swastika
The origin and history of swastika.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit svastika, built from su- ("good") and asti ("is"), together meaning roughly "a good-luck charm." The word entered English in 1871. From the 1930s it became strongly tied to the symbol used by the Nazi party (also called the Hakenkreuz, or "hooked cross").
Class of 1871
swastika first entered the language around 1871. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1871 →