Etymology

satori

sa·to·ri
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Today it means: A sudden inexpressible feeling of spiritual awakening or enlightenment, the result of meditation and study. Full definition →

Japanese 悟り ← Middle Chinese 悟
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satori · noun1

  1. Middle Chinese · derived from悟“to become aware, apprehend, realize; to awaken”
  2. Japanese · borrowed from悟り“understanding; (Buddhism) enlightenment, satori”
  3. English todaysatori

Borrowed from Japanese 悟り (satori, “understanding; (Buddhism) enlightenment, satori”), from 悟る (satoru, “to perceive; to comprehend, understand; to come to enlightenment”), from Middle Chinese 悟 (nguH, “to become aware, apprehend, realize; to awaken”) (modern Mandarin 悟 (wù)), used to translate Pali bodhi (“supreme knowledge”) or its etymon Sanskrit बोधि (bodhi, “perfect knowledge or wisdom by which a person becomes a buddha or jina; enlightened or illuminated intellect of a Buddha or jina”). Etymology 1 sense 3 (“mutant gene of Drosophila that causes homosexual behaviour in males”) was coined by the Japanese scientist Daisuke Yamamoto in a 1991 paper, based on the Japanese term.

satori · noun2

  1. Middle Chinese · derived from覺“to become aware, awaken to, dawn on”
  2. Japanese · borrowed from覚
  3. English todaysatori

Borrowed from Japanese 覚 (satori), from Middle Chinese 覺 (kaewk, “to become aware, awaken to, dawn on”) (modern Mandarin 覺 /觉 (jué); referring to the creature’s mind-reading ability).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.