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While we are on the subject of Greek borrowings, we might make mention of the goetist. Many people now take the word "goetist" to mean someone who works with the Lesser Key of Solomon the King, otherwise known as the Goetia. While a goetist may very well work with that particular grimoire, the word goes back to ancient Greek, far before the appearance of that particular grimoire. The root of the Greek "go" and its variant forms means to wail, howl or murmer. This can be seen in the related words "goes," meaning wailer, "goos," meaning weeping or wailing, "goao," meaning to groan or weep, "gongustes," meaning to mutter or mumble, and even "goi goi," the onomatopoeic sound of pigs grunting. We can see similarities to "rune" and "galan" in the meaning of the root. A "goes," in Greek, was a sorcerer or wizard. "Goetia" meant witchcraft. Other forms of the root show up in "goeteuma," meaning a spell or charm, "goeteusis," meaning sorcery, "goeteutikos," meaning a sorceress, "goetiuo," meaning to bewitch, fascinate and "goetis," meaning bewitching, fascinating. The word was carried into Latin with the more specified meaning of black magic. It was apparently with the Romans that the word acquired its current meaning of dealing with demons and evil spirits to magical ends. This is the primary meaning of the word as it appears in the French and German "goetie" and the English "goety." The word is sometimes used in antonym of "theurgy," differentiating the use of "good" or "bad" spirits. Even into Early Modern English, it was often used to denote black magic as opposed to white magic, but the primary meaning remaining today is the techincal one of using "evil" or "lesser" spirits for magical purpose. This is, of course, where the Goetia gets its name, being a grimoire dealing with demonic evocation. "Goetic," in Modern English, can either mean pertaining to goety or denote someone who practices goety, a better word for which is "goetist" or the more proper form "goetian." Either of these would literally translate to howler or one who howls. |