Vocab from the Bartimaeus Trilogy: Amulet

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a meme for readers who want to learn more about the words they stumble across in their books.  Visit hostess Kathy at Bermuda Onion to find more interesting vocabulary.

See the amulet in the gargoyle's hand?
See the amulet in the gargoyle’s hand?

My word this week comes from the audiobook The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.  It’s young adult magical fantasy. In the story, a young magician in training summons a powerful djinni named Bartimaeus to steal an amulet from a rival magician.

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know what an amulet was.  Since it’s crucial to the book, I figured I’d better learn it!

Amulet \am-yə-lət\ noun from the Latin amuletum. A charm often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (as disease or witchcraft).

Talisman is a synonym for amulet.  Here’s a photo of several amulets and talismans, thanks to Nathaniel_U at Flickr.

 

Photo credit: Nathan_u via Flickr CC-BY
Photo credit: Nathan_u via Flickr CC-BY

 

Here’s an Indian Amulet Necklace

Photo Credit InExtremiss via Flickr CC-BY
Photo Credit InExtremiss via Flickr CC-BY

Word Nerd Workout

Have you ever seen an amulet?  Do you have one yourself?

Word Nerd Announcement

Congratulations to Kathy, our meme hostess, for winning the prize for my Banned Books Week Giveaway.  She won a gift card to Barnes and Noble!  I’m sure she’ll use it well.  (And hopefully tell us about whatever she reads.)

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Julia 

Spread the word on Twitter: Vocab from the Bartimaeus Trilolgy: amulet = a small object worn for protection via @juliatomiak

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

12 Comments

  1. Amulets are mentioned a lot in one of my favorite middle grade series (the Theodosia series by RL LaFevers)! I can’t believe I haven’t read the Bartimaeus trilogy yet~ I loved the first book in his Lockwood & Company series 🙂

  2. I have seen an amulet in museums. I grew up in the land of the Plains Indians, so amulet was common. I don’t own what I consider an amulet, but I own several necklaces that have a cross, or the pink ribbon breast cancer symbol, and I have one that is the Fireman’s Cross. Just jewelry, I think.

  3. I know what an amulet is, but since I have never seen one, I must have come across the word in books I’ve read. The Clan of the Cave Bear series, maybe?

  4. I’ve heard amulet before and thought it was just a necklace with a particular centerpiece – as opposed to say a necklace of all beads or pearls. I like the idea of a magic incantation or possibly a prayer connected with it. Much more meaning can be associated with the necklace.

  5. My children love this type of thing…and it makes me want to make one to ward off all the evil and terrible my children may encounter 🙂

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