manevi

Manevi is an adjective used in several languages—most notably Turkish, Indonesian, Malay, and Urdu with Persian and Arabic linguistic roots—to describe what relates to the soul, inner life, or non-material aspects of existence. In these contexts, manevi denotes spirituality, morality, values, and transcendence, often in contrast with the material or physical dimensions of life.

The term traces its etymology to Persian and Arabic language families and was adopted into Turkic and South Asian vocabularies through historical cultural contact. In Turkish, phrases such as manevi değerler (spiritual values) or manevi dünyanın (the spiritual world) are common in education, philosophy, and public discourse. In Indonesian and Malay, the notion appears in discussions of character and values, for example in the expression nilai-nilai manevi (spiritual values) used in schooling and civic life. In Urdu and other South Asian languages, manevi carries a similar sense of inner reality, devotion, and moral consciousness, often appearing in religious texts and poetry.

Usage of manevi spans religious, philosophical, and cultural domains. It supports discourse on ethics, personal development, and cultural heritage by highlighting non-material aspects of human life, such as conscience, faith, and the pursuit of transcendence. In modern contexts, debates about spirituality, morality, and national or community identity frequently employ manevi to distinguish inner, non-tangible dimensions from physical or economic concerns.

See also: spirituality, ethics, cultural values.