Etymograph

English

sciomancy

Sciomancy comes from Late Latin sciomantia.

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsciomantia1
  2. Englishtodaysciomancy1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sciomancy

Lineage

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsciomantiaWiktionary, English sciomancy
  2. EnglishtodaysciomancyWiktionary, English sciomancy

A compound of σκιά ‘shadow’ + μαντεία ‘divination’

Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- ‘darkness, shadow’

Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃ih₂ ‘shadow’

Ancient Greek σκιά ‘shadow’

Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’

Proto-Indo-European *mn̥yétor ‘to think’

Proto-Hellenic *məňňómai

Ancient Greek μαίνομαι ‘to be mad or raving’

Ancient Greek μάντις ‘prophet, seer’

Ancient Greek μαντεία ‘divination’

Every English word from Late Latin sciomantia

Today it means

noun divination using shadows

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sciomancy”. 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 / Late Latin sciomantia / sciomancy

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