtic *bardos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaɾdo/ [ˈbaɾ.ð̞o]
• Rhymes: -aɾdo
• Syllabification: bar‧do

Noun

bardo m (plural bardos)

1. bard
2. conflict

Turkish

Etymology

From French bardot.

Noun

bardo (definite accusative bardoyu, plural bardolar)

1. hinny (offspring of a male horse and a female donkey)

Declension

Declension of bardo

singular plural nominative bardo bardolar definite accusative bardoyu bardoları dative bardoya bardolara locative bardoda bardolarda ablative bardodan bardolardan genitive bardonun bardoların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular bardom bardolarım 2nd singular bardon bardoların 3rd singular bardosu bardoları 1st plural bardomuz bardolarımız 2nd plural bardonuz bardolarınız 3rd plural bardoları bardoları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular bardomu bardolarımı 2nd singular bardonu bardolarını 3rd singular bardosunu bardolarını 1st plural bardomuzu bardolarımızı 2nd plural bardonuzu bardolarınızı 3rd plural bardolarını bardolarını dative singular plural 1st singular bardoma bardolarıma 2nd singular bardona bardolarına 3rd singular bardosuna bardolarına 1st plural bardomuza bardolarımıza 2nd plural bardonuza bardolarınıza 3rd plural bardolarına bardolarına locative singular plural 1st singular bardomda bardolarımda 2nd singular bardonda bardolarında 3rd singular bardosunda bardolarında 1st plural bardomuzda bardolarımızda 2nd plural bardonuzda bardolarınızda 3rd plural bardolarında bardolarında ablative singular plural 1st singular bardomdan bardolarımdan 2nd singular bardondan bardolarından 3rd singular bardosundan bardolarından 1st plural bardomuzdan bardolarımızdan 2nd plural bardonuzdan bardolarınızdan 3rd plural bardolarından bardolarından genitive singular plural 1st singular bardomun bardolarımın 2nd singular bardonun bardolarının 3rd singular bardosunun bardolarının 1st plural bardomuzun bardolarımızın 2nd plural bardonuzun bardolarınızın 3rd plural bardolarının bardolarının

See also

• katır (“mule”)

Further reading

• “bardo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025