umtagatin.
/ʊmtəˈɡɑːti/, U.S. /ˌʊmtəˈɡɑdi/, South African English /ʊmtəˈɡɑːti/, /ʊmtəˈɡʌti/ South African.
1. Amongst the Nguni peoples: a witch or wizard; a practitioner of evil magic.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > sorcerer or magician > [noun] > that practises malignant magic
malefic1652
caco-magician1656
umtagati1836
1836 A. F. Gardiner Narr. Journey Zoolu Country 263 The alleged Umtakati (bewitcher) is already in confinement.
1836 N. Isaacs Trav. E. Afr. i. 86 ‘Umtugartie’, that is, ‘evil-disposed persons’.
1836 N. Isaacs Trav. E. Afr. i. 199 They would not encourage the Umtwagarty, but would do all in their power to preserve the life of their monarch.
1898 H. R. Haggard K. Solomon's Mines (new ed.) xiv. 91 None would of their own will come near the great white ‘umtagati’, the wizard, who killed and failed not.
1949 O. Walker Proud Zulu 241 Do you think that I am an umtagati (a witch) that will run in unbeaten ways, and hide about?
1977 J. McClure Sunday Hangman x. 111 Zondi took the photograph of the unidentified umthakathi down to the street of the witchdoctors.
1984 J. Wrinch-Schulz Zulu 15/1 All illness, all evil were caused by the Umthakathi. An Umthakathi could inhabit an animal, a plant, a rock or a person.
2. Witchcraft, magic, evil spirits.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > malignant sorcery
umtagati1892
1892 A. Sutherland in Cape Illustr. Mag. Dec. 134/1 Respect for the Umtagati, or evil spirits, which he was full persuaded lurked in my miserable body.
1937 C. Birkby Zulu Journey 232 A grey-bearded native who spoke to me of mtagati, the magic of the place.
1947 L. Hastings Dragons are Extra vi. 112 Even the civilised native from the mission-station never quite shakes off his belief in ‘umtagati’.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1993; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1836