swastika
pronunciation
How to pronounce swastika in British English:
UK [ˈswɒstɪkə]
How to pronounce swastika in American English:
US [ˈswɑstɪkə]
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- Noun:
- the official emblem of the Nazi Party and the Third Reich; a cross with the arms bent at right angles in a clockwise direction
Word Origin
- swastika (n.)
- Greek cross with arms bent at right angles, 1871 (in English specifically as emblem of the Nazi party from 1932), from Sanskrit svastika-s, literally "being fortunate," from svasti-s "well-being, luck," from su- "well" (from PIE *(e)su- "good") + as-, root of asti "(he) is," which is from the same PIE root as Latin esse "to be" (see essence). Also known as gammadion (Byzantine), cross cramponnee (heraldry), Thor's hammer, and, perhaps, fylfot. Originally an ancient cosmic or religious symbol thought to bring good luck. Use in reference to the Nazi emblem first recorded in English in 1932. The German word was Hakenkreuz, literally "hook-cross."
Example
- 1. Russian cold even stopped the determined swastika army of nazi germany .
- 2. The penang world red swastika society charity foundation .
- 3. The world red swastika society penang branch .
- 4. Not only did hitler forever ruin a perfectly good mustache , he also ruined one of the classic good-luck symbols -- the swastika .
- 5. Another , by hubert lanzinger , depicts hitler as a medieval knight on horseback and carrying a swastika flag .