maya1
/ˈmɑːjə
/noun [mass noun]
1 Hinduism The supernatural power wielded by gods and demons.And these demons were so expert with maya, they would create darkness, expand into various forms etc.
1.1 Hinduism & Buddhism The power by which the universe becomes manifest; the illusion or appearance of the phenomenal world.As one example, the Agamic tradition does not regard the physical and spiritual worlds as mere maya or illusion, but rather considers them sacred creation, the visible form of the Supreme God....
- Each individual has to burn out his own karma and escape from the chains of maya, reincarnation, and all that.
- Sure, there is maya, there is illusion, but again all of that is created through our filters and shields of denials that we often choose to hide behind!
Origin
From Sanskrit māyā, from mā 'create'.
Maya2
/ˈmʌɪ(j)ə/ /ˈmeɪ(j)ə /noun (plural same or Mayas)
1A member of an American Indian people of Yucatán and elsewhere in Central America.Highly developed cultures, including those of the Olmecs, Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs existed long before the Spanish conquest....
- The great civilisations of Central America - Toltecs, Aztecs and Mayas - were dangerously short of protein, with only the occasional big guinea pig for Sunday lunch.
- Between Mayas and Aztecs came the Toltecs, who incised five holes on their human-bone flutes.
2 [mass noun] The language of the Maya, still spoken by about half a million people.
adjective
Relating to the Maya or their language.Other Maya languages treat the comestible universe in roughly the same manner; and the phenomenon may also be observed in some other cultures....
- It documented changes in subsistence patterns and the development of agriculture and village life which underpinned the rise of Olmec, Zapotec, and Maya civilizations.
- The modern Guatemalan population is largely descended from Maya ancestors.
The Maya civilization developed in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize from the 2nd millennium bc, reaching its peak circa 300-circa 900 ad. Its remains include stone temples built on pyramids and ornamented with sculptures. The ancient Mayas used a system of hieroglyphic writing and an extremely accurate calendar system.
Origin
The name in Maya.