I remember our kids, and now our grandkids, using the word “abracadabra.” It’s a funny sounding word and it’s kind of fun to say. The kids usually used it when performing some magic trick or something like that.
Anyhow, it’s been around for as long as I can remember and it doesn’t seem like it’s lost its appeal, especially with the younger set.
I decided to look it up to see if it had any real meaning, or was just something people said. It turns out that abracadabra has kind of an interesting, and maybe a little mysterious history. It has been around for a long time and its origins can be traced back to ancient times and there are several theories about its etymology.
Initially, abracadabra was more than just a theatrical catchphrase or something kids playing magic used. It originally was believed to hold protective and healing powers — especially against disease and evil spirits.
The earliest documented use of abracadabra was in the works of Serenus Sammonicus, a Roman physician from the 2nd century CE. He prescribed the word as a charm to ward off illness, like malaria. The letters were written in a triangular form, with each line removing the first and last letter.
ABRACADABRA
BRACADABR
RACADAB
ACADA
CAD
A
So abracadabra was considered a magic word of considerable power. A sick person would wear, around their neck, as amulet with the triangular inscription. The belief was that the disease would gradually disappear just as the inscription dwindled to nothing. Even today the word has believers in its powers.
Some scholars believe the word comes from the Aramaic phrase “Avra kehdabra,” which translates roughly to “I will create as I speak” or “It will be created in my words.” That interpretation ties the word to the mystical idea of creation through speech — common in ancient magical and religious traditions.
Some theories connect it to Hebrew, with possible roots like “ha-brachah” (the blessing) and “debar” (word) suggesting the phrase could mean something like “blessing through the word.”
Another suggestion is that the word may come from the Greek words “abraxas,” a mystical term found in Gnostic traditions, or from a corruption of Latin phrases. “Abraxas” was believed to represent a powerful mystical force.
But today, abracadabra is usually just thought of as a word a magician might use before sawing a woman in half or making something disappear. Although it’s also used like Jibber-jabber and mumbo-jumbo — nonsense. If you want to dismiss something written or spoken, you might say, “That’s a bunch of abracadabra” — like a baby’s babbling, abracadabra is meaningless….
But it’s still a fun word to say and I think we can all use a little “magic” in our lives these days.
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