karma

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkɑː.mə/; /ˈkɑɹ.mə/, /ˈkəɹ.mə/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Sanskrit कर्म (karma, “action, work, deed; fate”), the nominative of कर्मन् (karman),^[2][3][4] from करोति (karoti, “he does, makes”),^[3][5] related to Avestan kərənaoiti (“makes”) and Old Persian kunautiy (“he makes”),^[2] from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- (“to make, form”).^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In an Indian context, the sum of a person's actions in one life, which determines the next: 1800 in Etymonline;^[2] the OED's first quotation, in Buddhism, is from 1827.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Karmic is from 1883.^[7] The OED (1989) notes that the word was latterly adopted by Western popular meditative groups,^[2] and in loose use it means fate or destiny,^[8][5] or the feeling or atmosphere of a place or person.^[8]

Timeline

• 1800 – karma.^[2]
• 1827 – in Buddhism (OED).^[7]
• 1883 – karmic.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person's actions, seen as deciding their fate in this life and in future reincarnations.
2. Fate or destiny.
3. (informal) The atmosphere or feeling surrounding a person or place; vibes.

Word family

• karmic
• karma-marga

Related words

• dharma
• Sanskrit

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
6. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin