μαγικός

Forms

μᾰγῐκός (magikós) m (feminine μᾰγῐκή, neuter μᾰγῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos, “Magus”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2][3] The noun μάγος, a member of the Median priestly caste, is from Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁 (maguš), the name of a Median tribe with priestly functions; its further origin cannot be established.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Later writers report a work called Magikos on the Magi, ascribed to Antisthenes or to Aristotle.^[5] In surviving texts the adjective first appears in the Wisdom of Solomon, where μαγικὴ τέχνη is the art of magic.^[6][5][7]

Semantic evolution

The adjective has two sides from the start: it can mean “of the Magi”, as when Plutarch speaks of the teachings of the Magi, or “magical”, of books of spells and of the magic art, and the feminine ἡ μαγική alone means magic.^[5][8][3] Ptolemy applies it to persons skilled in magic.^[5]

Medieval vernacular Greek kept μαγική τέχνη, and the neuter μαγικό, μαγικά came to mean magic itself; it survives in Cretan μαϊκό and Pontic μαϊκά.^[9] Modern Greek μαγικός (magikós) continues the ancient adjective, and its sense “enchanting, wonderful” is modelled on French magique and enchanteur.^[10]

It was borrowed into Latin as magicus.^[11][4] English magic came in the late 14th century through Old French magique and Late Latin magice, from Greek μαγική.^[4]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – A work titled Magikos is ascribed to Antisthenes, or by some to Aristotle.^[5][12]
• 1st century BC – The Wisdom of Solomon uses μαγικὴ τέχνη for the magic art.^[6][7]
• 1st century BC to 1st century AD – Philo uses the feminine ἡ μαγική for magic.^[5][12]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of the teachings of the Magi.^[5][8][12]
• 2nd century AD – Ptolemy applies it to people skilled in magic.^[5][12]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use the neuter μαγικό (magikó) for magic itself.^[9]
• Late 14th century – English magic is first recorded.^[4]
• Modern Greek – μαγικός (magikós) takes the sense “enchanting” from French.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of the Magi, Magian.^[5][8]
2. Magical, and as a noun, ἡ μαγική (understood τέχνη), magic.^[5][6][3]
3. Of persons, skilled in magic.^[5]

Related words

• μάγος (mágos)
• μαγεία (mageía)
• μαγεύω (mageúō)
• Latin magicus
• English magic

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
7. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ a b c Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
12. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge