Guru Nanak

1 7.0

A founder of Sikhism who teaches that all people are equal and should remember God's name

proper noun

: Guru Nanak

In his teachings, Guru Nanak emphasized the importance of meditation on God's name to achieve spiritual peace.

Examples

The legacy of Guru Nanak continues to inspire millions around the world, promoting unity and compassion.
Guru Nanak must have blessed me.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Guru Nanak is revered as the founder of Guru Nanak and taught the concept of equality among all people.

Synonyms

Nanak

vsGuru Nanak

1 8.4

An Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism and taught equality and quiet prayer

is the same historical figure but named with an honorific title

Surface Forms

Guru Nanak main

Morphology

Guru + Nanak

The phrase is a proper name composed of 'Guru' (spiritual teacher) plus the personal name 'Nanak', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a spiritual leader called Nanak. This is a directly compositional, cross-linguistically obvious naming pattern (though historical specifics like founding Sikhism require extra knowledge), so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

Guru Nanak is made of guru ('teacher') and his name Nanak, and one famous story says he went into a river for three days and came out with a strong message that all people are equal. So the name Guru Nanak reminds people of the travelling teacher who began Sikhism and taught meditation and equality.