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Shaman

//ˈʃɑːmən// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A traditional faith healer.
  2. 2
    in societies practicing shamanism: one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds; practices sorcery for healing or divination wordnet
  3. 3
    A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds; sometimes also a healer.

    "Near-synonyms: medicine man, medicine woman, priest-doctor, witch doctor"

Etymology

Borrowed from German Schamane, from Russian шама́н (šamán), from Evenki шама̄н (şamān), сама̄н (samān), from Proto-Tungusic *samān. The Evenki word is possibly derived from the root ша- (şa-, “to know”); or else a loanword from Tocharian B ṣamāne (“monk”) or Chinese 沙門 /沙门 (shāmén, “Buddhist monk”), from Pali samaṇa from Sanskrit श्रमण (śramaṇa, “ascetic, monk, devotee”), from श्रम (śrama, “weariness, exhaustion; labor, toil; etc.”), which would make this a doublet of sramana.

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