Avatar
/ˈæv.ə.tɑːr/noun
An embodiment or manifestation of a person or idea, especially in digital form; in Hinduism, an incarnation of a deity.
Did you know?In Sanskrit, avatāra refers to a deity’s “descent” to earth, especially Vishnu’s incarnations, and the modern digital sense was borrowed much later through the idea of a visible manifestation.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
avatāra
“a descent, especially the descent of a deity to earth in incarnate form”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
avatāraḥ
“an incarnation or manifestation of a god”
18th-19th Century
English
avatar
“a manifestation or embodiment, especially of a Hindu deity”
Late 20th Century
English
avatar
“a digital representation or persona in a virtual environment”