The story
- Proto-Indo-European · derived from*megʰ-“to be able, have power; power; sorcerer”
- Old Iranian · derived from
- Ancient Greek · derived fromμάγος
- Latin · derived frommagī
- Middle English · inherited frommages
- English todayMagi
From magi (plural of magus (“magician; (derogatory) conjurer or sorcerer, especially one who is a charlatan or trickster; Zoroastrian priest”)), from Middle English mages, magi or Magi, magy or Magy (“men possessing occult knowledge; astrologers, philosophers, sorcerers”), from Latin magī, from magus (“magician; (derogatory) conjurer or sorcerer, especially one who is a charlatan or trickster; Zoroastrian priest”) + -ī (suffix forming nominative or vocative masculine plurals). Magus is derived from Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos), Μάγος (Mágos, “magician; (derogatory) conjurer, sorcerer; Zoroastrian priest”) (plural μᾰ́γοι (mắgoi), Μᾰ́γοι (Mắgoi)), from Old Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬨𐬊𐬕𐬎 (moġu), Old Median and Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁 (m-gu-u-š /maγu-/, title of a person?)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“to be able, have power; power; sorcerer”).
Words from the same roots
Proto-Indo-European*megʰ- all →
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.