What is origin of word "AVATAR"?

Sanskrit.

Quoting from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edn., 1973:

Avatar 1784. [-Skr. avatara descent, f. ava off, away, down + tar- pass over.] 1. Hindu Myth. The descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form. 2. Incarnation 1815. 3. Manifestation or presentation to the world as a ruling power or object of worship 1859. 4. loosely, Manifestation, phase 1850.

..And from the quotes:

4. Wit and sense are but different avatars of the same spirit L. STEPHEN.

See also:-

The "avatar" derives from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, meaning "descent" and usually implying a deliberate descent into mortal realms for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hindu texts, in reference to incarnations of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. The Dasavatara are ten particular "great" incarnations of Vishnu. The avatar popularly known as Gouranga is said to be the most recent descent.

I've often wondered about this word 'avatar'...

So if the above references are correct, why do people call those pictures below are names avatars??

John (puzzled)

I guess these pictures are considerd as your incarnation.

so you can have 10 incarnation as of lord vishnu.or even more.

Check this out!

The use of Avatar to mean online virtual bodies was popularised by Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992). In Snow Crash, the term Avatar was used to describe the virtual simulation of the human form in the Metaverse, a virtual-reality version of the Internet. Social status within the Metaverse was often based on the quality of a user's avatar, as a highly detailed avatar showed that the user was a skilled hacker and programmer while the less talented would buy off-the-shelf models in the same manner a forumer would today.

But how does get the sanskrit word?

was he having a indian software designer?

Not an Indian S/W Designer. Check out the wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(computing). It was made popularized by Neal Stephenson (An american writer). Not only Avatar. A lot of other Sanskrit words have inspired English language. Like Guru, Curry etc.

- Vijay

What if you don't use an AVATAR? Is that just plain laziness or a purposeful show of contempt for the norms of on-line society?

Hmmmm?

'Reckon this indicates a deep-seated longing for anonimity, or even invisibility.

How about you go for an ATAVAR (which I formally claim as a neologism - despite a liberal smattering of misspellings on the 'net) - you could hide in the mists of Time .

I thought your avatar was the invisible man.

No, it originates in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. It is not a western word.

In a very generic sense, the word 'avatar' means different 'forms' for the same person / god. Hence, the pictures are used to indicate the different forms of the same person.

The literal meaning of avatar indicates that the person 'incarnating' should go through a cycle of birth-death (or in other words, appearance and disappearance) of the person. Whereas in the modern sense of 'avatar', the person continues to exist in many 'forms'.

The more suitable word for the modern usage of the term 'avatar' will be 'roopa' (which means FORM). So, a person can be in many 'roopa's at the same time (though not absolutely!!).

Roopa is "good look" and generally used for ladies and also in their names.

IN SANSKRIT THE PREFIX AVA MEANS DOWN AND TAR MEANS GO. SO THE WORD AVATAR LIERALLY MEANS GOING DOWN. WHEN GOD GOES DOWN TO THE LOWER WORLDS HE IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN AN AVATAR.THESE LOWER WORLDS ARE ONLY SO CALLED BECAUSE THEY ARE OF INFERIOR QUALITY AND NOT VERTICALLY SO.

VIJAY SHARMA

veekay_1952@yahoo.co.in

I am more inclined to believe this viewpoint of Hindu texts (and others) for influence and god worship (false god's). Because I do know that it is an occult word, not remembering where I read it from. Occult, meaning it is in fact on the evil side of influence rather than trying to be a guide between good and evil, but influences toward evil. even the innocence of is cirrulation is subtly, over time infuencial in that it comes in blindly.

"... I do know that it is an occult word, not remembering where I read it from ..."

You'll have to do a bit better than that. This is a forum based on facts, not half-remembered suppositions.

Sanskrit

Avtar is originate from sanskrit ,and used regularly in indian languages like Hindi , Gujarati , Marathi , etc . Its english meaning is as per my view reencarnation . it means different appearence of one thing or one personality .

The Origin is Sanscrit (avatara)

"Avatar" is combination of 2 words, "Ava + tara" "Av" is the rrot of the word Ava, meaning "to protect, defend, please." "Tara" means star, which is synonymous with shining, guide (looking at stars, one can find one's way!) Any "Avatar" of God is therefore to protect and defend the good from evil and to guide man in the right path. The different Avatars of God happened or rather are still happening according to the diiferent situations.

Swami vivekanda said, "Every man is potentially devine. Religion is to manifest that divinity in the human being."

There is a perpetual fight going inside the human being between good and evil. Hence, he/she has to take the appropriate Avatar, as the situation warrants, to keep the evil under control or annihilate it and manifest the goodness and promote it. That is, Godliness is not something we have to search outside, but realise It and manifest It form within ourselves. In this context, Avatar as applied in the "net" represents the different stages or manifestations of the "netter!"

The origin of the word "Avatar" is from Sanskrit. In Sanskrit it means manifestation of a form, (e.g. manifestation of God in different forms...)

Avthar is there in almost all Indic languages.... and there are many such words taken from indic languages to English.. Coir, guru , curry, jungle are few of them.

AVTAR is rebirth of something in different form and the new form is an AVATAR of that original form which takes new shape or form.

It is often referred in Hindu philosophy for Godly people being AVATAR of God on earth in simple human form or animal form.

That is why your presence in CR4 in whatever form you wish to appear is your AVATAR. If you are in your original form then it is not an AVATAR. I am here in my original form and hence, my presence is not an AVATAR at all. Those are hiding under cover are some kind of AVATARs of whatever they may otherwise but different from what they appear here on CR4.

AVATAR is used for new living form and not just for some photograph and change of name. Hence, in real sense there is no AVATAR on CR4 at all. I think it is used only to suggest that the picture or name is some kind of living thing, which is not. Individual is actually a real one and merely using changed name and ICON image.

I think it is misleading and perhaps an insult to the word and also an insult to the Hindu ideology, Hindu philosophy and Hindu belief. Perhaps it should be changed to CR4 forum ID or something else that makes real sense. I am Hindu and I know the meaning of AVATAR properly. Every Hindu knows it as AVATAR is God's appearance on earth like you know Jesus Christ. I do not know if there is any AVATAR of Allah but people use the name of Allah in there name like Hindus and Christians do. My name "Shyam" comes from AVATAR "Krishna". That does not mean I am Krishna. Perhaps my parents wanted remember Krishna all the time so they named me after Krishna. My children do not have names of God. I am somehow comfortable with my name that was given to me by my parents. Some people with name of God are actually devils. My second daughter has unique name like computer generated unique number. Many people now have copied that name for their daughter born after her birth. I think it is just a human nature and people do not respect Copyright of names. I do not react to people using the name of my daughter for their daughter or son or even Dog or Cat.

It is not a very serious matter unless someone really seriously objects to it.