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shaman

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(s̸hä′mən, s̸hā′-; s̸ham′ən)

noun pl. shamans

a priest or medicine man, esp. among N Asian peoples, who is believed able to heal and to foretell the future through communication with good and evil spirits

Origin: Russ < Tungusic šaman < Prakrit amana, Buddhist monk < Sans ramaṇa, orig., ascetic, akin to ram, to fatigue

Related Forms:

shamanic adjective

See shaman in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

Origin:

Origin: Russian

Origin: , from Tungus šaman, Buddhist monk, shaman

Origin: , from Tocharian B ṣamāne, monk

Origin: , from Prakrit ṣamana

Origin: , from Sanskrit śramaṇaḥ

Origin: , from śrámaḥ, religious exercise

Related Forms: