Origin and history of mage

c. 1200, "skilled magicians, astrologers," from Latin magi, plural of magus "magician, learned magician," from Greek magos, a word used for the Persian learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median tribe), from Old Persian magush "magician" (see magic). Also, in Christian history, the "wise men" who, according to Matthew, came from the east to Jerusalem to do homage to the newborn Christ (late 14c.). Related: Magian.

late 14c., magike, "art of influencing or predicting events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces," also "supernatural art," especially the art of controlling the actions of spiritual or superhuman beings; from Old French magique "magic; magical," from Late Latin magice "sorcery, magic," from Greek magikē (presumably with tekhnē "art"), fem. of magikos "magical." This is from magos "one of the members of the learned and priestly class," a borrowing of Old Persian magush, which is possibly from PIE root *magh- "to be able, have power."

The transferred sense of "legerdemain, optical illusion, etc." is from 1811.

It displaced Old English wiccecræft (see witch); also drycræft, from dry "magician," from Irish drui "priest, magician" (see Druid).

Natural magic (1570s) also in early use magic natural (Chaucer) in the Middle Ages was that which did not involve the agency of personal spirits; it was considered more or less legitimate, not sinful, and involved much that later would be explained scientifically as the manipulation of natural forces.

Black magic (1570s) is from the sense of black as the color of sin (see black (adj.)). The term might have developed as a translation of Medieval Latin nigromantia, but it is also possible the term was used in other languages which then influenced the Latin (see necromancy.) In the 1570s black magic is recorded as translating goeton (goetia) and magicarum artium ("of magical arts"). White magic is attested by 1610s, used synonymously with theurgia (see theurgy.)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be able, have power." It might form all or part of: dismay; deus ex machina; may (v.1) "am able;" might (n.) "bodily strength, power;" main; machine; mechanic; mechanism; mechano-; mage; magi; magic.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit mahan "great;" Greek mēkhanē "device, means," mekhos, makhos "means, instrument;" Old Church Slavonic mošti, Russian moč' "can, be able;" Old English mæg "I can," Gothic mag "can, is able," Old High German magan, Old Norse magn "power, might."