SIJL - The Origin Of The Mazda Name

"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform) 12/05/2014 at 20:56 • Filed to: Shit I Just Learned, mazda, mazdalopnik, sijl

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Welcome to "Shit I Just Learned", or SIJL for short. This is an official Oppositelock series boredom post I've just thought of to document shit about the car world that I've just learned. This week: The origin of the Mazda name.

As you all know some of you know none of you probably know, I am quite the Iranian individual. While we were all at my aunt's house one night, we were discussing some Iranian stuff, and Mazda got into the discussion. Someone says that the name "Mazda" sounds like the prophet "Ahuramazda" from a ancient religion predating Islam, Zoroastrianism.

Ahuramazda means "intelligence" or "wisdom". While the religion plays no significant role in society today, Ahuramazda is still a big Iranian figure. In fact, I'm wearing an Ahuramazda necklace right now.

So, I take to the Mazda website to look up the name's history, and sure enough, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

The Origin and Meaning of "Mazda" The company's name, "Mazda," derives from Ahura Mazda, a god of the earliest civilizations in western Asia. We have interpreted Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony, as a symbol of the origin of both Eastern and Western civilizations, and also as a symbol of automotive culture. It incorporates a desire to achieve world peace and the development of the automobile manufacturing industry. It also derives from the name of our founder, Jujiro Matsuda.

So there we have it. I now feel culturally pressured to buy a Mazda. Thanks, Japan.

Have a Mazda Millenia.

ACESandEIGHTS > TheHondaBro 12/05/2014 at 21:11

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Also a man named Matsuda, which when you say it quickly is pronounced like Motsda, founded the concern, dont know if you covered that part. Supposedly they thought the deity's name as company name would be a fitting tribute to his name.

desertdog5051 > TheHondaBro 12/05/2014 at 21:33

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Well done! Great and informative, brief. SIJL.

ranwhenparked > ACESandEIGHTS 12/05/2014 at 21:34

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Yes, it was a twofer. As they expanded internationally, "Mazda" was recognized to be more pronounceable by westerners than "Matsuda", then you've also got the positive symbolic attributes of the deity. I believe in Japan, they still say "Matsuda" even though they also use the Latin Mazda script.

TheHondaBro > ACESandEIGHTS 12/05/2014 at 21:34

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I knew about that part, but they put a lot more emphasis on the name being from Ahuramazda.

MarquetteLa > TheHondaBro 12/05/2014 at 21:36

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As a huge Mazda fan, I didn't know about the Ahuramazda ties. Thanks for sharing!

VonBelmont > TheHondaBro 12/05/2014 at 21:44

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Up until last year, I always thought Mazda was Italian.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > TheHondaBro 12/05/2014 at 21:49

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TILSIJL

Wacko > VonBelmont 12/05/2014 at 22:25

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Why because of the rust issues?

VonBelmont > Wacko 12/05/2014 at 22:30

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That, and the name sounds Italian-ish. Seriously, does Mazda Miata not sound like the name of some permanently hoarse 50-year old Cadillac-driving New Juhzee mob-wife that subsists on wine-coolers and loud arguments?

Wacko > VonBelmont 12/05/2014 at 22:38

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Miata, sounds more like a hair stylists or jalop's car to me ;)