Etymograph

English

magus

Magus comes from Latin magus ‘magic, magical’, from Old Persian Old Persian form ‘Mazdean priest’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-1‘to be able’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-ú-s1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*magʰúš1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*magúš1reconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian form2transliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration; the original signs are in Wiktionary‘Mazdean priest’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγος3mágos‘magician’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagus3‘magic, magical’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1922magus3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, which cites Beekes
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek μάγος
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English magus
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1922, Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization: “Court astrologers, who were drawn from the race of…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-Wiktionary, Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, which cites Beekes‘to be able’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-ú-sWiktionary, Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, which cites Beekesreconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*magʰúšWiktionary, Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, which cites Beekesreconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*magúšWiktionary, Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, which cites Beekesreconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEOld Persian formWiktionary, Ancient Greek μάγοςtransliteratedoriginal script Old Persian form, a transliteration; the original signs are in Wiktionary‘Mazdean priest’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμάγοςWiktionary, English magusmágos‘magician’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagusWiktionary, English magus‘magic, magical’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1922magusWiktionary, English magus. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1922, Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization: “Court astrologers, who were drawn from the race of…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’

might, may, main, mechanical, mechanism, yay, mechanic, mower, magician, dismay, mecha, machinist, yayo, 78 more

through Ancient Greek μάγος ‘magician’

magic, 2 more

through Latin magus ‘magic, magical’

mage

Today it means

noun A magician; (derogatory) a conjurer or sorcerer, especially one who is a charlatan or trickster.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “magus”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐏁, Ancient Greek μάγος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- / magus

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