Definition of the word abracadabra

The origin of the word "abracadabra" is a subject of debate among scholars, as the word's origins remain unclear. However, the term first appeared in written form in a Latin medicinal text, "Liber Subtilitatum for Heremetis Trismegisti Liber XVII," which is commonly known as "The Book of Secrets." The text, dated back to the Roman era, promoted the use of amulets to cure various illnesses. The amulet for fever, according to the text, was the word "abracadabra" written in a particular order, with each line having one less letter until just one "a" remained at the end. The meaning behind this strange order of letters is still unknown, but many theories suggest that it holds mystical or numerological significance. Some believe that it's a numerological puzzle, with the sum of the letters adding up to 165, which represents the number of diseases listed in Galen's medical text, "A Natural History of Medicine." Others suggest that the word is a combination of Aramaic words meaning "I create as God creates," while more fanciful explanations attribute it to Alexander the Great, whose soldiers would cheer "alex-a-bra-ka-bras" in his honor, eventually shortened to "abracadabra." Regardless of its origin, it's clear that "abracadabra" has transformed from a healing ritual to a synonym for magic and mystery, a quintessential representative of the mystifying nature of the occult.