Dictionary

shaman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American)
• /ˈʃɑːmən/ (General-American)
• /ˈʃɑːmən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

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.

Meanings

1. A traditional faith healer.
2. 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
   • Shepard: What rites did you go through to become chief shaman? Shaman: Becoming the shaman is excruciating. I passed through rites that made me wish to die. I carry the scars on my soul. Shaman: I must perform rites each dawn and dusk to keep me bound into our krogan nature. Our spirit is one of violence and death. I must be attuned to that. 2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Tuchanka:

Forms

Deriveds

shamanic · nonshaman · shamanlike · shamanist · shamanize · plastic shaman · neoshaman · shamanistic · shamanhood · shamanesque · technoshaman · shamaness · shamanry · shamanly · shamen · shamanism · shamanish

Descendants

seaman · siaman · शामन

Synonyms

witch doctor · witch doctor · priest-doctor · medicine woman · medicine man

Translations (198)

cmn 巫 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · hi ओझा (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ro șaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · niq orkoiyo (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mn удган (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bkq pyaji (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pl wołchw (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · xnb 'ʉrʉvʉ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · th คนทรง (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fi poppamies (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ig dibị̀à (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · car pyjai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ccc kapunutakajpola (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · dta yadgeng (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · alt јел уусту (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · hu sámán (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · hu táltos (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · uk знаха́р (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sv schaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · non vǫlva (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bo ནུས་ཐུ་མ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · eu xaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cmn 巫醫 /巫医 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nb volve (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · th คนทรงเจ้าเข้าผี (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nb sjaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ako piyahi (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · apy pyaxi (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · da vølve (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tg шаман (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ca xaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tg азоимхон (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pko werkoiyon (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ko 무당 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bg шама́н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nl sjamaan (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mk ша́ман (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fr chaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · id dukun (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nn volve (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ms pawang (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn piai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · it sciamana (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fo shamanur (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · gl xamán (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mww txiv neeb (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sh krsnik (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es curandero (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · de Schamane (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ami cikawasay (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn obiaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · gld саман (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · arn machi (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es shamana (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ky бакшы (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · kk бақсы (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · oym paye (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · co mazzeru (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ka შამანი (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pt xamane (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · az şaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nv hataałii (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fr shaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn bonuman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · is völva (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · be шама́н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mn бөө (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nl lukuman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nn sjaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · evn шама̄н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ru шама́нка (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · km គ្រូហ្ម (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sl volh (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · way pïjai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cjs қам (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · eo ŝamano (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es curandera (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · eve хама̄н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sai-yao peeiai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tli íx̱t’ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sah ойуун (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tk porhan (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tsu yoifo (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sv völva (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · kui hüati (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ky шаман (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pyu temararamaw (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cbd hiyači (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · da shaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fr shamane (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · qu jampiri (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · awe paié (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mww neeb (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nmu jòmí (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sxr 'ʉlʉvʉ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fr chamane (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bn ওঝা (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · vi thầy đồng (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · hi शामन (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ikt angatkuq (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · iu ᐊᖓᑦᑯᖅ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · et nõid (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · oaa сама (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ona xon (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · be зна́хар (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · de Schamanin (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · uz baxshi (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pwn malada (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · evn сама̄н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nl bonuman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · yrk-tun тадебя (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pt xamã (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · th ร่างทรง (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pl szaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ko 샤먼 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nuk ʔuštaqyuu (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tyv хам (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · smj noajdde (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nl piaiman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · dlg ойун (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cs šaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · pl szamanka (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ru шама́н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ug داخان (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · uz shomon (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nl piai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mch jüwai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · xal бө (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mas ɔl-aibóni (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · th คนทรงเจ้า (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · it sciamano (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · shp unaya (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · el σαμάν (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · hy շաման (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tk şaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tr bakşı (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ar كَاهِن (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fi šamaani (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · nio ŋеq (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · eo ŝamanino (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · he שמאנית (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · el ιατρομάντης (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · dgr díge'jon (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tr kam (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sma nåejttie (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es chamán (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · aoc piyai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cmn 薩滿 /萨满 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · mnc ᠰᠠᠮᠠᠨ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · kim һам (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn lukuman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · se noaidi (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ug باخشى (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bua бөө (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cmn 巫師 /巫师 (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · vi thầy pháp (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ru волхв (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ram caj (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ja シャーマン (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tcb deyenenh (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · eya xiil (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · xh igqirha (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · jiv uwishín (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · uk шама́н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sai-yao peeai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sh здухаћ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ug پېرىخون (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ru зна́харь (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · cmg ᠪᠥ᠋ᠭᠡ (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn piaiman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · waw yaskomo (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fur benandant (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fa شمن (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · yag yekamush (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · srn dresiman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · xnt powwáw (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · evn хама̄н (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ar شَامَان (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · esu angalkuq (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sh šaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · bg влъ́хва (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · he שמאן (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ar عَرَّاف (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es shamán (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · kyh xus'úmaan (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tr şaman (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · fr chamane (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · shh puhakantɨn (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · alt кам (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · el σαμάνος (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · tri pïjai (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · ket сенаң (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · la samānus (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · kl angakkoq (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · uz somon (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · sh шаман (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · zu isangoma (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds) · es chamana (spiritual or religious medium between the concrete and spirit worlds)