Chiromancy
/ˌkaɪ.rəˈmæn.si/noun
Divination by interpreting the lines and features of the hand.
Did you know?Chiromancy comes from Greek roots for “hand” and “divination,” and it entered English through medieval occult traditions that treated the body as a map of hidden fate.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kheír
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
manteía
“divination, prophecy”
Late Greek
Greek
kheirómanteia
“divination by the hand”
Middle Latin
Latin
chiromantia
“palmistry, divination from the hand”
15th Century
English
chiromancie
“the art of telling fortunes from the hand”
Modern English
English
chiromancy
“divination by the lines and features of the hand”
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