'atma' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'ātman', where the root 'āt-' meant 'breath' or 'self (life principle)'.

'atma' comes from Sanskrit 'ātman'; related Prakrit and Pali forms include 'atta'/'attha', and the term entered English usage via scholarly and religious texts on Hinduism and Indian philosophy.

Initially it referred to 'breath' and the vital life principle; over time it came to denote the metaphysical concept of the 'self' or 'soul' used in religious and philosophical contexts, which is its primary modern meaning.