"ji" & "namaskar/namaste"

[heartfully]

Namaste,

What does "ji" mean when someone puts it after my name?

Also what is the difference between "namaskar" and "namaste"?

Love to you,
Heartfully

[kshama]

Namaskar Heartfully Ji,

Namaste and namaskar are just the same. Ji is used when referring to someone you respect, elders, women, men etc.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~~~

Namasté



What does "ji" mean when someone puts it after my name?


Let me offer the following...

jī जी - means sir, or mister
ji जि - means to conquer or conquering, to overcome, to win over. What is implied is that one has one overcome the self with the SELF.
ji जि - is also a salutation to 'live long' ; to vanquish, to conquerLets look at another, jū. This is used with svāmī Lakṣman-jū's name;
jū जू - to impel quickly,urge or drive on; jū is rooted in jinv जिन्व् to help any one, to urge on quickly; also to receive favorably such as prayers or acts of devotion; this jinv is to move one's self, to be active or lively.


Also jū is another name for Sarasvatī. I have yet to encounter this in my studies but find this association offered in the Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary. We know Her as the Goddess of eloquence and learning. She is also identified with vāc or speech.


praṇām

[heartfully]

Namaste,

Thank you very much for your help. As you can see I have so much to learn!

Love to you,
Heartfully

[ScottMalaysia]

Namaste,

What does "ji" mean when someone puts it after my name?

Also what is the difference between "namaskar" and "namaste"?

Love to you,
Heartfully

I think that Kshama and Yajvan have explained it quite well. However, these titles are only used by North Indian Hindus who speak Hindi. South Indian Hindus (well, the ones in Malaysia, anyway) never use "ji". My wife's aunt calls her brother-in-law (my father-in-law) "annan" which means "elder brother" in Tamil. Other titles that are used are "akka" meaning "older sister" and "ateh" meaning "aunt". Tamil speakers also say வணக்கம் (vanakkam) instead of "namaste". This is just to let you know that these forms of address are not universal throughout the Hindu world, the way "as-salamu 'alaykum" is throughout the Islamic world.

[Harjas Kaur]

Please allow me to clarify:

Ji means "respected one." It connotes respect like you would speak to someone close to you like an elder, a teacher, a Guru.
"-ji (jee) - a Hindi affectionate honorific; appended to the end of a name to denote affection. http://www.sharanya.org/glossary/"
Etymology Sanskrit जीव (jīva), “‘life”, “soul”, “existence’”).
Suffix -ji
Hindi जी (jī), “‘heart”, “mind”, “yes”, “yes sir”, “honorific suffix’”), is a suffix or postposition used with a name or a title to show respect, in Hindi and many other languages of the Indian subcontinent.
Usage notes
With names, e.g., Gandhiji (गंधीजी) or Sant Ji
In conversation, e.g. "Ji Nahi" (जी नहीं, No sir)
In polite conversation, e.g. "Navraj Ji" (Sir Navraj) http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Transwiki:-ji

"I almost call everyone by attributing jee after his/her name i.e Siona as Sionajee because in our Indian culture it has very deep, wide meaning in granting respects highly to people. our culture teaches us whomsoever you meet you shall say Namaste by folding your hands above chest with much politeness and much gratitudes so that he/she shall feel he/she is respecting me with much honours, but you know friends when we attribute jee after name of people like I say sionajee so I am giving her my dignified honours humbly..." http://owais1231.gaia.com/blog/2008/5/what_is_jee_or_jiNamaskar and Namaste

Namaskar is what you do (the act of bowing.) Namaste is what you say (I bow to you.)


From Hindi नमस्कार / Urdu نمسکار namaskār < Sanskrit नमस्कार namaskāra, from namas: "to bow", "obeisance" and kāra: "action". Interjection: namaskar
respectful greetings Noun:
Singular
namaskar

Plural
namaskars
(India) The use of the greeting in which you put your hands together and then bow slightly. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/namaskar
NAMASTE means: "From Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste), from नमस् (n&#225;mas), “‘bow, obeisance, reverential salutation’”), and ते (te), “‘to you’”)." http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/namaste

[kshama]

I think that Kshama and Yajvan have explained it quite well. However, these titles are only used by North Indian Hindus who speak Hindi. South Indian Hindus (well, the ones in Malaysia, anyway) never use "ji". My wife's aunt calls her brother-in-law (my father-in-law) "annan" which means "elder brother" in Tamil. Other titles that are used are "akka" meaning "older sister" and "ateh" meaning "aunt". Tamil speakers also say வணக்கம் (vanakkam) instead of "namaste". This is just to let you know that these forms of address are not universal throughout the Hindu world, the way "as-salamu 'alaykum" is throughout the Islamic world.

Namaskar ScottMalaysia Ji,

I'd like to state that, Tamil people, call their relations in varied ways: anne (brother), anni (sis-in-law) , ateh (aunt) and etc.

In Malaysia, I do not go around and call any male anne, or any lady akka (sister). There are reasons, sometimes, some people feel offended by such calling. It is either they feel old to be called like that, or they feel uncomfortable when a stranger calls them as though they are related. Different people, different mindsets...

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté


If one wanted to read more namaḥ, namasté or namaskāra you can find it here , post 12: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=25912&postcount=12 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=25912&postcount=12)



Namaste or Namasté or Namaskāra is rooted in namas नमस् - to bow , obeisance , reverential salutation , adoration (by gesture or word ). This namas- is rooted in kṛ to utter a salutation , do homage. The word nam नम् means to turn toward - just as we bow we 'turn toward' or direct our bow to another. This Namaskāra is 'I bow to you' . Yet na = 'not' + ma is (máma) or 'me' + kāra = 'to do' i.e. not me ( to do) , I bow to you (namas नमस्).

praṇām

[heartfully]

Namaste _/|\_

Thanks for all your help. I have a much clearer understanding of the terms now.

:)

Love to you,
Heartfully