tagati

Meaning

In South African English, a wizard, witch, or a spiteful person who operates in secret to harm others or who uses poisons and familiar spirits to carry out harmful deeds.

Synonyms

enchanter

hellcat

sorcerer

sorceress

wizard

Torbay sole

Translations

ساحرة

mag

Zauberer

Zauberin

bezaubernde Frau

μάγος

μάγισσα

mage

magicien

sorcier

mago

malefica

venefica

magiër

🧙

tovenaar

Etymology

The term is first recorded in 1836; it derives from the Zulu word umthakathi, being someone who mixes medicine, which itself comes from the Zulu thaka (mix) and muthi (medicine). The term has gradually come to be used to refer only to negative, harmful uses of medicines derived from plants, animals and minerals.