English
Vancian magic
From Vance + -ian, after fantasy writer Jack Vance.
Formed from Vance + -ian
Proto-Indo-European *pen- ‘moist, wet, mud, swamp, water’
Proto-Germanic *fanją ‘fen, marsh, swamp’
Proto-West Germanic *fani ‘fen, marsh, swamp’
Old English fenn ‘marsh, bog’
English Vance
Today it means
noun A form of magic based on the existence of spells that must be prepared in advance, for specific purposes, and that can be used a finite number of times.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Vancian magic