Etymograph

English

magico-

Magico- comes from Latin magicus ‘magic’, from Old Persian Old Persian form ‘Mazdean priest’, 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‘magical’
  7. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαγικόςmagikós‘magical’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagicus‘magic’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1624magico-

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‘magical’
  7. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαγικόςmagikós‘magical’
  8. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagicus‘magic’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1624magico-

Earliest quotation: 1624, Democritus Junior pseudonym; Robert Burt, The Anatomy of Melancholy: […]: “panaceas, martial amulets, unguentum armarium, balsams, strange extracts, elixirs,…”

Linked words

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

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

through Ancient Greek μάγος ‘magical’

mage, magus, 3 more

Today it means

prefix magic, magical.

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

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

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