shaman
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- 1 shaman、spirit healer、exorcist
This word refers to a person believed to use spirits, magic, or traditional rituals for healing, exorcism, or communication with the spirit world.
shaman、spirit healer、exorcist
A person who performs spirit-related or magical rituals, often for healing or exorcism.
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หมอผีกำลังทำพิธีสะกดวิญญาณ mɔ̌ɔ phǐi kamlaŋ tham phíthii sakòt winyaan The shaman is performing a ritual to bind a spirit. หมอผีกำลังทำพิธีสะกดวิญญาณ details
Learning notes
Explanation
หมอผี is formed from หมอ, which can mean a person skilled in a particular practice, and ผี, meaning a spirit or ghost. Its central image is therefore a specialist who deals with spirits; หมอ does not mean a modern medical doctor here. The person's role varies across communities and may include spirit communication, ritual healing, magic, or exorcism. Depending on the context, natural English translations include “shaman,” “spirit healer,” and “exorcist.” As a word for a person, it takes the classifier คน: หมอผีคนหนึ่ง means “one shaman.”
Usage
The word commonly appears in discussions of folk beliefs and traditional rituals, as well as in stories about spirit healing or exorcism. It is also frequent in horror films, ghost stories, and fiction, but it may refer to a real community role as well.
Caution
Do not use this word for a conventional medical doctor. When applied broadly by outsiders to a community's religious leaders or traditional healers, it can sound dismissive or imply that their practices are merely superstition. Use the community's own title when it is known.
Differences from similar words
1 shaman synonyms
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คนทรง specifically refers to a medium believed to become possessed by a deity or spirit. หมอผี is broader and can also describe someone who performs exorcisms or magical healing.
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หมอดู is a fortune-teller who predicts a person's future or interprets their fortune. หมอผี works with spirits or magic, although the person's practices may sometimes include divination.