Mage
/meɪdʒ/noun
A magician, sorcerer, or learned practitioner of magic.
Did you know?Mage ultimately comes from Old Persian maguš, the name of a priestly caste that Greek writers associated with ritual expertise, astrology, and sacred knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*magh-
“to be able, have power”
Old Persian
Old Persian
maguš
“a member of a priestly class, especially one associated with ritual knowledge”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μάγος (mágos)
“a Persian priest, later a magician or sorcerer”
Late Latin
Latin
magus
“a magician, sorcerer, or Persian priest”
Old French
Old French
mage
“a magician or wise man”
Modern English
English
mage
“a magician or sorcerer”
Explore more surprising origins