Etymograph

English

Magi

Magi comes from Middle English mages ‘Wizards, occult scholars’, from Latin magus ‘magician’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-‘to be able’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-ú-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*magʰúšreconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*magúšreconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian formtransliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration‘Mazdean priest’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγος‘magician’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagus‘magician’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagī
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mages‘Wizards, occult scholars’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1660Magi

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-‘to be able’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-ú-sreconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*magʰúšreconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*magúšreconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian formtransliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration‘Mazdean priest’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγος‘magician’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagus‘magician’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagī
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mages‘Wizards, occult scholars’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1660Magi

Earliest quotation: 1660, Edmund Warcupp, Italy: “A rich Tabernacle where is kept the head of…”

The story

Magus is derived from Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos), Μάγος (Mágos, “magician; (derogatory) conjurer, sorcerer; Zoroastrian priest”) (plural μᾰ́γοι (mắgoi), Μᾰ́γοι (Mắgoi)), from Old Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬨𐬊𐬕𐬎 (moġu), Old Median and Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁 (m-gu-u-š /⁠maγu-⁠/, title of a person?)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (‘to be able, have power; power; sorcerer’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’

might, may, main, mechanical, mechanism, yay, mechanic, mower, dismay, mecha, machinist, yayo, 79 more

through Latin magus ‘magician’

mage, magus

Today it means

name Chiefly preceded by the (three): the wise men who visited and gave gifts to the baby Jesus at the Epiphany (traditionally considered to be three in number and sometimes named Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior, but the Bible does not state how many there were or their names).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- / Magi

Shirt and support for this word