Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Necromancer By Etymonline

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Origin and history of necromancer

necromancer(n.)

late 14c., nygromanser, nigromauncere, "sorcerer, adept in black magic," from Old French nigromansere, from nigromancie (see necromancy). Properly "one who communicates with the dead" but typically used in a broader sense in English.

also from late 14c.

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necromancy(n.)

c. 1300, nygromauncy, nigromauncie, "sorcery, witchcraft, black magic," properly "divination by communication with the dead," from Old French nigromancie "magic, necromancy, witchcraft, sorcery," from Medieval Latin nigromantia (13c.), from Latin necromantia "divination from an exhumed corpse," from Greek nekromanteia, from nekros "dead body" (from PIE root *nek- (1) "death") + manteia "divination, oracle," from manteuesthai "to prophesy," from mantis "one who divines, a seer, prophet; one touched by divine madness," from mainesthai "be inspired," which is related to menos "passion, spirit" (see mania). The spelling was influenced in Medieval Latin by niger "black," perhaps on notion of "black arts" although in Latin the word also was used to signify death and misfortune. The modern English spelling is a mid-16c. correction. Related: Necromantic.

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sorcererearly 15c., "conjurer of spirits, one who uses magic arts in divination," an extended form of earlier sorcer (late 14c.), which is from Old French sorcier, from Medieval Latin sortarius "teller of fortunes by lot; sorcerer" (also source of Spanish sortero, Italian sortiere; see swizardearly 15c., "philosopher, sage," from Middle English wys "wise" (see wise (adj.)) + -ard. Compare Lithuanian žynystė "magic," žynys "sorcerer," žynė "witch," all from žinoti "to know." The ground sense is perhaps "to know the future." The meaning "one with magical power, one profprimordiallate 14c., "being or pertaining to the source or beginning," from Late Latin primordialis "first of all, original," from Latin primordium "a beginning, the beginning, origin, commencement," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)) + stem of ordiri "to begin" (see order (n.)). The srespitemid-13c., "extension of time for an action, deliberation, etc., grace period; postponement of an action, judgment, etc.," from Old French respit "delay, respect" (Modern French répit), from Latin respectus "consideration, recourse, regard," literally "act of looking back (or oftehysterianervous disease, 1801, coined in medical Latin as an abstract noun from Greek hystera "womb," from PIE *udtero-, variant of *udero- "abdomen, womb, stomach" (see uterus). Originally defined as a neurotic condition peculiar to women and thought to be caused by a dysfunction of thequantum1610s, "sum, amount," from Latin quantum (plural quanta) "as much as, so much as; how much? how far? how great an extent?" neuter singular of correlative pronominal adjective quantus "as much" (see quantity). The word was introduced in physics directly from Latin by Max Planck, 1supplicationlate 14c., supplicacioun, "earnest request, entreaty, plea," from Old French suplicacion "humble request" and directly from Latin supplicationem (nominative supplicatio) "a public prayer, thanksgiving day," noun of action from past-participle stem of supplicare "to beg humbly" (inotorious1540s, "publicly known and spoken of," from Medieval Latin notorius "well-known, commonly known," from Latin notus "known," past participle of noscere "come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know." Middle English had notoire (mid-14c. in Anglo-French), from Old French, "well-knowcurtainc. 1300, curtine, "hanging screen of textile fabric used to close an opening or shut out light, enclose a bed, or decorate an altar," from Old French cortine "curtain, tapestry, drape, blanket," from Late Latin cortina "curtain," but in classical Latin "round vessel, cauldron," frunOld English, "move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking," also "make haste, hurry; be active, pursue or follow a course," and, of inanimate things, "to move over a course." The modern verb is a merger of two related Old English words, in both of which t

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancerCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancer">Etymology of necromancer by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of necromancer. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 10, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancerCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of necromancer," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed February 10, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancer.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of necromancer." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancer. Accessed 10 February, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of necromancer." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/necromancer (accessed February 10, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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