Abracadabra is considered to be the most universally adopted phrase that is pronounced in other languages without translation. One hypothesis about the source of the word is Aramaic: Avrah KaDabra which means I will create as I speak. Due to its universal acceptance, it has been speculated by Bible-believers that the word predates the confusion of languages granted at the Tower of Babel in biblical times.
It is now commonly used as an incantation by magicians. In ancient times, however, the word was taken much more seriously as an incantation to be used as a cure against fevers and inflammations. The first known mention was in De Medicina Praecepta by Serenus Sammonicus, physician to the Roman emperor Caracalla, who prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of an inverted cone:
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
This, he explained, diminishes the hold of the spirit of the disease over the patient. Other Roman emperors, including Geta and Alexander Severus, were followers of the medical teachings of Serenus Sammonicus and are likely to have used the incantation as well.
There is also the view that Abracadabra derives from the Hebrew, ha-brachah, meaning "the blessing" (used in this sense as a euphemism for "the curse") and dabra, an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word dever, meaning "pestilence." They point to a similar kabbalistic cure for blindness, in which the name of Shabriri, the demon of blindness, is similarly diminished. Other scholars are skeptical of this origin and claim that the idea of diminishing the power of demons was common throughout the ancient world, and that Abracadabra was simply the name of one such demon.
Some point to the Hebrew words ab ("father"), ben ("son"), and ruach hacadosch ("holy spirit").
Some have argued that the term may come from the Arabic Abra Kadabra, meaning 'let the things be destroyed' or from the Aramaic abhadda kedhabhra, meaning 'disappear like this word'. Rather than being used as a curse, the Aramaic phrase is believed to have been used as a means of treating illness.
It has also been claimed that the word comes Abraxas, a Gnostic word for God (the source of 365 emanations, apparently the Greek letters for Abraxas add up to 365 when deciphered according to numerological methods).
See also: Hocus Pocus, presto and Avada Kedavra (a Harry Potter reference).
It is now commonly used as an incantation by magicians. In ancient times, however, the word was taken much more seriously as an incantation to be used as a cure against fevers and inflammations. The first known mention was in De Medicina Praecepta by Serenus Sammonicus, physician to the Roman emperor Caracalla, who prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of an inverted cone:
A B R A C A D A B R A
A B R A C A D A B R
A B R A C A D A B
A B R A C A D A
A B R A C A D
A B R A C A
A B R A C
A B R A
A B R
A B
A
This, he explained, diminishes the hold of the spirit of the disease over the patient. Other Roman emperors, including Geta and Alexander Severus, were followers of the medical teachings of Serenus Sammonicus and are likely to have used the incantation as well.
There is also the view that Abracadabra derives from the Hebrew, ha-brachah, meaning "the blessing" (used in this sense as a euphemism for "the curse") and dabra, an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word dever, meaning "pestilence." They point to a similar kabbalistic cure for blindness, in which the name of Shabriri, the demon of blindness, is similarly diminished. Other scholars are skeptical of this origin and claim that the idea of diminishing the power of demons was common throughout the ancient world, and that Abracadabra was simply the name of one such demon.
Some point to the Hebrew words ab ("father"), ben ("son"), and ruach hacadosch ("holy spirit").
Some have argued that the term may come from the Arabic Abra Kadabra, meaning 'let the things be destroyed' or from the Aramaic abhadda kedhabhra, meaning 'disappear like this word'. Rather than being used as a curse, the Aramaic phrase is believed to have been used as a means of treating illness.
It has also been claimed that the word comes Abraxas, a Gnostic word for God (the source of 365 emanations, apparently the Greek letters for Abraxas add up to 365 when deciphered according to numerological methods).
See also: Hocus Pocus, presto and Avada Kedavra (a Harry Potter reference).
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Abarat is a book by clive barker. It is centered on the strange world of Abarat, The location of twenty-five islands, called Hours. On each of which it is always the same time. THe main character of this book is Candy Quakenbush who came from Chickentown, Missouri. The inhabitants of Abarat refer to our world as "The Hereafter"
by Holly Matronic May 9, 2007
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by halfwaybaked October 17, 2003
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Get the abalama mug.when the band Genesis was putting an album together in 1981 they took a series of musical notes located somewhere in a song (BACABA) and reversed it. The reversed notation became the new album's title. It was released that fall and hit the top 10 around the world. Hits from the album included "No Reply", the title track, "Man On the Corner" and "Keep It Dark", which is about an alien contact experience (honest!). The other tracks are really good as well. ABACAB's success showed that Genesis had become a major multi-platinum force for the new decade.
During the winter of 1982 the song 'ABACAB' scored on the charts. The title is pronounced "ah-buh-cab". So how do you write a song with that title? It's just a strange nonsence word, so it was used in a call and response method in the chorus. The rest of the lyrics make absolutely no sence whatsoever, the whole song's lyrics really add up to saying nothing. Still, that's much better than the cookie cutter manufactured method of songwriting used by so many people today (all this generic "baby baby baby" stuff - bleccch!). Yet the song is very tuneful, it's quite complex (this is Genesis, after all), and it became another huge hit for the band. Check out the entire album, it's really that good!
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