A Key to Understanding the Pyramid
A report into the meaning of the word and term “pyramid”

Pyramids are the greatest monumental structures on the planet known to mankind. In centuries past there were only legends about the pyramids in Egypt. Nowadays at the beginning of 21st century living, in a world of technology, we still do not know everything about them. In fact, we have more questions now than two centuries ago.

One of them is the meaning of the word "pyramid." What does the word and term mean? Everybody knows what a pyramid looks like, but the meaning of "pyramid" is a question for a long discussion. To understand the pyramids let’s do some small linguistic research.

Consider the sources of the word and term "pyramid." At first it is necessary to note that "pyramid" or "пирамида" (in Russian), "piramide" (in Spanish, French and Slavic languages) and "pyramide" (in German) is a word from ancient Greece. In Greek πύραμίς or the plural πύραμίδες, had two meanings. The first was "wheat cake" because Egyptian buildings reminded the Greeks of pointy-topped cakes. Later the Greek word "puramis" signified a monumental structure built of stone with a square base, and sloping sides meeting at an apex. But the origin of the Greek word "puramis" has a special history. There is one version that proclaims that the ancient Egyptian "Pir E Mit" (“division of number” or “division of perfection”) was taken from the Greeks. An etymology dictionary tells us that the Greek word "puramis" is an “alternation of the Egyptian "pimar."

The Greek word "puramis" then crossed into Latin. In Europe during the Middle Ages there were no special meanings of the word "puramis" for describing any pyramidal construction in any European language. Only educated people would have known about the pyramids in Egypt during the medieval ages. The first written interpretation of the word "pyramid" in Europe was in 1555 and meant "one of the ancient structures of the King of Egypt." After the discovery of the pyramids in Mexico and the development of most sciences in the 18th century, the "pyramid" became a real geometrical figure and a structure of pyramidal form. It meant that everything which had a pyramidal form from then on became known as a pyramid.

If we address the languages where the pyramids are located we will find more ancient treatments of this term. The ancient Egyptian word for pyramids is "Mr," pronounced as "mer." But the origin of the word "Mr" is unknown. Nobody knows what this means. In modern Egypt every pyramid has its own name, for example Khufu’s Pyramid and Menkaure’s Pyramid. In Arabic the word for pyramid is هرم, pronounced "haram" meaning "ultimate age or size." Consequently the term "pyramid" in the Arabic world is the most ancient and largest construction ever built.

We cannot understand the sense and importance of the term "pyramid" without mentioning the huge area of pyramids in Central China, around Xi’an. There are more than 200 pyramids of different shapes which have never been excavated. We don’t know precisely who, when, how or for what they were created by the ancient civilizations there, but the Chinese language has some answers which reveal some sensational discoveries.

There are three meanings of the term "pyramid" in China:

1. Jin’ zi ta (jīnzìtǎ) - is the most used. Jin means gold. Zi - a mark, written symbol. Ta - a tower. So we have "a tower with golden symbols."

It is not initially possible to find out why the pyramid in Chinese language is called this as we don’t know the history of their first hieroglyphs. In modern Chinese Jin’zi ta means an Egyptian pyramid. But it is probable there was a time when Chinese pyramids were known as "towers with golden symbols." Even if we concern ourselves solely with the Egyptian pyramids, we can see clearly that any pyramid is a monumental structure, which holds and preserves sacred and very valuable knowledge. The hieroglyphs Jin’ zi ("golden symbols") are not attributed to a golden metal but to the information of sacred knowledge, which has the value of gold. Therefore the pyramids in Egypt, China and in other places are great reserves of important information about ancient civilizations for all humankind. Chinese hieroglyphs point to the ancient meanings of the pyramids, this is very important because language is the key to understanding the culture and history of peoples.

2. The second meaning of "pyramid" in China is Jiao zhui, the literal translation is "a horn for drilling the ground." It may seem that this is no attribute of a pyramid, but not so for the Chinese pyramids. There is an unusual object in 40 kilometers from Xi’an which looks like an unnatural lake. After closer examination and analysis of satellite images, it becomes clear that this object is like a mirror reflection of a pyramid. It looks as though a pyramid has been turned upside down and driven into the ground and then removed. I propose to title this construction a "pyramidal antipode." This is located in a valley where dozens of pyramids are also found. For what reason was this dug into the ground is a good question and unfortunately at the moment without answer. But as the Chinese had a special term to describe this construction it means that the pyramid antipode was an important object with some special, as yet unknown, function in ancient times.

3. The third meaning is Leng zhu and can be translated as "prism." Any pyramid is a prism, this also applies to the Chinese pyramids. These flat-topped pyramids are widespread in Shaanxi Province. The meaning of the hieroglyphs Leng zhu signifies the pyramid as a prism. These flat-topped pyramidal figures are a kind of prism. But the prism is not simply "a solid object with ends that are parallel and of the same size and shape, and with sides whose opposite edges are equal and parallel" but it’s also an optical lens which reflects light. I have a theory that these Chinese flat-topped pyramids were huge mechanisms for the generation of energy from the light of the sun and the universe.

"Tower with golden symbols," "pyramid - antipode" and "pyramid - prism" are three meanings of a word and term in the Chinese language, which have been used for a long time since the formation of the hieroglyphs. Moreover Chinese terms of pyramid are reflected in the certain forms of pyramids of Shaanxi Province, for example: pyramid-antipode and flat-topped pyramids. The terms besides their descriptions also have an esoteric sense of ancient buildings.

The importance of Chinese interpretations of the word and term "pyramid" need detailed research because they are the keys for the understanding of the pyramids not only in China but also worldwide. In addition when we refer to the Japanese language we’ll find the hieroglyph "Kinjito," which consisted from: 1. Kin - gold; 2. Ji is a letter, symbol. 3. Ta - tower. Consequently the pyramid in Japanese is "a tower with golden symbols." The Japanese word "kinjito" doesn’t resemble the Chinese Jin’ zi ta (jīnzìtǎ) but they have the same meanings.

At the end of this linguistic research into the word and the term "pyramid" in six languages, the source of the term "pyramid" still remains unknown. There are many cases, when the term "pyramid" describes a geometrical or architectural object without an explanation of the assignment to a building. The Chinese definition of a "tower with golden symbols" is more ancient and thought provoking than other terms. When I combined Chinese and Arabian terms, like a puzzle, I arrive at a new term: pyramid is the most ancient and hugest building for keeping the important and valuable information of prehistoric times.

People have been researching the pyramids for 200 years since the early schematic paintings of the first researchers to today’s modern computer technologies. All this time we wish to learn the true meaning of these ancient monuments, whereas one key for understanding is the word - "pyramid."

by Maxim Yakovenko - 29th March - 7th April 2008

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Special acknowledgement(s): Martin Mayhew for English translation of this text.