English
magic
Magic comes from Old French magique, from Latin magicus, from Greek μαγικός ‘magical’, from μάγος ‘magus’, ultimately from Old Persian maguš ‘Mazdean priest’.
- Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian formtransliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration‘Mazdean priest’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγοςmágos‘magician, magus’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαγικόςmagikós‘magical’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagicus‘magic, magical’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400magique
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500magik
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1489magic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian formtransliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration‘Mazdean priest’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγοςmágos‘magician, magus’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαγικόςmagikós‘magical’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagicus‘magic, magical’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400magique
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500magik
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1489magic
Earliest quotation: c. 1489, Foure Sonnes of Aymon: “And whan he shall be arrayed as I telle…”
The story
Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂gʰ- (‘to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer’).
Linked words
through Ancient Greek μάγος ‘magus’
Today it means
noun The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Persian Old Persian form / magic