medicine

The story

1. Ojibwe · calque ofmashkiki“medicine”
2. Latin · derived frommedicīna“the healing art, medicine, a physician's shop, a remedy, medicine”
3. Old French · derived frommedecine
4. Middle French · derived frommedicine
5. Middle English · inherited frommedicin
6. English todaymedicine

From Middle English medicin, from Middle French medicine, from Old French medecine, from Latin medicīna (“the healing art, medicine, a physician's shop, a remedy, medicine”), feminine of medicīnus (“of or belonging to physic or surgery, or to a physician or surgeon”), from medicus (“a physician, surgeon”). The extended sense of "Indigenous magic" is a calque of Ojibwe mashkiki (“medicine”) or mide (or cognates in related languages) when used in compounds such as Grand Medicine Society, medicine lodge, medicine dance, medicine bag, medicine wheel, medicine man, Medicine Line, and bad medicine or place names such as Medicine Hat, Medicine Creek, etc. Displaced native Old English lybb (“drug, medicine”).

Words from the same roots