Magic word

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File:Abracadabra triangle (cropped).jpg
The magic word abracadabra written in a triangle

Template:Magic sidebar Magic words are phrases used in fantasy fiction or by stage magicians. Frequently such words are presented as being part of a divine, adamic, or other secret or empowered language. Certain comic book heroes use magic words to activate their powers.

Craig Conley, a scholar of magic, writes that the magic words used by conjurers may originate from "pseudo-Latin phrases, nonsense syllables, or esoteric terms from religious antiquity", but that what they have in common is "language as an instrument of creation".[1]

Easter eggs and cheats in computer games and other software can be seen as a form of magic word, and the word please is sometimes described to children as "the magic word" for its important social effect.

Invocations of magic

Examples of traditional and modern magic words include:[2]

  • Abracadabra – magic word used by magicians.
  • Ajji Majji la Tarajji – Iranian magic word (Persian).[citation needed]
  • Alakazam – a phrase used by magicians.[3]
  • Chhu Montor Chhu – a phrase used by magicians in Bangladesh.
  • Hocus pocus – a phrase used by magicians.
  • Jantar Mantar Jadu Mantar – a phrase used by magicians in India.
  • Jiji ru lüling – a standard Taoist magic phrase.
  • Čáry, máry, fuk – a Czech magic phrase.
  • Presto chango or Hey Presto – used by magicians (probably intended to suggest "quick change").[4]

Magic words in fiction

See also

References

  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Conley, Craig (2008). Magic Words: A Dictionary. Weiser Books. p. 18. ISBN 9781609250508.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ramasami, Ponnadurai (September 2015). "Perspectives of Virtual Conference on Computational Chemistry (VCCC-2014)". Journal of Computational Science. 10: 155. doi:10.1016/j.jocs.2015.08.006. ISSN 1877-7503.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stibbe, Arran (2005). "ABRACADABRA, ALAKAZAM: Colonialism and the Discourse of Entertainment Magic". Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 88 (3/4): 414–415. ISSN 0038-1861. JSTOR 41179134.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Peter Monticup. "Magic Glossary". magictricks.com.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Magic Words: A Dictionary". The Magician's Hidden Library. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Panda director 'for He-Man movie'". BBC News. 2009-01-30. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (1954 film) - Wikipedia". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sesame: Origin, History, Etymology and Mythology". MDidea.com. 2015-11-30. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Paul Daniels' Wizbit returns to children's TV". 27 May 2009. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  • Page Template:Sister-inline/styles.css has no content.Script error: No such module "Sister project logo". Media related to Script error: No such module "Commons link". at Wikimedia Commons