What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Shaman vs Magic - What's the difference?

shaman | magic |

As a noun shaman

is .

As a proper noun magic is

the decrypted japanese messages produced by us cryptographers in and prior to world war ii.

shaman

English

(wikipedia shaman)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A traditional (prescientific) faith healer.
  • A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds.

    • Usage notes

    * The plural form is (shamans), not shamen;1978', Carl B. Compton, ''The Interamerican'', volume 25, ?3] (Instituto Interamericano, Denton, Texas) We learn from our readers: We have been wrong in writing the word “'''shamen'''” as a plural for “shaman”. The word probably comes from Russian and there is no plural except that made by adding an ‘s’ — e.g. Shamans. the etymologically-consistent plural form from the original Evenki is (term),'''2003''', Howard Isaac Aronson, Dee Ann Holisky, and Kevin Tuite, ''Current Trends in Caucasian, East European, and Inner Asian Linguistics'' — “Dialect Continua in Tungusic: Plural Morphology”, [http://books.google.com/books?id=REPC96ddSc0C&pg=PA103&dq=shaman+plural&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0&ei=M6bZR8eDJtC4igHPzKnVAQ&sig=I8R0SWIUh1gFGJIDmQFnJ62qYXI page 103] ([http://www.benjamins.com/ John Benjamin’s Publishing Company]; ISBN 1588114619) we note here that ''-sal'' tends to exist only as a residual plural marker in -l/-r dialects. For example, in Standard Evenki, as in the Evenki dialects of the Amur basin and the Vivin dialect, use of ''-sal'' is limited to a small number of nouns (e.g. ''bajan'' “rich person”, pl. ''bajasal''; ''?ami:'', “female reindeer”, pl. ''?ami:sal'' or ''?ami:s?l''; ''a?lan'' “field”, pl. ''a?lasal''; ''sama:n'' “shaman”, pl. '''''sama:sal'''''). but this form sees no use in English; the plural form shamans is, however, universally accepted.'''2005''', Peter Metcalf, ''Anthropology: The Basics'', box 7.3: “Shamanism”, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yAYaiGedL_4C&pg=PA132&dq=shamen+plural&ei=9kPRSKymHJ7QigGyztnmAw&sig=ACfU3U0e-abwShaVZyKNBbrSUNQ-aQ71Rw page 132] ([http://www.routledge.com/ Routledge; ISBN 0415331196) Note that the plural of shaman is ' shamans , not shamen.

    Derived terms

    * shamanism * shamanize * shamen (hypercorrect plural) * technoshaman

    Synonyms

    * (religious medium) priest-doctor, witch doctor

    References

    magic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * magick (qualifier) Used as a deliberate archaism; used for supernatural magic, as distinguished from stage magic. * magicke (obsolete) * magique (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The use of rituals or actions, especially based on supernatural or occult knowledge, to manipulate or obtain information about the natural world, especially when seen as falling outside the realm of religion; also the forces allegedly drawn on for such practices.
  • *c. 1489 , (William Caxton), Foure Sonnes of Aymon :
  • *:And whan he shall be arrayed as I telle you / lete hym thenne doo his incantacyons & his magyke as he wyll […].
  • *1781 , (Edward Gibbon), Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , II.23:
  • *:The arts of magic and divination were strictly prohibited.
  • *1971 , , Religion and the Decline of Magic , Folio Society 2012, p. 23:
  • *:Conversions to the new religion […] have frequently been assisted by the view of converts that they are acquiring not just a means of otherworldly salvation, but a new and more powerful magic .
  • A specific ritual or procedure associated with supernatural magic or with mysticism; a spell.
  • Something producing remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=1 citation , passage=The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.}}
  • A conjuring trick or illusion performed to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.

    • Synonyms

    * (allegedly supernatural method to dominate natural forces) dwimmer, thaumaturgy, conjuring, sorcery, witchcraft, dweomercraft/dwimmercraft * (illusion performed to give the appearance of magic or the supernatural) sleight of hand, illusionism, legerdemain, dwimmer

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.
    • a magic''' wand; a '''magic dragon
  • Producing extraordinary results, as though through the use of magic; wonderful, amazing.
    • a magic moment
  • Pertaining to conjuring tricks or illusions performed for entertainment etc.
    • a magic''' show; a '''magic trick
  • (colloquial) Great; excellent.
    • — I cleaned up the flat while you were out. — Really? Magic !
  • (physics) Describing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184.

    • Synonyms

    * *

    Verb

    (magick)
  • To produce, transform (something), (as if) by magic.

    • Synonyms

    * (produce magically) conjure up

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    Anagrams

    *