Cheiromancy
/ˌkaɪəˈrɒm.ən.si/noun
Divination by examining the lines and features of the hands.
Did you know?Cheiromancy comes from Greek *kheir* (“hand”) and *manteia* (“divination”), showing that the language of fortune-telling was literally encoded into the word itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χείρ (kheír)
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μαντεία (manteía)
“divination, prophecy”
Late Greek
Greek
χειρομαντεία (kheiromanteía)
“divination by the hand”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
chiromantia
“palm-reading, divination from the hand”
15th Century
English
chiromancy
“divination by the hand”
Modern English
English
cheiromancy
“divination by examining the hand”
Explore more surprising origins