Bibliomancy
/ˌbɪbliˈmænsi/noun
Divination by interpreting words or passages chosen from books, especially sacred texts.
Did you know?Bibliomancy is a real divinatory practice with ancient roots in sacred-text reading, where chance-picked passages were treated as messages from the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
biblion
“book or scroll”
Ancient Greek
Greek
manteia
“divination or prophecy”
Late Latin
Latin
bibliomantia
“divination by books”
16th–17th Century
English
bibliomancy
“divination by selecting passages from books at random”
Modern English
English
bibliomancy
“the practice of seeking guidance or prophecy from books”
Explore more surprising origins