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From wikipedia:
The Ātman (IAST: Ātman, sanskrit: आत्मन्) is a philosophical term used within Hinduism, especially in the Vedanta school to identify the SOUL whether in global sense (world’s soul) or in individual sense (of a person own soul). The word ātman is connected with the Indo-European root *ēt-men (BREATH) and is cognate with Old English “æþm”, Greek “asthma”, German “Atem”: “atmen” (to BREATHE).
The English word SPIRIT comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning “BREATH” (compare spiritus asper), but also “soul, courage, vigor”, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)peis, as opposed to Latin anima and Greek psykhē. The word apparently came into Middle English via Old French. The distinction between soul and spirit developed in the Abrahamic religions: Thus we find Greek ψυχη opposite πνευμα ; Latin anima opposite spiritus; Arabic nafs (نفس) opposite rúħ (روح); Hebrew neshama (נְשָׁמָה nəšâmâh) or nephesh (in Hebrew neshama comes from the root NŠM or “BREATH“) opposite ruach (רוּחַ rûaħ).
Similar concepts in other languages include Greek pneuma from which is derived the term “Pneumatology” – the study of SPIRITUAL beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God. Pneuma (πνεῦμα) is Greek for “BREATH“, which metaphorically describes a non-material being or influence. Similarly, Scandinavian languages, Slavic languages and the Chinese language (qi) use the words for “breath” to express concepts similar to “the spirit“.
Genes 2 Brains 2 Mind 2 Me 