वातायनम्
vātāyanam
In Sanskrit, the word for window is वातायनम् (vātāyanam).
The term refers to an opening used for light and air.
Meaning: opening for light and air (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of vātu, meaning wind or air and āyana, meaning path or way, literally translating to 'way for the wind'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Its plural form is वातायनानि, and the genitive singular form, which means 'of the window', is वातायनस्य.
How do you pronounce it?
vātāyanam
Did you know?
- The term vātu inside वातायनम् is related to 'Vayu', the Vedic deity of the wind, effectively naming the window after a god.
- While वातायनम् describes a window, the root āyana also describes the movement of the sun through the zodiac, suggesting a window is a 'path' for light as well as air.
- The component vātu in वातायनम् is the same root used to describe the 'Vata' winds in Ayurvedic medicine, linking the physical window to the vital breath of life.
Examples in context
- एतत् वातायनम् अस्ति ।etat vātāyanam asti.This is a window.
- किं तत् वातायनम् पश्यसि?kiṃ tat vātāyanam paśyasi?Are you looking at that window?
Example conversation
A sunny afternoon in a quiet room.
- आर्यन Aryanकाव्ये, वातायनम् उद्घाटय ।Kāvye, vātāyanam udghāṭaya.Kavya, open the window.
- काव्या Kavyaआर्यन, अत्र उष्णता अस्ति ।Āryan, atra uṣṇatā asti.Aryan, it is hot in here.
- आर्यन Aryanकिन्तु वायुः आवश्यकः ।kintu vāyuḥ āvaśyakaḥ.But air is necessary.
- काव्या Kavyaअस्तु, अहं वातायनम् उद्घाटयामि ।astu, ahaṃ vātāyanam udghāṭayāmi.Alright, I will open the window.
