[Mo3]

> But it literally is the translation for swastika.

No, it is not. Even Hakenkreuz, in German, does not translate to Swastika.

Hakenkreuz is, as typical for German, made up of two distinct words - Haken, hook, and Kreuz, cross.

It is very likely that "Hakenkreuz" had simply at some point developed upon seeing a Swastika and trying to visually describe it in German, which would make it a pointer/reference. A lot of German words have exactly this mechanism of origin.

Now, I'm not trying to argue with you that a Hakenkreuz simply used to be a reference/pointer to a Swastika, BUT it was only until the original reference was appropriated and perverted by the Nazi regime, making the resulting output most definitely a new and distinct symbol with a new, distinct symbolic meaning.

[schroeding]

I fail to see where you disagree with me, on the ethmological part. Yeah, Hakenkreuz describes the swastika, a "Kreuz" mit "Haken" on the ends, but then... it still is just the German word for swastika, no? Like "Hakaristi" is in suomi / finnish. "Eisenbahn" still is just the word for railroad and not for "iron track", even though it's technically correct :D

"This tempel has a big, golden swastika" could be translated as: "Dieser Tempel hat ein großes goldenes Hakenkreuz" or "Dieser Tempel hat eine große goldene Swastika", neither of them is wrong, even today.