Awakenings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The acts of coming into consciousness or becoming alert after sleep, as well as moments of realization or insight; instances when someone experiences a significant awareness or change in perception
2. Events marking the transition from sleep to wakefulness or personal enlightenment; experiences that lead to an awakening of understanding or awareness in varying contexts
3. Moments of stirring from slumber into full consciousness, alongside transformative realizations that bring a new perspective to one’s life or environment

Etymology: "Awakenings" is simply the plural of "awakening", so its story is the story of "awaken" plus the suffix "-ing". "Awaken" is itself a compound-like formation from the older verb "awake", which combines the prefix "a-" with "wake", and the two words share the same root. The suffix "-ing" turns the verb into a noun for the act or result of the action, so an awakening is the event of waking up. The plural form, "awakenings", is used when a person experiences several such events, or when the word is applied figuratively to many separate moments of understanding. Its meaning has widened from the literal act of rising from sleep to the sudden dawning of insight, which is how the word is most often used today.

Synonyms: realizations, insights