{"id":24629,"date":"2026-06-13T20:26:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T20:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=24629"},"modified":"2026-06-13T20:29:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T20:29:06","slug":"magic-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=24629","title":{"rendered":"Magic Machines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What connects the words <strong>magic<\/strong> and <strong>machine<\/strong>? Let&#8217;s find out in this Omniglot blog post.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mhgrafix\/2941691931\/in\/photolist-5tWWwp-8LjbLe-4aqJHH-22fjYuG-Yp7qLE-zo8GpE-9jUogR-dxoF15-dvr584-5L2K5C-dnvqz-5KXvwD-MZHLpV-7z2FJH-dvwCtu-dvwMJy-qJHrCN-dvwMZq-dxidZ4-dvr9CT-29im9er-dvwLUN-f5Zh1R-dvwJ3S-dVNJu-dvr9aF-dvrdKp-dvwDMf-dvwC11-dvwCc7-dvwLXj-dvr7bz-dvwD7j-29im8Zi-dvwNzq-dvr8g4-9HWhT3-dvr3UM-dvwDbU-HmkAK1-dvrbrK-3dSG3w-26xzCbG-dvwLMu-89Euyh-dvwFi5-5RtQei-rdqjQJ-8chWiY-s6xF4N\" title=\"Magic Book\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3006\/2941691931_dbabec0f53_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"414\" alt=\"Magic Book\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magic<\/strong> [\u02c8mad\u0292\u026ak \/ \u02c8m\u00e6d\u0292\u026ak] is the application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them. (Other meanings are available).<\/p>\n<p>It comes from Middle English <em>magik<\/em> (magic, sorcery, magical), from Old French <em>magique<\/em> (magic, magical), from Latin <em>magicus<\/em> (magic, magical), from Ancient Greek <em>\u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2<\/em> (magik\u00f3s &#8211; magical, skilled in magic), from <em>\u03bc\u03ac\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2<\/em> (m\u00e1gos &#8211; magical), from Old Persian <em>\ud800\udfb6\ud800\udfa6\ud800\udfc1<\/em> (magu\u0161\u2060 &#8211; Mazdean priest), from Proto-Iranian <em>*mag\u00fa\u0161<\/em>, from Proto-Indo-Iranian <em>*mag\u02b0\u00fa\u0161<\/em>, from <em>*meg\u02b0-\u00fa-s<\/em>, from <em>*meg\u02b0-<\/em> (to be able)[<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/magic#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Related words include <strong>mago<\/strong> (magician, sorcerer) in Spanish, <strong>\u03bc\u03ac\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2<\/strong> (magician, wizard, sorcerer) in Greek, <strong>magico<\/strong> (magic, enchanting) in Italian, and <strong>mage<\/strong> and <strong>magus<\/strong> in English [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gealdor#Old_English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>In Old English, one word for magic, and also spell, charm or incantation, was <em>\u0121ealdor \/ galdor<\/em> [\u02c8j\u00e6\u0251l.dor] (magic, sorcery, magical). This became <strong>galder<\/strong> (a type of pagan incantation, spell or charm) in modern English. It comes from Proto-West Germanic <em>*galdr<\/em> (singing, song, incantation), from Proto-Germanic <em>*galdraz<\/em> (singing, song, charm, incantation, spell), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*g\u02b0el-<\/em> (to call, chant, shout) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gealdor#Old_English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Related words include <strong>galdur<\/strong> (magic, sorcery, witchcraft, a trick) in Icelandic, <strong>galder<\/strong> (sorcery, wizardry, spell, incantation) in Danish, <strong>ha\u0142as<\/strong> (noise, racket, din) in Polish, and possibly <strong>gale<\/strong> and <strong>yell<\/strong> in English [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gealdor#Old_English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/massenpunkt\/47436435\/in\/photolist-5c8cz-cseVYh-2fmVm-27spj9S-f6obM9-capKZb-87HHXr-j9WGx-4HqgiH-2dFaASz-4F89fn-iWppZ-6iNw2k-bWXZzP-qHvX9U-2kYkcsU-5qdLkg-qr2kt3-EYheb-2zVUR2-77V4oe-2kFKE6F-5NLa4q-2pmfJvo-2ij3PJr-ttE1sz-6QZRt3-56Fhug-dpMJVJ-54oAAr-DKvz9i-bbafL-8NCz5w-2ij1ooH-2ij1og3-89JRnA-6R2LUA-2ij3PK8-foPVQ2-2ij1oeV-8AYeuD-iYqH9u-crGRCy-FGetS6-9f8mLT-2n1WhGY-2seoAfx-6gXGF-GdWVs7-9pQ4yF\" title=\"machine\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/29\/47436435_747cb55015_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"470\" alt=\"machine\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Machine<\/strong> [m\u0259\u02c8\u0283i(\u02d0)n] is a device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect.  (Other meanings are available).<\/p>\n<p>It comes from Middle French <em>machine<\/em> (machine, device), from Latin <em>m\u0101china<\/em> (contrivance, siege engine, scaffold), from Doric Greek <em>\u03bc\u03b1\u03c7\u03b1\u03bd\u03ac<\/em> (contrivance, machine, device), possibly from Proto-Indo-European <em>*meg\u02b0-<\/em> (to be able) &#8211; the same root as <strong>magic<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/magic#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Related words include <strong>mok\u00ebr<\/strong> (millstone, boulder) in Albanian, <strong>\u10db\u10d0\u10dc\u10e5\u10d0\u10dc\u10d0<\/strong> (mankana &#8211; machine, car) in Georgian, <strong>macina<\/strong> (millstone, quern) and <strong>macchina<\/strong> (machine, car) in Italian, <strong>m\u00e1quina<\/strong> (machine) in Spanish, and <strong>machine<\/strong> (machine, device, engine) in French [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%AC#Ancient_Greek\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What connects the words magic and machine? Let&#8217;s find out in this Omniglot blog post. Magic [\u02c8mad\u0292\u026ak \/ \u02c8m\u00e6d\u0292\u026ak] is the application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them. (Other meanings are available). It [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[183,179,100,104,107,111,115,118,124,128,10,15,26,27,33,34,39,44,45,467,202,64],"tags":[164,158,138,635,636,634,638,637,281,163],"class_list":["post-24629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-albanian-shqip","category-ancient-greek-","category-danish","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-georgian","category-greek","category-icelandic","category-italian","category-language","category-latin","category-middle-english","category-middle-french","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-old-french","category-polish","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-iranian","category-proto-west-germanic","category-spanish","tag-english","tag-etymology","tag-language","tag-machine","tag-mage","tag-magic","tag-magical","tag-magus","tag-omniglot","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24629"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24632,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24629\/revisions\/24632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}