Where does “Zen-like” come from?
Zen-like (English) comes from English like, from Dutch luik, from Middle Dutch luke, from Dutch luiken, from Middle Dutch luken, from Old Dutch lūcan, from Proto-West Germanic lūkan, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną — to break, tear; to break, shatter.
Zen-like (English): Resembling Zen Buddhism or some aspect of it, especially the use of cryptic, apparently nonsensical parables
Definitions
- Resembling Zen Buddhism or some aspect of it, especially the use of cryptic, apparently nonsensical parables
Ancestry of “Zen-like”, step by step
Zen-like traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English like
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | like | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;... |
| 2 | Dutch | luik | hatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | luke | — |
| 4 | Dutch | luiken | to close, to shut |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | luken | to close, to shut; to close, to become closed |
| 6 | Old Dutch | lūcan | to close, shut |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | lūkan | to close, to shut |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lūkaną | to close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |
via English zen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | zen | A denomination of Buddhism; Profound meditation... |
| 2 | Japanese | 禅 | "dhyana-samadhi"; the disciplines and doctrine of... |
| 3 | Japanese | 禅那 | Zen meditation practice |
| 4 | Middle Chinese | 禪那 | — |
| 5 | Sanskrit | ध्यान | meditation, thought, reflection, profound and... |
| 6 | Sanskrit | ध्यै | to contemplate, meditate, think of |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeyh₂- | mind, thought |