pratiloma
|pra-ti-lo-ma|
🇺🇸
/prəˈtɪloʊmə/
🇬🇧
/prəˈtɪləʊmə/
against the grain; reverse direction
Etymology
'pratiloma' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the compound word 'pratiloma', where the prefix 'prati-' meant 'against, toward' and 'loma' meant 'hair'.
'pratiloma' remained a Sanskrit technical compound (used in Vedic, classical Sanskrit, and later Ayurvedic and yogic literature) and was adopted into English scholarly and technical usage without major phonological change as a loanword.
Initially it meant the literal phrase 'against the hair' (i.e., opposite the direction of hair), but over time it came to be used more broadly to mean 'against the natural order' or 'in reverse direction' in technical and metaphorical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a Sanskrit-derived term literally meaning 'against the hair'; used to denote reverse order, opposite direction, or motion contrary to the normal or natural course.
The manuscript describes the ritual done anuloma (with the grain) rather than pratiloma (against the grain).
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Noun 2
a technical term in traditional Indian systems (Ayurveda, yogic texts) referring to movement or flow in the opposite direction to the normal—e.g., retrograde motion of bodily substances or of vital forces; often presented as the opposite of 'anuloma'.
Classical Ayurvedic texts warn that certain foods or practices can cause pratiloma of digestive processes.
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Last updated: 2025/11/30 04:51