In Kara no Kyoukai, the Swirl of the Root, or Akashic Records, is the name used to pronounce 「 」 (quoted empty space, equivalent of " "), which is also referred to as "Emptiness" (空, Kara?) that is part of the title, which refers to the Buddhist concept of emptiness, Śūnyatā. Although, because the Swirl of the Root is a name, it automatically can't be said to be the same anymore, since 「 」 is a space of nothingness that can't even have a name.