Originally Posted By: srinivasan
Originally Posted By: Revlgking

srinivasan: Hebrew, Arabic, Greek and Latin--and perhaps other languages--all use air, wind and breath as metaphors for spirit. The Saxon and German word geist, from which we get our word ghost, has a similar meaning. In Kantian philosophy it is the quality in a work of art that gives life to it and inspires the mind.


Fantastic...never knew all that. It is amazing that language was not meant merely to convert thoughts into sound. Clearly, there is a lot to be understood just by studying the etymology of ancient languages.
You got it! Words are also used to convert our thoughts into profound and meaningful ideas and actions, including life-saving (first aid) and life-taking (war) ones.

BTW, our ancient ancestors had no idea that what we call the air we breathe is actually made up of invisible materials--oxygen, nitrogen, etc. They thought of it as a thing filled with mystery--much in the same way we now think of the vacuum of space--that into which the cosmos is expanding.