Part of a series on |
Magic |
---|
![]() |
Magic words are phrases used in fantasy fiction or by stage magicians. Frequently such words are presented as being part of a divine, adamic, or other secret or empowered language. Certain comic book heroes use magic words to activate their powers.
Craig Conley, a scholar of magic, writes that the magic words used by conjurers may originate from "pseudo-Latin phrases, nonsense syllables, or esoteric terms from religious antiquity", but that what they have in common is "language as an instrument of creation". [1]
Easter eggs and cheats in computer games and other software can be seen as a form of magic word, and the word please is sometimes described to children as "the magic word" for its important social effect.
Examples of traditional and modern magic words include: [2]