yana

Everyday

1. (a name) Yana is a girl's name, common in Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria and other countries; in Ukrainian it is written Яна. tree →
2. (Buddhism) In Sanskrit, "yana" means "vehicle" or "path", and appears in the names of branches of Buddhism, such as Mahayana and Vajrayana. tree →
3. Yana is also the name of a river in Siberia, Russia. tree →

In the lessons

It is not an ordinary English word. In stories and class lists it is usually a girl's name, said "YAH-nuh". In religion lessons about Buddhism, you may see it inside longer words like Mahayana ("great vehicle"), meaning a way to reach enlightenment.

Examples

• Yana is a new girl in our class from Ukraine. tree →
• Yana and I sit together at lunch. tree →
• Mahayana Buddhism is followed in China, Japan and Korea. tree →
• In Sanskrit, "yana" means "vehicle" or "path". tree →
• The Yana River flows north to the Arctic Ocean. tree →
• Yana wrote her name in Ukrainian letters: Яна. tree →

Note

As a name it takes a capital letter: Yana. It is not an English word, and there is nothing else to invent about it. In Buddhist terms it is joined to another word (Mahayana, Vajrayana).