shaman
|sha-man|
/ˈʃeɪmən/
spiritual mediator
Etymology
'shaman' originates from Tungusic (often cited as Evenki/Even) languages, specifically the word 'šaman', where the root meant 'one who knows' or 'one who is excited/possessed'.
'shaman' was recorded in Russian from Siberian languages (e.g. Evenki 'šaman'), then borrowed into Western European languages in the 17th–18th centuries and eventually entered modern English as 'shaman'.
Initially, it referred specifically to a ritual specialist ('one who knows' or mediator with spirits) in Siberian/Tungusic societies; over time it broadened in English to mean any spiritual healer or, figuratively, someone with uncanny insight.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person in certain traditional societies who is believed to be able to communicate with the spirit world and who performs rituals, divination, and healing.
The community turned to a shaman to perform a ritual for the harvest.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a healer who uses traditional, often ritualistic, methods (herbal remedies, trance, spirit communication) rather than modern medical practices.
She consulted a shaman after conventional medicine failed to help her symptoms.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 19:41