Pyromancy
/ˈpaɪ.rə.mæn.si/noun
The practice of divination by interpreting flames, fire, or the way something burns.
Did you know?The ending “-mancy” comes from Greek manteia, meaning “divination,” related to mantis, “seer”—the same root behind the word “mantic.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*péh₂wr̥
“Fire; the reconstructed ancient root behind Greek pyr and English fire”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pŷr (πῦρ)
“Fire”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mántis (μάντις)
“Seer or prophet”
Ancient Greek
Greek
manteía (μαντεία)
“Divination or prophetic prediction”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pyromanteía (πυρομαντεία)
“Divination by fire”
17th Century
English
pyromancy
“Divination practiced through fire or flames”
Modern English
English
pyromancy
“The interpretation of fire as a source of occult or prophetic knowledge”