pneuma · noun — A neume. It carries an Arena rating of 1646, earned across 13 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pneuma ranks #364 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words, #766 of 17,172 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,568 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #1,902 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words.
pneuma is pronounced /ˈnjuːmə/.
Why “pneuma” is a great word
The vital spirit, soul, or creative force of a person, and by extension, the divine, rational principle that animates the cosmos. From Ancient Greek πνεῦμα (pneûma, "wind, breath, spirit"), from πνέω (pnéō, "I blow, breathe"). Unlike "psyche," which grounds the soul in individual identity and emotion, or "anima," which centers on a personal life-principle, pneuma is the universal breath, the shared inspiration. It is the first gasp of a newborn, the divine wind filling a prophet's sails, and the silent, animating pressure in the space between stars—the cool, intelligent breath of the world itself, reminding us that to be alive is to be inhabited by something vast.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Ancient Greek πνεῦμα (pneûma, “wind, breath, spirit”), from πνέω (pnéō, “I blow, breathe”). Doublet of neume.
noun
- A neume.e.g.“With swaying arms they wail in pneuma over the recreant Bloom.” — 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
- The spirit or soul.e.g.“But bound to reach out and beyond this flesh. / Become Pneuma” — 2019, Maynard Keenan James, “Pneuma”, in Fear Inoculum, performed by Tool:
- One of three levels of a human being, the spirit, along with the body and soul.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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