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Ancient connections between Breath and Spirit
In the book of Genesis, God was said to have breathed life into Adam.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "ruach" was used for the "Holy Spirit" or "Holy Ghost" aspect of the Trinity. Ruach could mean wind, breath, spirit or mind.
In the New Testament, The Greek word "pneuma" was used. "Pneuma" refers to "wind", "breath" or "spirit". This Greek root gives rise to modern usage of terms like "pneumatic" (air-powered), "pneumonia" (lung disease), and "pneumatology" (study of spiritual or paranormal beings or activities).
In early Latin translations of the bible, we find the equivalant word "spiritus" (breath) from "spirare" (blow or breathe). This gives rise to modern usage of terms ike "Spirited", "Despirited", "Respiration" and "Inspiration".
"Expire" literally means "breathe out" but is also used for "die". Most modern ranslations of Matthew 27:50 and John 19:30 say Jesus gave or yielded up "his spirit" while the Authorized (or "King James") Version of the Bible used the term "the ghost." Either means that He breathed His last and that His life's essence departed from Him.
"Ghost" comes from the Old English word "gast" and the German "geist". "Gast" appears still in modern English words such as "aghast" (be shocked, terrified, rendered breathless) and "flabbergasted". Again the link between spirit and breath seems to be present. The German word "Zeitgeist" meaning "spirit of the times" is also becoming popular in English.
[for more discussion see www.adishakti.org/_/holy_spirit_or_holy_ghost.htm]
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