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magie

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Etymology and origin of the French word magie

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1535 Georges de Selve's translation of Plutarch's Lives More words from the 16th century
Borrowed from
Latin magia
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek μάγος
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos)
Latin magus
English mage
English magus
Italian mago
Ancient Greek μαγεύω (mageúō)
Ancient Greek μαγεία (mageíā)
Latin magīa
French magie
Romanian magie
Italian magia
The word's journey
From the same root
Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós) ← μάγος
Romanian amăgi ← μαγεύω

Pronunciation

Forms

magie f (plural magies)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin magia (“magic”), which is from Ancient Greek μαγεία (mageía, “religion of the Persian magi, sorcery”), from μαγεύω (mageúō, “to be a magus”), itself from μάγος (mágos, “magus”).[2][3][4][5][6] The adjective magique had been borrowed much earlier, about 1265, from Latin magicus.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1535, in Georges de Selve's translation of Plutarch's Lives, for the religion of the Persian magi: la théologie secrette des Perses, qu'ilz appelloient magie ("the secret theology of the Persians, which they called magic").[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Before the word magisme was coined, magie named the religion of the magi in the 16th and 17th centuries.[4][2] From the 16th century it also meant the art of producing, by occult means, effects outside the ordinary course of nature: Ronsard used it figuratively in 1555, and the literal sense is recorded in 1579.[3][2] Several kinds were named: magie naturelle (1612, in the title of a translation of Porta), magie noire and magie blanche (1630, in Agrippa d'Aubigné), which are still usual, and magie démoniaque (1692), which is not.[3][2]

A figurative sense, the strong and inexplicable charm of something, dates from 1665, in La Rochefoucauld, and gave phrases such as la magie de l'art (1757).[7][2] For Furetière (1690) c'est la magie noire was said of something hard to fathom.[7][5] The phrase comme par magie "as if by magic" seems to be recent.[2] Today the word also covers conjuring tricks (tours de magie).[8][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1265 – The adjective magique is borrowed.[2][4]
  • 1535 – Magie appears for the religion of the Persian magi.[3][2]
  • 1555 – Ronsard uses it figuratively.[3][2]
  • 1579 – First record of the sense "occult art producing supernatural effects".[3][2]
  • 1612 – Magie naturelle appears in the title of a translation of Porta.[3]
  • 1630 – Magie noire and magie blanche are found in Agrippa d'Aubigné.[3][2]
  • 1665 – La Rochefoucauld uses it for a strong, inexplicable charm.[7][2]
  • 1757 – La magie de l'art is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Magic, the art of producing by occult means effects that seem inexplicable: magie blanche, harmless magic, and magie noire, which calls on evil spirits.[8][9][5]
  2. (by extension) Something extraordinary: c'est de la magie.[8] Comme par magie: as if by magic, in an inexplicable way.[8][1]
  3. Conjuring, illusionism: un tour de magie.[8][1]
  4. (sociology) The body of secret procedures of action and knowledge in so-called primitive societies, as opposed to science and religion.[8]
  5. (figurative) A strong, inexplicable charm or influence: la magie de l'art, la magie d'un sourire.[8][2]
  6. (dated) The religion of the magi of ancient Persia.[5][7]

Word family

  • magicien

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 25a
  7. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Magie.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/magie. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·