It is literally the transliteration of Hindi नमस्ते and it simply means “hello” in Spanish.
It is a common greeting throughout India and is used as a very respectful way of greeting or saying goodbye to a person in these places.
ORIGIN OF NAMASTE
Námaste is a term from the ancient Sanskrit language of India that is used in religious practices for its significant and reverent character. The words that compose it are namas, which means “reverence” or “adoration” and te which is the personal pronoun “you”. This translates to “I adore you,” “I respect you,” or “I salute you”.
This word is very much manifested in South Asia by the practicing cultures of Buddhism. The faithful to this religious culture use the word námaste to address superior members.
CURIOSITIES OF NAMASTE
The gesture with the hands that accompanies the námaste is known as “mudra”, and in Hinduism it has a representation: the right hand is equal to the sole of God’s feet and the left hand symbolizes the head of the person who performs the gesture.
In yoga activity, the word námaste is used at the beginning or end of each session as a kind of bow. Furthermore, it is also used for its positive connotation of humility and egolessness.