shamans
|shay-menz|
/ˈʃeɪmənz/
(shaman)
spiritual mediator
Etymology
'shaman' originates from Russian, specifically the word 'шаман' (shaman), which was borrowed from a Tungusic word such as Evenki 'šaman' or similar forms.
'shaman' was borrowed into Russian from Tungusic languages (used by Siberian peoples); the Russian form entered European languages and later English (via reports and translations in the 17th–19th centuries), becoming the modern English word 'shaman'.
Initially it referred to a person 'who knows' or 'possesses spiritual/ritual knowledge' in Tungusic contexts; over time it came to mean more broadly 'a religious specialist or healer who communicates with spirits' in English usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'shaman': people regarded (esp. in some indigenous cultures) as having access to and influence in the world of spirits, acting as healers, diviners, or mediators with the spirit world.
The shamans performed a ritual to heal the sick and ask the spirits for rain.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 20:13