Monthly Archives: December 2019

Meanings of Alma mater

Alma mater is an expression of Latin that is used to designate, metaphorically, the university. Its literal translation would be ‘mother nutricia’, because soul means ‘that nourishes’, while mater, matris , translates ‘mother’. In this sense, the university is considered as a mother, because it provides its children, the students, with the nourishment of the universal knowledge for the professional exercise. Hence, every regular… Read More »

Meanings of Aloha

Aloha is a Hawaiian word that serves to greet, say goodbye and desire love and harmony. Aloha is the most used and known word in Hawaii. The word is composed of alo which means “presence” and has to indicate “breathing.” Therefore, aloha literally translates as “presence of breath.” In this sense, aloha is used on the island of Hawaii as a philosophy… Read More »

Meanings of Alchemy

Alchemy are the experiences of chemical phenomena that precede the scientific method. The objective of alchemy was knowledge about the transmutation of matter, mixed with motivations considered religious or esoteric. The most accepted theory about the etymological origin of the word alchemy is one that is formed with the Arabic prefix al – and the Greek word khyma which means “mixing… Read More »

Meanings of Altar

Altar is known as a stone that sacrifices to divinity. The word altar is of Latin origin “altare” , of “altus ” which means “elevation”. In pagan religions, altar was a kind of table for sacrifices. On the other hand, in the Christian religion, altar is the table where the mass is celebrated and next to which the prayers… Read More »

Meanings of Altar of the Dead

The altar of the dead is one of the fundamental elements of the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. It represents the vision that pre-Hispanic cultures had of death. The altar of the dead consists of several floors where the syncretism of the pre-Hispanic religions merges with the Catholic religion. The basic levels of… Read More »