meigo

Galician

FWOTD – 25 September 2016

Etymology

Attested since 1175 (meigu). From Old Galician and Old Galician-Portuguese, from Latin magicus (“magical”), from Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós). Compare Portuguese meigo, Spanish mego.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmej.ɣo̝/

Adjective

meigo (feminine meiga, masculine plural meigos, feminine plural meigas)

1. bewitching, seductive

Noun

meigo m (plural meigos, feminine meiga, feminine plural meigas)

1. a wizard, a witch doctor
   • 2013, David D. Vázquez Álvarez, Ninguén nace antetempo, Baía Edicións, page 103:

     —as palabras do meigo unha vez máis non deixaban lugar a dúbidas—.

     —once again, the wizard’s words left no room for doubt.

2. a person who is believed to have made a pact with the devil.
   • 1991, Ramón Otero Pedrayo, A romaría de Xelmírez, Editorial Galaxia, page 143

     De aí xurdiu posteriormente a lenda de que fora un meigo que fixera pauto co demo para obte-las sedes de Reims, Ravena e Roma.

     From there, a legend later appeared stating that he was a warlock who made a pact with the devil in order to obtain the seats of Reims, Ravenna and Rome.

Usage notes

Some people make a distinction between meigo (“someone who makes potions, herbal cures, enchantments, etc.”) and bruxo (“someone who has made a pact with the devil”).

Descendants

• Spanish: meigo

References

• Template:R:DDGM
• Template:R:DDLG
• Template:R:TILG
• “meigo” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese meigo, from Latin magicus (“magical”), from Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós). Doublet of mágico, a borrowing. Cf. also Leonese meigo; compare Galician meigo, Spanish mego.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɐj.ɣu/, /ˈmej.ɣu/
• IPA^(key): /ˈmej.ɡu/
• Hyphenation: mei‧go

Adjective

1. sweet, lovely
2. caring, gentle

Synonyms

• (lovely): querido
• (gentle): carinhoso, suave

Related terms

• mago

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Galician meigo, from Old Galician-Portuguese meigo, from Latin magicus (“magical”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós). Compare also mego.

Noun

meigo m (plural meigos)

1. (NW Spain) A person who is believed to have made a pact with the devil.