Friday, December 13, 2013

charisma

This noun has a deep history. The word’s source can be traced to its Indo-European roots (gher-) and traced into ancient Greek (kharis, meaning favour) turning into the verb, to favour (kharizesthai) which shifted its meaning once more in the Greek [kharisma] to imply a bestowed, divine favour. It was this meaning that was embraced by ecclesiastical leaders in the 1600s.

It is currently used in two broad contexts. One usage remains close to the original source – that of a particular, rare quality in a person which enables them to influence or inspire large numbers of people. The other meaning takes on a populist quality relating to the magnetism or charm of an individual, who is able to inspire and influence others through this unique quality.

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