Magic word is name

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Magic words are strings of text that MediaWiki associates with a return value or function, such as time, site details, or page names. This page explains only the standard magic words; for a technical reference, see Manual:Magic words.

There are three general types of magic words:

• Behavior switches: these are usually written as uppercase words surrounded by double underscores, e.g. __FOO__.
• Variables: these are uppercase words surrounded by double braces, e.g. {{FOO}}. As such, they look a lot like templates.
• Parser functions: these take parameters and are either of the form {{foo:...}} or {{#foo:...}}, e.g. {{#invoke:...}}. See also Help:Extension:ParserFunctions and Extension:Scribunto.

Variables and parser functions can use subst:, just like templates. Page-dependent magic words will affect or return data about the current page (by default), even if the word is added through a transcluded template or included system message.

Behavior switches

A behavior switch controls the layout or behavior of the page (if supported by the skin) and can often be used to specify desired omissions and inclusions in the content. Notably some of these are not supported by the Minerva skin.

Word	Description	Versions
Table of contents
__NOTOC__	Hides the table of contents (TOC).
__FORCETOC__	Forces the table of contents to appear at its normal position (before the first header, overriding __NOTOC__). This will not work in skins that present table of contents outside the article content e.g. Vector 2022 skin.
__TOC__	Places a table of contents at the word’s current position (overriding __NOTOC__). If this is used multiple times, the table of contents will appear at the first word’s position. This will not work in skins that present table of contents outside the article content e.g. Vector 2022 skin.
Editing
__NOEDITSECTION__	Hides the section edit links beside headings. This is especially useful where a heading is created from within a template: the normal wiki section-edit would in this case edit the template code, which is usually not what the user intends. Use of this in a template will extend the effect to that template, the pages it’s included on, and any other templates included on the same page. For a workaround, see here.
__NEWSECTIONLINK__	Adds a link beside the «Edit» tab for adding a new section on a non-talk page (see Adding a section to the end).	≥ 1.7
__NONEWSECTIONLINK__	Removes the link beside the «Edit» tab on pages in talk namespaces.	≥ 1.15 r47522
Categories
__NOGALLERY__	Used on a category page, replaces thumbnails in the category view with normal links.	≥ 1.7
__HIDDENCAT__	Used on a category page, hides the category from the lists of categories in its members and parent categories (there is an option in the user preferences to show them).	≥ 1.13
__EXPECTUNUSEDCATEGORY__	Used on a category page, removes the category from Special:UnusedCategories.	≥ 1.33
Language conversion
__NOCONTENTCONVERT__ __NOCC__	On wikis with language variants, don’t perform any content language conversion (character and phase) in article display; for example, only show Chinese (zh) instead of variants like zh_cn, zh_tw, zh_sg, or zh_hk.
__NOTITLECONVERT__ __NOTC__	On wikis with language variants, don’t perform language conversion on the title (all other content is converted).
Other
__START__	No effect. Was used to point where database message starts after comment that should not be transcluded. Removed in r1695 and completely removed in r24784.	≤ 1.10 r1610
__END__	Explicitly marks the end of the article, to prevent MediaWiki from removing trailing whitespace. Removed in 19213.	1.1 – 1.8
__INDEX__	Tell search engines to index the page (overrides $wgArticleRobotPolicies but not robots.txt). It obeys $wgExemptFromUserRobotsControl variable.	≥ 1.14
__NOINDEX__	Tell search engines not to index the page (i.e. do not list in search engines’ results). It obeys $wgExemptFromUserRobotsControl variable.	≥ 1.14 r37973
__STATICREDIRECT__	On redirect pages, don’t allow MediaWiki to automatically update the link when someone moves a page and checks «Update any redirects that point to the original title» (which requires $wgFixDoubleRedirects).	≥ 1.13 r37928
From Extensions
Extension	Word	Description	Versions
GlobalUserPage	__NOGLOBAL__	Disables the global user page. If present on the central user page, will prevent it from being displayed on remote wikis, and it also determines whether a link to a user page on remote wiki should be red or blue.	≥ 1.28
Disambiguator	__DISAMBIG__	Identifies a disambiguation page.	≥ 1.21
Wikibase	__EXPECTED_UNCONNECTED_PAGE__	Some wiki pages do not merit a Wikidata item, such as discussion archives, template subpages, etc. To prevent a wiki page from being listed in Special:UnconnectedPages, use this magic word anywhere on the page. Pages that don’t meet Wikidata’s notability criteria should not receive a Wikidata item.	≥ 1.37.0-wmf.14

Variables

Variables return information about the current page, wiki, or date. Their syntax is similar to templates. Variables marked as «[expensive]» are tracked by the software, and the number that can be included on a page is limited.

If a template name conflicts with a variable, the variable will be used (so to transclude the template Template:PAGENAME you would need to write {{Template:PAGENAME}}).
In some cases, adding parameters will force the parser to invoke a template; for example, {{CURRENTDAYNAME|x}} transcludes Template:CURRENTDAYNAME, not the variable.

Date and time

The following variables return the current date and time in UTC.

Due to MediaWiki and browser caching, these variables frequently show when the page was cached rather than the current time.

The use of those variables cause pages to be cached for a more limited number of seconds. This is configured in MagicWordFactory.

The date and time magic words are formatted in the wiki content language. Since 1.19, they depend on the page content language.

Variable	Output	Description	Versions
Year
{{CURRENTYEAR}}	2023	Year
Month
{{CURRENTMONTH}}	04	Month (zero-padded number)
{{CURRENTMONTH1}}	4	Month (unpadded number)
{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}	April	Month (name)
{{CURRENTMONTHNAMEGEN}}	April	Month (genitive form)
{{CURRENTMONTHABBREV}}	Apr	Month (abbreviation)	≥ 1.5
Day
{{CURRENTDAY}}	12	Day of the month (unpadded number)
{{CURRENTDAY2}}	12	Day of the month (zero-padded number)	≥ 1.6
{{CURRENTDOW}}	3	Day of the week (unpadded number), 0 (for Sunday) through 6 (for Saturday)
{{CURRENTDAYNAME}}	Wednesday	Day of the week (name)
Time
{{CURRENTTIME}}	13:05	Time (24-hour HH:mm format)
{{CURRENTHOUR}}	13	Hour (24-hour zero-padded number)
Other
{{CURRENTWEEK}}	15	Week (number)
{{CURRENTTIMESTAMP}}	20230412130530	YYYYMMDDHHmmss timestamp	≥ 1.7

The following variables do the same as the preceding ones but using the site’s server config or $wgLocaltimezone.

• {{LOCALYEAR}}
• {{LOCALMONTH}}
• {{LOCALMONTH1}}
• {{LOCALMONTHNAME}}
• {{LOCALMONTHNAMEGEN}}
• {{LOCALMONTHABBREV}}
• {{LOCALDAY}}
• {{LOCALDAY2}}
• {{LOCALDOW}}
• {{LOCALDAYNAME}}
• {{LOCALTIME}}
• {{LOCALHOUR}}
• {{LOCALWEEK}}
• {{LOCALTIMESTAMP}}

For more thorough time formatting, or to output the current year and week with better compliance with ISO-8601, you may want to install Extension:ParserFunctions to use the #time parser function.

Technical metadata

Variable	Output	Description	Versions
Site
{{SITENAME}}	MediaWiki	The wiki’s site name ($wgSitename).
{{SERVER}}	//www.mediawiki.org	Domain URL ($wgServer).
{{SERVERNAME}}	www.mediawiki.org	Subdomain and domain name (no longer dependent on $wgServerName as of version 1.17).
{{DIRMARK}} {{DIRECTIONMARK}}	‎ ‎	Outputs a Unicode directional mark that matches the wiki’s default language’s direction (‎ on left-to-right wikis, ‏ on right-to-left wikis), useful in text with multi-directional text. Since 1.19, it depends on the page content language.	≥ 1.7 r14442
{{SCRIPTPATH}}	/w	Relative script path ($wgScriptPath).
{{STYLEPATH}}	/w/skins	Relative style path ($wgStylePath).	≥ 1.16
{{CURRENTVERSION}}	1.41.0-wmf.4 (d226755)	The wiki’s MediaWiki version.	≥ 1.7 r14199
{{CONTENTLANGUAGE}} {{CONTENTLANG}}	en en	The wiki’s default interface language ($wgLanguageCode).	≥ 1.7 r14661
Page
{{PAGEID}}	1748	Returns the page identifier.	≥ 1.20 Gerrit change 9858
{{PAGELANGUAGE}} {{#language:{{PAGELANGUAGE}}}}	en English	Returns the language of the current page. The language code that this variable returns can be converted to a language name using {{#language:...}}.	≥ 1.29 Gerrit change 330982
<translate><!--T:1--> Translated unit. Language: <tvar name=lang>{{TRANSLATIONLANGUAGE}}</tvar>.</translate> <translate><!--T:2--> Untranslated unit. Language: <tvar name=lang>{{TRANSLATIONLANGUAGE}}</tvar>.</translate>	Translated unit. Language: en. Not translated unit. Language: en.	Must be used in a translated page, inside ‎<translate> tags. Returns the language code of the current translation unit. In a translation page, if the unit has been translated, then it returns translation language. Else, it returns source language. The language code that this variable returns can be converted to a language name using {{#language:...}}. Should only be used by translation admins.	≥ 1.36.0-wmf.8 Gerrit change 603472
{{PROTECTIONLEVEL:action}}		Outputs the protection level (e.g. «autoconfirmed», «sysop») for a given action (e.g. «edit», «move») on the current page. Returns an empty string if not protected.	≥ 1.15 r45587
{{PROTECTIONEXPIRY:action}}		Outputs the protection expiry (e.g. «20160418155030», «infinity») for a given action (e.g. «edit», «move») on the current page. Returns «infinity» if not protected.	≥ 1.27 Gerrit change 255717
{{CASCADINGSOURCES}}		[Expensive] Returns the sources of any cascading protection acting on the current page. Pages will not return their own title unless they transclude themselves.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 104999
Latest revision to current page
{{REVISIONID}}	—	Unique revision ID. It is empty in preview, thus one can show an error message only in preview. May be disabled in miser mode.	≥ 1.5
{{REVISIONDAY}}	25	Day edit was made (unpadded number).	≥ 1.8
{{REVISIONDAY2}}	25	Day edit was made (zero-padded number).	≥ 1.8
{{REVISIONMONTH}}	03	Month edit was made (zero-padded number as of 1.17+, unpadded number in prior versions).	≥ 1.8
{{REVISIONMONTH1}}	3	Month edit was made (unpadded number).	≥ 1.17 r66200
{{REVISIONYEAR}}	2023	Year edit was made.	≥ 1.8
{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}	20230325231711	Timestamp as of time of edit.	≥ 1.8
{{REVISIONUSER}}	Shirayuki	The username of the user who made the most recent edit to the page, or the current user when previewing an edit.	≥ 1.15 r48149
{{REVISIONSIZE}}	96693	The size (bytes of wikitext) of the current revision of this page	≥ 1.22 Gerrit change 82650
Affects page content
{{DISPLAYTITLE:title}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:title|noerror}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:title|noreplace}}		Format the current page’s title header. The value must be equivalent to the default title: only capitalization changes to certain parts of the title (not all) and replacing spaces with underscores are allowed (this can be changed with $wgRestrictDisplayTitle). It can be disabled or enabled by $wgAllowDisplayTitle; disabled by default before 1.10+, enabled by default thereafter. It can take a second argument of noerror or noreplace to suppress error messages when multiple displaytitles are used on one page or to make this displaytitle do nothing if a displaytitle was already specified earlier in the page.	≥ 1.7 ≥ 1.24 Gerrit change 144870 (for noerror and noreplace)
{{DEFAULTSORT:sortkey}} {{DEFAULTSORTKEY:sortkey}} {{DEFAULTCATEGORYSORT:sortkey}} {{DEFAULTSORT:sortkey|noerror}} {{DEFAULTSORT:sortkey|noreplace}}		Used for categorizing pages, sets a default category sort key. For example if you put {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John}} at the end of John Smith, the page would be sorted under «S» by default in categories. It can take a second argument of noerror or noreplace to suppress error messages when multiple defaultsortkeys are used on one page or to make this defaultsort do nothing if a defaultsort was already specified earlier in the page.	≥ 1.10 ≥ 1.19 r96767 (for noerror and noreplace)

Statistics

Numbers returned by these variables normally contain separators (commas, dots or spaces, depending on the local language) but can return raw numbers with the «:R» flag (for example, {{NUMBEROFPAGES}} → 1,493,469 and {{NUMBEROFPAGES:R}} → 1493469).

Use «|R» for magic words that require a parameter like PAGESINCATEGORY (for example {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help}} and {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help|R}}, or {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help|subcats}} and {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help|subcats|R}}).
Also applicable to {{PAGESIZE:page name}} hereinbefore.

The number magic words are formatted in the wiki content language. Since 1.19, it depends on the page content language.

Variable	Output	Description	Versions
{{NUMBEROFPAGES}}	1,493,469	Number of wiki pages.	≥ 1.7
{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}	59,993	Number of pages in content namespaces that qualify as articles. See Manual:$wgArticleCountMethod for details.
{{NUMBEROFFILES}}	2,801	Number of uploaded files.	≥ 1.5
{{NUMBEROFEDITS}}	5,763,404	Number of wiki edits.	≥ 1.10 r21319
{{NUMBEROFVIEWS}}		Number of page views. Usually useless on a wiki using caching. Removed in Gerrit change 150699.	1.14 – 1.24 r42721
{{NUMBEROFUSERS}}	17,761,447	Number of registered users.	≥ 1.7
{{NUMBEROFADMINS}}	142	Number of users in the sysop group.	≥ 1.7
{{NUMBEROFACTIVEUSERS}}	861	Number of active users, based on the criteria used in Special:Statistics.	≥ 1.15 r47392
{{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname}} {{PAGESINCAT:categoryname}}	131 131	[Expensive] Number of pages (including subcategories and files) in the given category. (Category:Help used for demonstration)	≥ 1.13 r32932
{{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname|all}} {{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname|pages}} {{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname|subcats}} {{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname|files}}	131 128 3 0	[Expensive] Respectively, the number of all pages ordinary pages (excluding subcategories and files) subcategories or files in the given category. (Category:Help used for demonstration)	≥ 1.20 Gerrit change 12790
{{NUMBERINGROUP:groupname}} {{NUMINGROUP:groupname}}	23 23	Number of users in a specific group. (bureaucrat used for demonstration)	≥ 1.14 r40116
{{PAGESINNS:index}} {{PAGESINNAMESPACE:index}}	Not enabled	[Expensive] Number of pages in the given namespace (replace index with the relevant namespace index). For instance, {{PAGESINNAMESPACE:14}} will output the number of category pages. {{PAGESINNS:0}} differs from {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} in that the former includes redirects and disambiguation pages. Disabled by default, enable with $wgAllowSlowParserFunctions.	≥ 1.7

Page names

Variable	For current page	Description	Versions
{{FULLPAGENAME}}	Help:Magic words	Namespace and full page title (including all subpage levels).	≥ 1.6
{{PAGENAME}}	Magic words	Full page title (including all subpage levels) without the namespace.
{{BASEPAGENAME}}	Magic words	Page title of the page in the immediately superior subpage level without the namespace. Would return Title/Foo on page Help:Title/Foo/Bar.	≥ 1.7
{{ROOTPAGENAME}}	Magic words	Name of the root of the current page. Would return Title on page Help:Title/Foo/Bar.	≥ 1.22
{{SUBPAGENAME}}	Magic words	The subpage title. Would return Bar on page Help:Title/Foo/Bar. If no subpage exists the value of {{PAGENAME}} is returned. For more complex splitting, use {{#titleparts:}} from the ParserFunctions extension.	≥ 1.6
{{SUBJECTPAGENAME}} {{ARTICLEPAGENAME}}	Help:Magic words Help:Magic words	Full page name of the associated subject (e.g. article or file). Useful on talk pages.	≥ 1.7
{{TALKPAGENAME}}	Help talk:Magic words	Full page name of the associated talk page.	≥ 1.7

None of these are affected by changes to the display title using {{DISPLAYTITLE:xxxx}}; the values returned are the original page title.

The {{BASEPAGENAME}} and {{SUBPAGENAME}} magic words only work in namespaces that have subpages enabled. See $wgNamespacesWithSubpages for information on enabling subpages.

As of 1.15+, these can all take a parameter, allowing specification of the page to be operated on, instead of just the current page:

• {{PAGENAME:Template:Main Page}} → Main Page

Warning:

If the page title contains any parts that are «.» or «..«, the magic word returns nothing. {{PAGENAME:one/./three}} → . Nothing is returned.

Warning:

Page titles containing certain characters, such as apostrophes ' or asterisks *, may produce unexpected results when handled with these magic words, e.g. {{PAGESINCATEGORY:{{PAGENAME}}}}. See bugs T16779, T18474, T37628, T37746. One simple way to fix this is wrapping the pagename in {{#titleparts:}} from the ParserFunctions extension.

URL encoded page names

The following are equivalents encoded for use in MediaWiki URLs (i.e. spaces replaced with underscores and some characters HTML escaped using numeric character encoding):

• {{FULLPAGENAMEE}}
• {{PAGENAMEE}}
• {{BASEPAGENAMEE}}
• {{SUBPAGENAMEE}}
• {{SUBJECTPAGENAMEE}}
• {{ARTICLEPAGENAMEE}}
• {{TALKPAGENAMEE}}
• {{ROOTPAGENAMEE}}

Note that {{PAGENAME:...}}, {{PAGENAMEE:...}} and {{urlencode:...}} have distinct implementations.
See Manual:PAGENAMEE encoding for details.

Namespaces

Variable	Output	Description	Versions
{{NAMESPACE}}	Help	Name of the page’s namespace (except for main space)
{{NAMESPACENUMBER}}	12	ID of the page’s namespace	≥ 1.20 Gerrit change 4056
{{SUBJECTSPACE}} {{ARTICLESPACE}}	Help Help	Name of the associated content namespace	≥ 1.7
{{TALKSPACE}}	Help talk	Name of the associated talk namespace	≥ 1.7

The following are equivalents encoded for use in MediaWiki URLs (spaces replaced with underscores and some characters percent-encoded):

• {{NAMESPACEE}}
• {{SUBJECTSPACEE}}
• {{ARTICLESPACEE}}
• {{TALKSPACEE}}

As of 1.15+, these can take a full-page-name parameter and will return the requested namespace associated with that page, instead of with the current page:

• {{NAMESPACENUMBER:MediaWiki}} → 0
• {{NAMESPACE:MediaWiki}} → (Pages in main space will return empty)
• {{NAMESPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Template
• {{SUBJECTSPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Template
• {{ARTICLESPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Template
• {{TALKSPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Template talk

Parameter must not be a namespace name:

• {{SUBJECTSPACE:Help talk}} →   (Empty)

Other

Variable	Output	Description	Versions
{{!}}	|	Used to include a pipe character as part of a template argument or table cell contents. Before this was added as a magic word, many wikis implemented this by creating Template:! with | as the content. See Help:Extension:ParserFunctions#Escaping pipe characters in tables for further explanation.	≥ 1.24 Gerrit change 136234
{{=}}	=	Used to include an equal sign as part of a template argument or table cell contents. Before this was added as a magic word, many wikis implemented this by creating Template:= with = as the content. See Help:Extension:ParserFunctions#Raw equal signs for further explanation.	≥ 1.39 Gerrit change 791685

Parser functions

Parser functions are very similar to variables but take one or more parameters (technically, any magic word that takes a parameter is a parser function), and the name is sometimes prefixed with a hash to distinguish them from templates.

This page only describes parser functions that are integral to the MediaWiki software. Other parser functions may be added by MediaWiki extensions such as the Extension:ParserFunctions. For those see Help:Extension:ParserFunctions.

Technical metadata of another page

Parser function	Output (for page MediaWiki)	Description	Versions
{{PAGEID: page name }}	1	[Expensive] Returns the page identifier of the specified page*.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{PAGESIZE:page name}} {{PAGESIZE: page name |R}}	96,693 96693	[Expensive] Returns the byte size of the specified page. Use «|R» to get raw (unformatted) numbers.	≥ 1.13 r33551
{{PROTECTIONLEVEL:action | page name}}	sysop	[Expensive] Outputs the protection level (e.g. «autoconfirmed», «sysop») for a given action (e.g. «edit», «move») on the specified page. Returns an empty string if not protected.	≥ 1.21 r44683
{{PROTECTIONEXPIRY: action | page name}}	infinity	[Expensive] Outputs the protection expiry (e.g. «20160418155030», «infinity») for a given action (e.g. «edit», «move») on the specified page. Returns «infinity» if not protected.	≥ 1.27 Gerrit change 255717
{{CASCADINGSOURCES: page name}}		[Expensive] Returns the sources of any cascading protection acting on the specified page. Pages will not return their own title unless they transclude themselves.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 104999
{{REVISIONID: page name }}	3878227	[Expensive] Unique revision ID of the last revision on the specified page*.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONDAY: page name }}	26	[Expensive] Day of edit from the last revision of the specified page* (unpadded number).	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONDAY2: page name }}	26	[Expensive] Day of edit from the last revision of the specified page* (zero-padded number).	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONMONTH: page name }}	05	[Expensive] Month of edit from the last revision of the specified page* (zero-padded number as of 1.17+, unpadded number in prior versions).	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONMONTH1: page name }}	5	[Expensive] Month of edit from the last revision of the specified page* (unpadded number).	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONYEAR: page name }}	2020	[Expensive] Year of edit from the last revision of the specified page*.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP: page name }}	20200526133817	[Expensive] Timestamp as of time of edit on the specified page*.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
{{REVISIONUSER: page name }}	Shirayuki	[Expensive] The username from the last revision on the specified page*.	≥ 1.23 Gerrit change 76534
*When the given param is equal to the current title of the parser, the parser function will yield the previous versions on preview and on substitution, that includes empty strings when used on page creation but using the values from the current version for page view, including viewing old revisions. In this case it is a non-expensive parser function.

URL data

Parser function	Input → Output	Description	Versions
{{localurl:page name}} {{localurl:page name |query_string}}	{{localurl:MediaWiki}} → /wiki/MediaWiki {{localurl:MediaWiki|printable=yes}} → /w/index.php?title=MediaWiki&printable=yes	The relative path to the title.
{{fullurl:page name}} {{fullurl:page name |query_string}} {{fullurl:interwiki:remote page name |query_string}}	{{fullurl:Category:Top level}} → //www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Category:Top_level {{fullurl:Category:Top level|action=edit}} → //www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Top_level&action=edit {{fullurl:s:Electra|action=edit}} → https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Electra?action=edit {{fullurl:s:es:Electra|action=edit}} → https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/es:Electra?action=edit	A protocol-relative path to the title, which depends on the $wgServer configuration setting for the local wiki (and so may or may not start with http(s)://). This will also resolve interwiki prefixes. Note: Unbracketed (plain) protocol-relative links are not automagically linked.	≥ 1.5
{{canonicalurl:page name}} {{canonicalurl:page name |query_string}} {{canonicalurl:interwiki:remote page name |query_string}}	{{canonicalurl:Category:Top level}} → https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Category:Top_level {{canonicalurl:Category:Top level|action=edit}} → https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Top_level&action=edit {{canonicalurl:w:Category:Top level|action=edit}} → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Top_level?action=edit	The absolute path to the title, using the canonical URL. This will also resolve interwiki prefixes.	≥ 1.18
{{filepath:file name}} {{filepath:file name|nowiki}} {{filepath:file name|thumbnail_size}}	{{filepath:Wiki.png}} → //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/b/bc/Wiki.png {{filepath:Wiki.png|nowiki}} → //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/b/bc/Wiki.png {{filepath:Example.svg|300}} → //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Example.svg/300px-Example.svg.png The parameter nowiki usually removes the link around the filepath (which can’t be seen in this example).	A protocol-relative path to the full size or thumbnail (1.18+) of a media file.	≥ 1.12 r25854 ≥ 1.18 r80813
{{urlencode:string}} or {{urlencode:string|QUERY}} {{urlencode:string|WIKI}} {{urlencode:string|PATH}}	{{urlencode:x:y/z á é}} or {{urlencode:x:y/z á é|QUERY}} → x%3Ay%2Fz+%C3%A1+%C3%A9 {{urlencode:x:y/z á é|WIKI}} → x:y/z_%C3%A1_%C3%A9 {{urlencode:x:y/z á é|PATH}} → x%3Ay%2Fz%20%C3%A1%20%C3%A9 Note that the default changed from |WIKI to |QUERY in 1.17; this may break templates that rely on this function.	The input encoded for use in URLs. Note that there is no urldecode function like there is in the obsolete Extension:StringFunctions Encoding code space  none  +  QUERY  +   WIKI  _   PATH %20	≥ 1.7 r14273 (or ≥ 1.17 r64726 ≥ 1.17 r64726 ≥ 1.17 r64726 )
{{anchorencode:string}}	{{anchorencode:x y z á é}} → x_y_z_á_é	The input encoded for use in URL section anchors (after the “#” symbol in a URL).	≥ 1.6 r16279

Namespaces

{{ns:}} returns the current localized name for the namespace with that index, canonical name, or local alias.
Thus {{ns:6}}, {{ns:File}}, and {{ns:Image}} (an old name for the File namespace) all return «File».
On a wiki where the content language is French, {{ns:Fichier}} is also valid, but {{ns:Datei}} (the localisation of «File» in German) is not.

The main namespace has no name, i.e. {{ns:0}} returns an empty string.
For explicitly referring to the main namespace, {{int:Blanknamespace}} can be used, resulting in «(Main)».

{{nse:}} is the equivalent encoded for MediaWiki URLs. It does the same, but it replaces spaces with underscores, making it usable in external links.

Content namespaces		Talk namespaces
Usage	Output	Usage	Output
{{ns:-2}} / {{ns:Media}}	Media	{{ns:-1}} / {{ns:Special}}	Special (no talk page)
{{ns:0}} / {{ns:}}		{{ns:1}} / {{ns:Talk}}	Talk
{{ns:2}} / {{ns:User}}	User	{{ns:3}} / {{ns:User talk}}	User talk
{{ns:4}} / {{ns:Project}}	Project Varies between wikis	{{ns:5}} / {{ns:Project talk}}	Project talk
{{ns:6}} / {{ns:File}} or {{ns:Image}}	File	{{ns:7}} / {{ns:File talk}} or {{ns:Image talk}}	File talk
{{ns:8}} / {{ns:MediaWiki}}	MediaWiki	{{ns:9}} / {{ns:MediaWiki talk}}	MediaWiki talk
{{ns:10}} / {{ns:Template}}	Template	{{ns:11}} / {{ns:Template talk}}	Template talk
{{ns:12}} / {{ns:Help}}	Help	{{ns:13}} / {{ns:Help talk}}	Help talk
{{ns:14}} / {{ns:Category}}	Category	{{ns:15}} / {{ns:Category talk}}	Category talk

Don’t confuse localised namespaces with custom namespaces.

Formatting

Usage	Input → Output	Description	Version
{{formatnum:unformatted number}} {{formatnum:formatnum-formatted number|R}} {{formatnum:unformatted number|NOSEP}}	Simple: {{formatnum:987654321.654321}} → 987,654,321.654321 {{formatnum:987,654,321.654321|R}} → 987654321.654321 Advanced: {{formatnum:{{formatnum:987654321.654321}}|R}} → 987654321.654321 (on any locale) {{formatnum:00001}} → 00,001 {{formatnum:987654321.654321 |NOSEP}} → 987654321.654321 Examples with Bangla locale: {{formatnum:987654321.654321}} → ৯৮,৭৬,৫৪,৩২১.৬৫৪৩২১ {{formatnum:987654321.654321 |NOSEP}} → ৯৮৭৬৫৪৩২১.৬৫৪৩২১ {{formatnum:৯৮,৭৬,৫৪,৩২১.৬৫৪৩২১ |R}} → 987654321.654321 Unsupported: {{formatnum:{{formatnum:987.654.321}}}} → 987 654 321 (e.g. with Italian locale) Examples of wrong input (unreliable output), with or without |R: {{formatnum:987,654.321|R}} (the least broken) {{formatnum:987.654,321|R}} {{formatnum:987 654,321|R}} {{formatnum:987 654,321|R}}	Takes an unformatted number (Arabic, no group separators and . as decimal separator) and outputs it in the localized digit script and formatted with decimal and decimal group separators, according to the wiki’s default locale. The |R parameter can be used to reverse the behavior, for use in mathematical situations: it’s reliable and should be used only to deformat numbers which are known to be formatted exactly as formatnum formats them with the wiki’s locale. The NOSEP («no separators») parameter means that no group / decimal separators are changed; formatnum will only transform the digits themselves in languages which don’t use the Hindu–Arabic numeral system. NOSEP can also prevent non-standard digit groupings you wouldn’t expect. Warning: Leading zeroes are not removed, you can use {{#expr:00001}} instead if you have Extension:ParserFunctions installed. Warning: If you don’t input numbers in the exact format required, don’t expect any reliable output, especially on non-English wikis. If you really need to format (according the wiki’s locale) a number in unknown input format, you could try and use formatnum two times (but not if it can have a decimal group, or its separator will be eaten or the number won’t be formatted). Be aware that this is more a hack than a regular way to proceed, thus the output may be not reliable.	≥ 1.7 ≥ 1.13 r32012
{{#dateformat:date}} {{#formatdate:date}} {{#dateformat:date|format}} {{#formatdate:date|format}}	{{#dateformat:25 dec 2009|ymd}} → 2009 December 25 (your pref), 2009 December 25 (default) {{#formatdate:dec 25,2009|dmy}} → 25 December 2009 (your pref), 25 December 2009 (default) {{#dateformat:2009-12-25|mdy}} → December 25, 2009 (your pref), December 25, 2009 (default) {{#formatdate:2009 dec 25|ISO 8601}} → 2009-12-25 (your pref), 2009-12-25 (default) {{#dateformat:25 decEmber|mdy}} → December 25 (your pref), December 25 (default) Note: In the examples above, «your pref» refers to your date preference on the current MediaWiki wiki only.	Formats an unlinked date based on user «date format» preference, and adds metadata tagging it as a formatted date. For logged-out users and those who have not set a date format in their preferences, dates can be given a default: mdy, dmy, ymd, ISO 8601 (all case sensitive). If only the month and day are given, only mdy and dmy are valid. If a format is not specified or is invalid, the input format is used as a default. If the supplied date is not recognized as a valid date (specifically, if it contains any metadata such as from a nested use of these or similar templates), it is rendered unchanged, and no (additional) metadata is generated. Warning: Although the ISO 8601 standard requires that dates be in the Gregorian calendar, the ISO parameter in this function will still format dates that fall outside the usual Gregorian range (e.g. dates prior to 1583). Also, the magic word cannot properly convert between negative years (used with ISO 8601) and years BC or years BCE (used in general writing).	≥ 1.15 r48249
{{lc:string}}	{{lc:DATA CENTER}} → data center	The lowercase input.	≥ 1.5
{{lcfirst:string}}	{{lcfirst:DATA center}} → dATA center	The input with the very first character lowercase.	≥ 1.5
{{uc:string}}	{{uc:text transform}} → TEXT TRANSFORM	The uppercase input.	≥ 1.5
{{ucfirst:string}}	{{ucfirst:text tRAnSFORM}} → Text tRAnSFORM	The input with the very first character uppercase.	≥ 1.5
{{padleft:xyz|stringlength}} {{padleft:xyz|strlen|char}} {{padleft:xyz|strlen|string}}	{{padleft:xyz|5}} → 00xyz {{padleft:xyz|5|_}} → __xyz {{padleft:xyz|5|abc}} → abxyz {{padleft:xyz|2}} → xyz {{padleft:|1|xyz}} → x (first character of the string)	Inserts a string of padding characters (character chosen in third parameter; default «0») of a specified length (second parameter) next to a chosen base character or variable (first parameter). The final digits or characters in the base replace the final characters in the padding; i.e. {{padleft:44|3|0}} produces 044. The padding string may be truncated if its length does not evenly divide the required number of characters. Only the first character of the third parameter is used in versions up to 1.12, but by version 1.15, all the characters are used. Bug (fixed in r45734): multibyte characters are interpreted as two characters, which can skew width. These also cannot be used as padding characters.	≥ 1.8 ≥ 1.15 r45734
{{padright:xyz|stringlength}} {{padright:xyz|strlen|char}} {{padright:xyz|strlen|string}}	{{padright:xyz|5}} → xyz00 {{padright:xyz|5|_}} → xyz__ {{padright:xyz|5|abc}} → xyzab {{padright:xyz|2}} → xyz {{padright:|1|xyz}} → x	Identical to padleft but adds padding characters to the right side.	≥ 1.8 ≥ 1.15 r45734

See also: Extension:StringFunctions.

Localization

Here are the magic words which are used as main localisation tools. Other magic words will often depend on the wiki’s locale and configuration or on the chosen language: see in particular #Date and time, #Formatting, #Miscellaneous. More magic words are added by the Extension:Translate.

The usage of these magic words can be very complex, and the documentation is currently incomplete; there’s some more info on PLURAL, GRAMMAR, GENDER.

Usage	Input → Output	Description	Version
{{PLURAL:2|is|are}}	{{PLURAL:0|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:1*1|is|are}} → is {{PLURAL:21 mod 10|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:{{#expr:21 mod 10}}|is|are}} → is {{PLURAL:1|is|are}} → is {{PLURAL:2|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:-1|is|are}} → is {{PLURAL:-2|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:0.5|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:1.5|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:-0.5|is|are}} → are {{PLURAL:-1.5|is|are}} → are (For Russian) {{PLURAL:5|1=Категория|Категории}}  → Категории {{PLURAL:3|страница|страницы|страниц}} → страницы {{PLURAL:5|страница|страницы|страниц}} → страниц	Outputs the singular form (second parameter) if the absolute value of the first parameter is an expression equalling one; the plural form (third parameter) otherwise. Its functioning is language-dependent. Some language codes (ab, av, ba, bxr, ce, crh_cyrl, cv, inh, koi, krc, kv, lbe, lez, mhr, mrj, myv, ru, sl, tt_cyrl, tyv, udm, xal) used 3 plural forms (updated 01.2014): Form 1: 1, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 101, 1001, … Form 2: 0, 5, 6, 7, 8, …, 18, 19, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000, … Form 3: 2, 3, 4, 22, 23, 24, 32, 33, 34, 42, 43, 44, 52, 53, 54, 62, 102, 1002, …
{{GRAMMAR:N|noun}}		Outputs the correct inflected form of the given word described by the inflection code after the colon (language-dependent). Grammar transformations are used for inflected languages like Polish. See also $wgGrammarForms.	≥ 1.7
{{GENDER:username|text for every gender}} {{GENDER:Username|male text|female text|text for unspecified}} {{GENDER:|male text|female text|text for unspecified}} {{GENDER:.|male text|female text|text for unspecified}}	(Depends on the named user’s gender)	A switch for the gender set in Special:Preferences. Note: The first example is basically a no-op Note: If 3rd parameter is omitted and user hasn’t defined their gender, then text if user is male is returned. A blank username field ({{GENDER:|) means the current user, but can be used only in interface messages (MediaWiki namespace). A dot username (.) means the default user gender on this wiki.	≥ 1.15 r46247
{{int:message name}}	{{int:edit}} → Edit (Depends on user language; try: fr • ja)	Internationalizes (translates) the given interface (MediaWiki namespace) message into the user language. For msgnw and other transclusion magic words, see the Transclusion modifiers section. Note that this can damage / confuse cache consistency in MediaWiki 1.17 and earlier, see T16404.
{{int:editsectionhint|MediaWiki}}	{{int:editsectionhint|MediaWiki}} → Edit section: MediaWiki	You may also use parameters with translations. Parameters are designated in messages with: $1, $2, $3, etc. For example, here is the message for editsectionhint: Edit section: $1 In this example, MediaWiki replaces $1.

Transclusion modifiers

{{Page name|optional params}} usually transcludes another page, by default from the Template:namespace.
These magic words modify that behavior.

Usage	Description	Version
{{:xyz}}	A bare colon is not a template modifier but the prefix for the main namespace. Since transclusion defaults to the Template namespace, you would use for example, {{:UTC}} (vs. {{UTC}}) to include the text of the main namespace article UTC rather than Template:UTC.
{{int:xyz}}	Same as {{MediaWiki:xyz}}, except standard message translation is applied depending on subpages and content/user/uselang language. Another difference is: this doesn’t appear under «Templates used on this page:». Rendered as ⧼xyz⧽ if MediaWiki:xyz doesn’t exist. See also Help:System message.
{{msg:xyz}} {{raw:xyz}}	Even if there is a magic word named «xyz», use template:xyz unless the template doesn’t exist (equivalent to {{template:xyz}}). Normally, magic words have priority when there is a conflict.
{{raw:xyz}}	If $wgEnableScaryTranscluding is enabled, and this is an interwiki transclusion, include the raw wikitext instead of the html from the foreign wiki.	≥ 1.6 r12925
{{msgnw:xyz}}	The unexpanded wikitext is rendered (more or less, for details see Help:Templates).
{{subst:xyz}}	In the wikitext, the tag is substituted by the content (single-level evaluation only), see Help:Templates.
{{safesubst:xyz}}	See Help:Templates.

Miscellaneous

Usage	Input → Output	Description	Version
{{#language:language code}} {{#language:language code|target language code}}	{{#language:ar}} → العربية {{#language:ar|en}} → Arabic	The full name of the language for the given language code: native name (language autonym) by default, name translated in target language if a target language code is specified. Extension:CLDR must be installed for the translation to work.	≥ 1.7 r14490 ≥ 1.18 r91875 (translation)
{{#special:special page name}}	{{#special:userlogin}} → Special:UserLogin	The localized name for the given canonical Special: page.	≥ 1.9 r17321
{{#speciale:special page name}}	{{#speciale:userlogin}} → Special:UserLogin	The localized and URL-encoded name for the given canonical Special: page.	≥ 1.20 Gerrit change 4340
{{#tag:tagname |content |attribute1=value1 |attribute2=value2 }}	Example for the Cite extension’s ‎<ref> tags: {{#tag:ref|Citation on Magic words. |name = "multiple"}} → [1]	Alias for XML-style MediaWiki parser tags or extension tags. It allows a pre-save transform of wiki code and Extension:ParserFunctions within tags before the tag is processed. It also prevents parsing of tags in conditional paths that aren’t executed (like in #if statements). Content between tags is passed as the first parameter, and any attributes for the tags can be passed as subsequent parameters. This example: ‎<tagname attribute1="value1" attribute2="value2">Your content goes here‎</tagname> …can be rewritten like this: {{#tag:tagname|Your content goes here|attribute1=value1|attribute2=value2}} Warning: You must write {{#tag:tagname||attribute1=value1|attribute2=value2}} to pass an empty content. No leading or trailing space of the text content are permitted between the pipe characters || before attribute1.	≥ 1.12 r29482

For parser function #invoke, see w:Wikipedia:Lua#Running a module.

Magic Words: A Dictionary

Magic Words: A Dictionary is a one-of-a-kind resource for magicians and word lovers, exploring the most intriguing magic words and phrases from around the world.  720 essay-style entries touch upon magic words’ multiple meanings, auras of mystery, origins and history, popular variations, amusing trivia, and fascinating examples of usage from literature and popular culture.  Sources range from prominent modern stage magicians to their distant ancestors: the hierophants of ancient Egypt; the high priests, medicine men, sorcerers, and alchemists of the Middle Ages; the necromancers and wizards of legend and fairy tale; and the workers of wonders and miracles throughout history—all performers of their day, seeking to mystify, to enchant, and to entertain.  This dictionary showcases those powerful words that give shape and form to a magician’s ungraspable feats, like a piece of silk, or that conjure up a puzzling new reality, like smoke and mirrors.

Our current fascination with magic words lies in the revival of interest in the art of close-up magic and grand illusions that began in the late twentieth-century and has continued into the twenty-first, fueled by the work of such performers as Lance Burton, David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, David Blaine, and Jeff McBride.  Magic words are naturally as old as conjuring itself, echoes of the rhythm and vibration of creative power.  Medieval conjurors first began using exotic words to give their performances an air of authentic secret knowledge.  Whether they employed pseudo-Latin phrases, nonsense syllables, or esoteric terms from religious antiquity, these magicians were doing far more than merely adding a bit of enigmatic audio to their visuals.  They were enhancing their specific illusions with a universal mystery: language as an instrument of creation.  A great many magic words have stood the test of time, passed on from master to apprentice, generation through generation, to find expression on the modern stage and street.  These ancient, musical, poetic incantations have a profound—but not necessarily unfathomable—mystique.  From the familiar but oft-perplexing classics like abracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto-chango, shazam, and sim sala bim, to lesser known gems like the tongue-twisting tirratarratorratarratirratarratum, to whimsical modern inventions like izzy wizzy let’s get busy, these venerable magic words and phrases warrant a serious, scholarly tribute and indeed have earned a place of honor in their own special dictionary.

There is profound meaning in the clichéd image of a magician pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat with the magic word abracadabra.  The magician is speaking an ancient Hebrew phrase that means “I will create with words.”  He is making something out of nothing, echoing that famous line from Genesis: “Let there be light, and there was light,” only in this case the light is a white rabbit and perhaps a flash of fire.  The magic word, whether it be abracadabra or another of the magician’s choosing, resonates with the audience because there is an instinctive understanding that words are powerful, creative forces.  “The word has always held an ancient enchantment for humans,” says scholar Ted Andrews.  “It hints of journeys into unseen and unmapped domains.”  This dictionary seeks to reinstate dignity to the treasury of magic words that have lost some of their sparkle over the years, as well as to celebrate and codify the new magic words that magicians are adding to the lexicon every day.  This dictionary is testament to the magic of language and urges magicians to reinvest their incantations with that primitive power everyone remembers at the deepest level.  Whether the reader is a professional illusionist, an amateur at sleight-of-hand, or simply a word lover intrigued by the power of language, this dictionary is meant to enlighten and inspire everyone to create pure wonder and awe whenever they speak.

read the introduction online now »
Chapter 1 » “A Tip of the Hat”

NOTE: We have been pleased to offer the entire contents of Magic Words: A Dictionary for free online viewing since 2004.  As of October 2008 we are delighted to offer the dictionary in print by Weiser Books, available from your local bookstore or through online retail channels.

PRAISE FOR MAGIC WORDS

“[A]n impressive work. . . . The ‘take away’ I had from this book has less to do with the amusing words and their definitions, and more to do with a thoughtful consideration of the role of the magic word in my own work.” 

—Brad Henderson, MAGIC, The Magazine for Magicians

“If David Lynch and Jorge Luis Borges created a book the result would be something very much like the writings of Craig Conley.  As with those artists, Craig’s work creates truly remarkable and subtle effects.  His books are ones to dream with and learn from.” 

—Lawrence Hass, Ph.D., philosopher, magician, and author of Transformations

“I am in awe of the volume and variety of the usages and references discussed: the research seems monumental. . . . Yes, it will not only give you the importance of magic words, the kinds of magic words used under what circumstances, what the public (as expressed through references in literature) thinks about magic words and what are magic words, it will help you understand magic and your relationship to it. Recommended as a very useful resource for those who think and care.” 

—Phil Willmarth, Linking Ring Magazine

“Magic Words is more than a dictionary — it is an impassioned call to writers, magicians and laypeople to bring magic back into their vocabulary.  It is, in fact, an incantation calling forth the demons hidden within our speech, and no reader will finish this book without succumbing to its spell.
     Let there be no doubt about it: Conley is on a mission to promote literacy, and his love of words possesses the cabbalistic reverence of an alchemist in pursuit of gold.  For it is in the meaning of each word, of each letter of each word, that we discover the mysterious powers of language — or, as the author puts it, it is the inherent enchantment of the word that gives literature its magical influence.  And this book will influence you in a most magical way.” 

—Anthony Marais, author of The Cure

“This 352 page dictionary of magic words was a real hoot to review, I had a blast just thumbing through the pages and learning about myths, origins, trivia and other cool stuff.  I even learned how to summon zombies and bring big changes into my life.  I also found the illustrations and icons to be very helpful with the process.
     I must tell you I knew of some magic words from books and movies, but I never imagined there were so many and even how they came to be in the first place.  I think this voluminous teacher will go a long way in helping anyone broaden their horizons.  I would recommend it to those who enjoy learning.  Thanks Craig, for the interesting and informative experience.” 

—Riki Frahmann, Mystic Living Today

“Words are inherently magical for the writer—also frustrating, obtuse, enchanting and expressive in various moments and times.  We struggle with them, delight in them, and weave them together to form significant combinations.  Dictionaries are our friends, lists of synonyms our best buddies, and there are many of us who take simple delight in the well-turned phrase.
     Craig Conley has given us a gift beyond regard: a dictionary of 720 of the words used by (stage) magicians throughout the ages.  Who can forget the shiver of delight we felt when hearing ‘open sesame’ in the tale of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves?  Or the eternal Abracadabra! and Hocus Pocus?  Now we know where they originated, with their meanings, in combinations, and source material.
     But this is no common dictionary!  Conley clearly loves words:  ‘Hocus Pocus: These primal, rhyming syllables echo the transcendental incantations of Latin rites, reverberating through hallowed cloisters.  They invoke an ancient, unworldly power, especially when enunciated slowly and authoritatively.’ (p. 327)
     Highly recommended for anyone with a taste for words.” 

—Lisa Mc Sherry, Facing North

“The first 48-pages of Magic Words are utterly fascinating, with Conley an engaging tour guide through literary, philosophical, cultural and spiritual landscapes—realms dotted with landmarks that pay homage to the power of magical utterances (and, sometimes, even to silence and mysterious glyphs).
     Not only does Conley offer examples of poetic incantations and the mysterious power of words in his introduction, but he also provides fascinating insight into the vocabulary of ritual (and why we get the giggles during solemn occasions!), the four archetypes of the Magician, and our ability to imbue ‘ordinary’ moments with the magic of both cadence and connation.
     The rest of Magic Words is dedicated to, well, magic words!
     With word origins, facts, variations, meanings, mystique and appearances in literature, this A to Z guide offers a mind-boggling array of information to be mined by would-be magicians, entertainers, writers and artists.”

—Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book [Read Full Review]

“I just got Magic Words: A Dictionary.  What fun!  Magic words taken from literature, plays, movies; all the way from Ovid to Shakespeare to Ronald Hutton to J.K. Rowling!  Each word is presented as a word (with variations, if any) and then in a quote, and then meanings are given from many historical sources.
     It would be interesting to sprinkle them in my conversation or journal writing or even for magic! Alakazam and abracadabra and hocus pocus, but also Hola Noa Massa, and Lit Flitt Latt Flight, and Shubismack.  They are even just fun to say.
     There is also an Appendix of ‘magic words’ used by people in various professions — ‘action’ for movies, ‘troubleshoot’ for computer technicians.” 

—Chela’s Amazon.com review

“Craig Conley, bless him, has given us plenty of literary treats — but his Magic Words: A Dictionary is one of the excellentest.  The entries are essay-style, so they’re fun to read (like I would ever recommend anything that wasn’t), and feature words and symbols from around the world — each with its own etymology, as well as mythical, historical, and cultural background.  Illustrations of symbols and icons are included where applicable.  Bippity boppity boo.”  —“Books by Design: Reference Books You’ll Actually Use”

“Any interested in the words and philosophy of Wicca and magic will find Magic Words a fascinating dictionary packed with magic words and phrases from around the world.  Over seven hundred essay-style entries probe the origins of magical words, their history, and their variations.  Sources range from ancient Medieval alchemists to modern necromancers and magical legends, making for a fine trivia and study reference.” 

—Diane C. Donovan, California Bookwatch

“. . . No matter how you approach it, Conley has given us a delightful resource that entertains, informs, and inspires. If only more books, especially those for magicians, offered as much.” 

—Gordon Meyer, author of Smart Home Hacks [Read Full Review]

“A most extraordinary book.” 

—Steve Spill, magician and founder of Magicopolis

“Recommended for the incantophile!” 

—James Callan, Quiz Quiz Bang Bang

“A dictionary of words with power, including the derivation of many of them.  A great resource for ceremonial magicians or anyone seeking to create their own spells.” 

—Isis Books

“Craig Conley is as intimately familiar with the magic of words as he is with the words of magic. His masterful, dazzling blend of scholarship and showmanship results in the perfect tribute to this spectacular subject. Professional magicians seeking inspiration, serious researchers seeking insights, and casual readers seeking entertainment will be equally well rewarded by a ride on Conley’s magic carpet.” 

—Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, playwright

“A brilliant book for fans of magic.  MAGIC WORDS is a must-read for those of us who write about magic.  It starts with a scholarly (and entertaining) essay about the power of words to mystify and dazzle, then includes entries and definitions for magic words humans have used throughout history.  If you’re looking for just the spell to bind your readers to your story, it may well be in this book.  (It’s also a hoot if you enjoy learning things like this: Phblthplbht is a magic word for conjuring an iron will.)” 

—Martha Brockenbrough, author of It Could Happen To You: Diary Of A Pregnancy and Beyond

“There is magic and dreams do come true.” 

—Diana Page Jordan, Multi-media Entrepreneur

“Truly words of magic about magic words!” 

—Bill Wisch, creator of “The Magic Word” program

“This is a great book. Loads of fun to browse through and stimulate understandings and possibilities. . . . fascinating information that is stimulating for the creation of either tricks or presentations, being quite difficult to let go of.” 

—Robert Neale, author of The Magic Mirror

“A fascinating piece of scholarship, and an invitation to wonder.” 

—Bernie DeKoven, author of The Well Played Game

“Too often we forget the real Magic in our lives. Craig Conley is a student of Wonder, and like all true Wonder Experiencers, he is moved to share that. Mr. Conley reminds us to open our eyes, minds, ears and hearts to the Wonder within and without. Those of us who travel along such paths are ever grateful for Those Few who travel with us in spirit. Craig Conley is one of Those Few.” 

—Kenton Knepper (The Mystic of Magic), author of Wonder Words

“This critter will definitely expand your vocabulary and repertoire.” 

—Bernie (xyzzy)

“Useful . . . entertaining.” 

—Taylor Ellwood, author of Pop Culture Magick

“A Magic Masterpiece!” 

—Magic-Al Garber, creator of “It’s a Magic-Al World!”

“Contains notes on everything from the fractal magic word abacaba-dabacaba to the typographically charged zxcvbnm, and a few more besides.” 

—Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

“Wonderful.” 

—Graham P. Collins, editor of Scientific American

“Magic can be within your grasp if you take a look at some of these print and web resources.

. . . Amateur magicians can learn more about the different magic tricks and magic words that professional magicians use.”  —Evelyn Khoo, The Wizard’s Bookshelf

“A wealth of information for the aspiring magician.” 

—Spooky Librarians

“Fascinating! A book about the origins of magic words. This will be of interest to those into stage magic as well as occultism.” 

—Aaron Leitch

“An engrossing resource.” 

—Neil Tobin, magician

“Another great book from Craig Conley.” 

—Andy Martin

“Craig Conley uses the language as Salvador Dali used paint.” 

—Natasha K., voice artist

Magic words are strings of text that MediaWiki associates with a return value or function, such as time, site details, or page names.

There are three general types of magic words:

• Behavior switches: these are uppercase words surrounded by double underscores, e.g. __FOO__
• Variables: these are uppercase words surrounded by double braces, e.g. {{FOO}}. As such, they look a lot like templates.
• Parser functions: these take parameters and are either of the form {{foo:...}} or {{#foo:...}}. See also Help:Extension:ParserFunctions.

Page-dependent magic words will affect or return data about the current page (by default), even if the word is added through a transcluded template or included system message.

Behavior switches

A behavior switch controls the layout or behavior of the page and can often be used to specify desired omissions and inclusions in the content.

Word	Description
Table of contents
__NOTOC__	Hides the table of contents (TOC).
__FORCETOC__	Forces the table of content to appear at its normal position (above the first header).
__TOC__	Places a table of contents at the word’s current position (overriding __NOTOC__). If this is used multiple times, the table of contents will appear at the first word’s position. It is possible to suppress the auto-generated section numbers, if the proper class exists locally at MediaWiki:Common.css, defined as .tocnumber { display: none; }.
Editing
__NOEDITSECTION__	Hides the section edit links beside headings.
__NEWSECTIONLINK__	Adds a link «+» beside the «edit» tab for adding a new section on a non-talk page (see Adding a section to the end (meta.wikimedia.org)).
__NONEWSECTIONLINK__	Removes the link beside the «edit» tab on pages in talk namespaces.
Categories
__NOGALLERY__	Used on a category page, replaces thumbnails in the category view with normal links.
__HIDDENCAT__	Used on a category page, hides the category from the lists of categories in its members and parent categories (there is an option in the user preferences to show them).
Language conversion
__NOCONTENTCONVERT__ __NOCC__	On wikis with language variants, don’t perform any content language conversion (character and phase) in article display; for example, only show Chinese (zh) instead of variants like zh_cn, zh_tw, zh_sg, or zh_hk.
__NOTITLECONVERT__ __NOTC__	On wikis with language variants, don’t perform language conversion on the title (all other content is converted).
Other
__START__	No effect.
__INDEX__	Tell search engines to index the page (overrides $wgArticleRobotPolicies, but not robots.txt).
__NOINDEX__	Tell search engines not to index the page (ie, do not list in search engines’ results).
__STATICREDIRECT__	On redirect pages, don’t allow MediaWiki to automatically update the link when someone moves a page and checks «Update any redirects that point to the original title».

Variables

Variables return information about the current page, wiki, or date. Their syntax is similar to templates. Variables marked as «[expensive]» are tracked by the software, and the number that can be included on a page is limited.

If a template name conflicts with a variable, the variable will be used (so to transclude the template «PAGENAME» you would need to write {{Шаблон:PAGENAME}}). In some cases, adding parameters will force the parser to invoke a template; for example, {{CURRENTDAYNAME|x}} transcludes «{{Template:CURRENTDAYNAME}}«, not the variable.

Date and time

The following variables return the current date and time in UTC.

Due to MediaWiki and browser caching, these variables frequently show when the page was cached rather than the current time. The date and time magic words are formatted in the english language.

Variable	Output	Description
Year
{{CURRENTYEAR}}	2023	Year
Month
{{CURRENTMONTH}}	04	Month (zero-padded number)
{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}	апрель	Month (name)
{{CURRENTMONTHNAMEGEN}}	апреля	Month (genitive form)
{{CURRENTMONTHABBREV}}	апр	Month (abbreviation)
Day
{{CURRENTDAY}}	14	Day of the month (unpadded number)
{{CURRENTDAY2}}	14	Day of the month (zero-padded number)
{{CURRENTDOW}}	5	Day of the week (unpadded number)
{{CURRENTDAYNAME}}	пятница	Day of the week (name)
Time
{{CURRENTTIME}}	08:49	Time (24-hour HH:mm format)
{{CURRENTHOUR}}	08	Hour (24-hour zero-padded number)
Other
{{CURRENTWEEK}}	15	Week (number)
{{CURRENTTIMESTAMP}}	20230414084901	YYYYMMDDHHmmss timestamp

The following variables do the same as the above, but using the site’s server config or $wgLocaltimezone.

• {{LOCALYEAR}}
• {{LOCALMONTH}}
• {{LOCALMONTHNAME}}
• {{LOCALMONTHNAMEGEN}}
• {{LOCALMONTHABBREV}}
• {{LOCALDAY}}
• {{LOCALDAY2}}
• {{LOCALDOW}}
• {{LOCALDAYNAME}}
• {{LOCALTIME}}
• {{LOCALHOUR}}
• {{LOCALWEEK}}
• {{LOCALTIMESTAMP}}

For more thorough time formatting, you may want to use the #time parser function.

Technical metadata

Note: Revision variables return data about the latest edit to the current page, even if viewing an older version of the page.

Variable	Output	Description
Site
{{SITENAME}}	Ай да Linux Wiki	The wiki’s site name ($wgSitename).
{{SERVER}}	https://aidalinux.ru	domain URL ($wgServer)
{{SERVERNAME}}	aidalinux.ru	domain name
{{DIRMARK}} {{DIRECTIONMARK}}	‎ ‎	Outputs a unicode-directional mark that matches the wiki’s default language’s direction (‎ on left-to-right wikis, ‏ on right-to-left wikis), useful in text with multi-directional text.
{{SCRIPTPATH}}	/wiki	relative script path ($wgScriptPath)
{{STYLEPATH}}	/wiki/skins	relative style path ($wgStylePath)
{{CURRENTVERSION}}	1.35.1	The wiki’s MediaWiki version.
{{CONTENTLANGUAGE}} {{CONTENTLANG}}	ru ru	The wiki’s default interface language ($wgLanguageCode)
Latest revision to current page
{{REVISIONID}}	368	Unique revision ID
{{REVISIONDAY}}	24	Day edit was made (unpadded number)
{{REVISIONDAY2}}	24	Day edit was made (zero-padded number)
{{REVISIONMONTH}}	12	Month edit was made (zero-padded number)
{{REVISIONMONTH1}}	12	Month edit was made (unpadded number)
{{REVISIONYEAR}}	2011	Year edit was made
{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}	20111224181336	Timestamp as of time of edit
{{REVISIONUSER}}	Langator	The username of the user who made the most recent edit to the page, or the current user when previewing an edit
{{PAGESIZE:page name}} {{PAGESIZE:page name|R}}	35 966 35966	[expensive] Returns the byte size of the specified page. Use «|R» to get raw numbers.
{{PROTECTIONLEVEL:action}}	protection level	Outputs the protection level (e.g. ‘autoconfirmed’, ‘sysop’) for a given action (e.g. ‘edit’, ‘move’) on the current page or an empty string if not protected.
Affects page content
{{DISPLAYTITLE:title}}		Format the current page’s title header. The value must be equivalent to the default title: only capitalization changes and replacing spaces with underscores are allowed.
{{DEFAULTSORT:sortkey}} {{DEFAULTSORTKEY:sortkey}} {{DEFAULTCATEGORYSORT:sortkey}}		Used for categorizing pages, sets a default category sort key. For example if you put {{DEFAULTSORT:Update, BIOS}} at the end of BIOS Update, the page would be sorted under «U» by default in categories.

Statistics

Numbers returned by these variables normally contain separators (commas or spaces, depending on the local language), but can return raw numbers with the «:R» flag (for example, {{NUMBEROFPAGES}} → 1778 and {{NUMBEROFPAGES:R}} → 1778). Use «|R» for magic words that require a parameter like PAGESINCATEGORY (for example {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help}} and {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Help|R}}). Also applicable to {{PAGESIZE:page name}} above.

The number magic words are formatted in the english language.

Variable	Output	Description
Entire wiki
{{NUMBEROFPAGES}}	1778	Number of wiki pages.
{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}	29	Number of pages in content namespaces.
{{NUMBEROFFILES}}	22	Number of uploaded files.
{{NUMBEROFEDITS}}	22 852	Number of page edits.
{{NUMBEROFVIEWS}}	Шаблон:NUMBEROFVIEWS	Number of page views. Usually useless on a wiki using caching.
{{NUMBEROFUSERS}}	17 768	Number of registered users.
{{NUMBEROFADMINS}}	2	Number of users in the sysop group.
{{NUMBEROFACTIVEUSERS}}	0	Number of active users, based on the criteria used in Special:Statistics.
{{PAGESINCATEGORY:categoryname}} {{PAGESINCAT:Help}}	31 31	[expensive] Number of pages in the given category.
{{NUMBERINGROUP:groupname}} {{NUMINGROUP:groupname}}	2 2 ({{NUMBERINGROUP:bureaucrat}} used here)	Number of users in a specific group.

Page names

Variable	Output	Description
{{FULLPAGENAME}}	Справка:Magic words	Namespace and page title.
{{PAGENAME}}	Magic words	Page title.
{{BASEPAGENAME}}	Magic words	Page title excluding the current subpage and namespace («Title/foo» on «Title/foo/bar»). For more complex splitting, use {{#titleparts:}} from ParserFunctions extension.
{{SUBPAGENAME}}	Magic words	The subpage title («foo» on «Title/foo»).
{{SUBJECTPAGENAME}}	Справка:Magic words	The namespace and title of the associated subject page.
{{TALKPAGENAME}}	Обсуждение справки:Magic words	The namespace and title of the associated talk page.

The {{BASEPAGENAME}} and {{SUBPAGENAME}} magic words only work in namespaces that have subpages enabled.

The following are equivalents encoded for use in MediaWiki URLs (i.e. spaces replaced with underscores and some characters percent-encoded):

• {{FULLPAGENAMEE}}
• {{PAGENAMEE}}
• {{BASEPAGENAMEE}}
• {{SUBPAGENAMEE}}
• {{SUBJECTPAGENAMEE}}
• {{TALKPAGENAMEE}}

These can all take a parameter, allowing specification of the page to be operated on, instead of just the current page:

• {{PAGENAME:Template:Main Page}} → Main Page

Предупреждение: Page titles containing certain characters, such as single quotes (') or asterisks (*), may produce unexpected results when handled with these magic words, e.g. {{PAGESINCATEGORY:{{PAGENAME}}}}. See bugs 14779, 16474.

Note that {{PAGENAME}}, {{PAGENAMEE}} and {{urlencode:}} have distinct implementations. See Manual:PAGENAMEE encoding for details.

Namespaces

Variable	Output	Description
{{NAMESPACE}}	Справка	Name of the page’s namespace
{{SUBJECTSPACE}} {{ARTICLESPACE}}	Справка Справка	Name of the associated content namespace
{{TALKSPACE}}	Обсуждение справки	Name of the associated talk namespace

The following are equivalents encoded for use in MediaWiki URLs (spaces replaced with underscores and some characters percent-encoded):

• {{NAMESPACEE}}
• {{SUBJECTSPACEE}}
• {{TALKSPACEE}}

These can take a full-page-name parameter and will return the requested namespace associated with that page, instead of with the current page:

• {{NAMESPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Шаблон
• {{SUBJECTSPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Шаблон
• {{TALKSPACE:Template:Main Page}} → Обсуждение шаблона

Parameter must not be a namespace name:

• {{SUBJECTSPACE:Help talk}} → ‘

Parser functions

Parser functions are very similar to variables, but take one or more parameters (technically, any magic word that takes a parameter is a parser function), and the name is sometimes prefixed with a hash to distinguish them from templates.

This page only describes parser functions that are integral to the MediaWiki software. Other parser functions are added by the ParserFunctions extension. For those see Help:Extension:ParserFunctions.

URL data

Parser function	Input → Output	Description
{{localurl:page name}} {{localurl:page name|query_string}}	{{localurl:MediaWiki}} → /w/MediaWiki {{localurl:MediaWiki|printable=yes}} → /wiki/index.php?title=MediaWiki&printable=yes	The relative path to the title.
{{fullurl:page name}} {{fullurl:page name|query_string}} {{fullurl:interwiki:remote page name|query_string}}	{{fullurl:Category:Top level}} → https://aidalinux.ru/w/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F:Top_level {{fullurl:Category:Top level|action=edit}} → https://aidalinux.ru/wiki/index.php?title=%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F:Top_level&action=edit	The absolute path to the title. This will also resolve Interwiki prefixes.
{{filepath:file name}} {{filepath:file name|nowiki}}	{{filepath:Wiki.png}} → {{filepath:Wiki.png|nowiki}} → {{filepath:Example.svg|300}} →	The absolute URL to the full size of a media file.
{{urlencode:string}} (or {{urlencode:string|QUERY}}) {{urlencode:string|WIKI}} {{urlencode:string|PATH}}	{{urlencode:x y z á é}} (or {{urlencode:x y z á é|QUERY}}) → x+y+z+%C3%A1+%C3%A9 {{urlencode:x y z á é|WIKI}} → x_y_z_%C3%A1_%C3%A9 {{urlencode:x y z á é|PATH}} → x%20y%20z%20%C3%A1%20%C3%A9 Note that the default changed from |WIKI to |QUERY in 1.17; this may break templates that rely on this function.	The input encoded for use in URLs. Note that there is no urldecode function like there is in the obsolete Extension:StringFunctions.
{{anchorencode:string}}	{{anchorencode:x y z á é}} → x_y_z_.C3.A1_.C3.A9	The input encoded for use in URL section anchors (after the ‘#’ symbol in a URL).

Namespaces

{{ns:}} returns the current localized name for the namespace with that index, canonical name, or local alias. Thus {{ns:6}}, {{ns:File}}, and {{ns:Image}} (an old name for the File namespace) all return «Файл». On a wiki where the content language was French, {{ns:Fichier}} would also be valid, but {{ns:Datei}} (the localisation of «File» into German) would not.

{{nse:}} is the equivalent encoded for MediaWiki URLs. It does the same, but it replaces spaces with underscores, making it usable in external links.

Content namespaces		Talk namespaces
Usage	Output	Usage	Output
{{ns:-2}} or {{ns:Media}}	Медиа
{{ns:-1}} or {{ns:Special}}	Служебная
{{ns:0}} or {{ns:}}		{{ns:1}} or {{ns:Talk}}	Обсуждение
{{ns:2}} or {{ns:User}}	Участник	{{ns:3}} or {{ns:User talk}}	Обсуждение участника
{{ns:4}} or {{ns:Project}}	Ай да Linux Wiki	{{ns:5}} or {{ns:Project talk}}	Обсуждение Ай да Linux Wiki
{{ns:6}} or {{ns:File}} or {{ns:Image}}	Файл	{{ns:7}} or {{ns:File talk}} or {{ns:Image talk}}	Обсуждение файла
{{ns:8}} or {{ns:MediaWiki}}	MediaWiki	{{ns:9}} or {{ns:MediaWiki talk}}	Обсуждение MediaWiki
{{ns:10}} or {{ns:Template}}	Шаблон	{{ns:11}} or {{ns:Template talk}}	Обсуждение шаблона
{{ns:12}} or {{ns:Help}}	Справка	{{ns:13}} or {{ns:Help talk}}	Обсуждение справки
{{ns:14}} or {{ns:Category}}	Категория	{{ns:15}} or {{ns:Category talk}}	Обсуждение категории

Formatting

Usage	Input → Output	Description
{{lc:string}}	{{lc:DATA CENTER}} → data center	The lowercase input.
{{lcfirst:string}}	{{lcfirst:DATA center}} → dATA center	The input with the very first character lowercase.
{{uc:string}}	{{uc:text transform}} → TEXT TRANSFORM	The uppercase input.
{{ucfirst:string}}	{{ucfirst:text TRANSFORM}} → Text TRANSFORM	The input with the very first character uppercase.
{{formatnum:unformatted num}} {{formatnum:formatted num|R}}	{{formatnum:987654321.654321}} → 987 654 321,654321 {{formatnum:987,654,321.654321|R}} → 987.654.321.654321 {{formatnum:00001}} → 00 001	The input with decimal and decimal group separators, and localized digit script, according to the wiki’s default locale. The |R parameter can be used to unformat a number, for use in mathematical situations. Предупреждение: Leading zeroes are not removed, you can use {{#expr:00001}} instead.
{{#dateformat:date}} {{#formatdate:date}} {{#dateformat:date|format}} {{#formatdate:date|format}}	{{#dateformat:25 deC 2009|ymd}} → 25 deC 2009 (your pref), 2009 DeC 25 (default) {{#formatdate:dec 25,2009|dmy}} → dec 25,2009 (your pref), 25 Dec 2009 (default) {{#dateformat:2009-12-25|mdy}} → декабрь 25, 2009 (your pref), December 25, 2009 (default) {{#formatdate:2009 dec 25|ISO 8601}} → 2009 dec 25 (your pref), 2009-12-25 (default) {{#dateformat:25 decEmber|mdy}} → 25 decEmber (your pref), DecEmber 25 (default) Note: In the example above, «your pref» refers to your date preference on the current MediaWiki wiki only.	Formats an unlinked date based on user «Date format» preference, and adds metadata tagging it as a formatted date. For logged-out users and those who have not set a date format in their preferences, dates can be given a default: mdy, dmy, ymd, ISO 8601 (all case sensitive). If only the month and day are given, only mdy and dmy are valid. If a format is not specified or is invalid, the input format is used as a default. If the supplied date is not recognized as a valid date (specifically, if it contains any metadata such as from a nested use of these or similar templates), it is rendered unchanged, and no (additional) metadata is generated. Предупреждение: {{{1}}} Although the ISO 8601 standard requires that dates be in the Gregorian calendar, the ISO parameter in this function will still format dates that fall outside the usual Gregorian range (e.g. dates prior to 1583). Also, the magic word cannot properly convert between negative years (used with ISO 8601) and years BC or years BCE (used in general writing).
{{padleft:xyz|stringlength}} {{padleft:xyz|strlen|char}} {{padleft:xyz|strlen|string}}	{{padleft:xyz|5}} → 00xyz {{padleft:xyz|5|_}} → __xyz {{padleft:xyz|5|abc}} → abxyz {{padleft:xyz|2}} → xyz {{padleft:|1|xyz}} → x (first character of the string)	Inserts a string of padding characters (character chosen in third parameter; default ‘0’) of a specified length (second parameter) next to a chosen base character or variable (first parameter). The final digits or characters in the base replace the final characters in the padding; i.e. {{padleft:44|3|0}} produces 044. The padding string may be truncated if its length does not evenly divide the required number of characters.
{{padright:xyz|stringlength}} {{padright:xyz|strlen|char}} {{padright:xyz|strlen|string}}	{{padright:xyz|5}} → xyz00 {{padright:xyz|5|_}} → xyz__ {{padright:xyz|5|abc}} → xyzab {{padright:xyz|2}} → xyz {{padright:|1|xyz}} → x	Identical to padleft, but adds padding characters to the right side.
{{plural:2|is|are}}	{{plural:0|is|are}} → are {{plural:1*1|is|are}} → is {{plural:21 mod 10|is|are}} → is {{plural:{{#expr:21 mod 10}}|is|are}} → is {{plural:1|is|are}} → is {{plural:2|is|are}} → are (for Polish): {{plural:2|milion|miliony|milionów}} → miliony	Outputs the singular form (second parameter) if the first parameter is an expression equalling one; the plural form (third parameter) otherwise. Plural transformations are used for languages like Russian based on «count mod 10». You should not expect this to handle fractions (like 44.5) — see bug 28128.
{{grammar:N|noun}}		Outputs the correct inflected form of the given word described by the inflection code after the colon (language-dependent). Grammar transformations are used for inflected languages like Polish. See also Manual:$wgGrammarForms.

see also: Extension:StringFunctions

Miscellaneous

Usage	Output	Description
{{int:message name}}	{{int:edit}} → Править (depends on user language, try: fr •ja)	Internationalizes (translates) the given interface (MediaWiki namespace) message into the user language. Note that this can damage/confuse cache consistency, see bug 14404.
{{#language:language code}} {{#language:ar}}	language code العربية	The full name of the language for the given language code: native name by default. Codes are mostly in accordance with ISO 639.
{{#special:special page name}} {{#special:userlogin}}	Служебная:Special page name Служебная:Вход	The localized name for the given canonical Special: page.
{{#tag:tagname |content |parameter1=value1 |parameter2=value2 }}	(depends on parser tag)	Alias for XML-style parser or extension tags, but parsing wiki code. Inner content can be passed as first parameter, and attributes as subsequent ones: <tagname attribute1=»value1» attribute2=»value2«> content </tagname > → {{#tag:tagname|content|attribute1=value1|attribute2=value2}} Warning : You must write {{#tag:tagname||attribute1=value1|attribute2=value2}} to pass an empty content. No space is permitted between the | and the attribute name.
{{gender:username |return text if user is male |return text if user is female |return text if user hasn't defined their gender}}	(depends on the named user’s gender)	A switch for the gender set in Special:Preferences Note: If 3rd parameter is omitted and user hasn’t defined his/her gender, then text if user is male is returned.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Magic words are often nonsense phrases used in fantasy fiction or by stage magicians. Frequently such words are presented as being part of a divine, adamic, or other secret or empowered language. Certain comic book heroes use magic words to activate their powers. Magic words are also used as Easter eggs or cheats in computer games, other software, and operating systems. (For example, the words xyzzy, plugh, and plover were magic words in the classic computer adventure game Colossal Cave Adventure.)

Invocations of magic[edit]

Examples of traditional and modern magic words include:^[1]

• Abracadabra – magic word used by magicians.
• Ajji Majji la Tarajji – Iranian magic word (Persian).^{[citation needed]}
• Alakazam – a phrase used by magicians.^[2]
• Hocus pocus – a phrase used by magicians.
• Jantar Mantar Jadu Mantar – a phrase used by magicians in India.
• Presto chango or Hey Presto – used by magicians (probably intended to suggest «quick change»).^[3]

Magic words in fiction[edit]

• Aajaye – used often by the clowns in Jaye’s magic circus.
• Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches – used by The Amazing Mumford on Sesame Street.
• Azarath Metrion Zinthos, used by Raven in the DC Comics series Teen Titans, its 2003 TV series and its cartoon spin-off Teen Titans Go!.
• Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo – used by Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.^[4]
• Boom Zahramay, a saying used in the Nickelodeon preschool show Shimmer and Shine.
• By the Power of Grayskull, I HAVE THE POWER – used by the Prince Adam, of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, to transform him into He-Man.^[5]
• Cei-u – used by the DC Comics superhero, Johnny Thunder, to summon his magical genie-like Thunderbolt.
• Fus Ro Dah – used as a shout by those with the voice in the Elder Scrolls video game series.
• Izzy wizzy, let’s get busy – Used on The Sooty Show when using Sooty’s magic wand.
• Hex! Hex! – used by Bibi Blocksberg in the popular German children’s audio drama series, called Bibi Blocksberg and Bibi and Tina.
• Joshikazam – used by Josh Nichols, a character from the popular Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh.
• Klaatu barada nikto – A phrase used in the 1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. While not intended as magical words in that movie, they were used as such in the spoof horror movie Army of Darkness.
• Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho – Jambi on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
• Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse – used on the children’s TV series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to make the Clubhouse appear.
• Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang, phrase used in song «Witch Doctor» performed by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., and released in 1958 by Liberty Records under the stage name David Seville.
• Open sesame – used by the character Ali Baba in the English version of a tale from One Thousand and One Nights.^[6]
• Ostagazuzulum – used by the title character, Wizbit, in the British Children’s TV series Wizbit.^[7]
• Sim Sala Bim – a phrase used by Harry August Jansen a.k.a. Dante The Magician, circa 1940. «Sim Sim Sala Bim» are the magic words said by Hadji on the shows The Adventures of Jonny Quest and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. The line was used by Oscar «Oz» Diggs in Oz the Great and Powerful.
• Shazam – used by the comic book hero Billy Batson to change into Captain Marvel.
• Hey, Shadow, remember who you are (Russian: Тень, знай своё место, romanized: Ten, znay svoyo mesto, lit. ‘Shadow, know your place’) — an incantation used by a Scientist in a movie The Shadow to return his lost shadow, who became to live its own life, to its proper place.
• Schwan, kleb an! (literally «Swan, hold fast») — a spell used by the Youngest Brother in the tale «The Magic Swan» in the collection of Ludwig Bechstein. This spell made the people, who touched his magic swan, stick to the latter.
• Shimbaree, Shimbarah, Shimbaree, Shimbarah – used on the children’s video and TV series Barney and the Backyard Gang and Barney & Friends.
• Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee – the spell for ‘Substitutiary Locomotion’ written on the Star of Astoroth in the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
• Walla Walla Washington – Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes.
• Wiggle Waggle – Greg Page in The Wiggles.

Craig Conley, a scholar of magic, writes that the magic words used by conjurers may originate from «pseudo-Latin phrases, nonsense syllables, or esoteric terms from religious antiquity», but that what they have in common is «language as an instrument of creation».^[8]

See also[edit]

• Eight Magic Words, magic words in politics
• Incantation
• Kotodama
• Mantra

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to Magic words at Wikimedia Commons

A magic word is a keyword or phrase recognized by the MediaWiki software (upon which Fandom is built) which triggers the software to do something special on the page. There are two types of magic words: those that are enclosed by double curly braces and those that are enclosed by double underscores (see below).

Instructions

It’s generally best to add and edit magic words using a source editor.

To add a magic word, simply add the magic word to the content of the page somewhere. It will look like code in the editor, but after you save or preview, it will display as intended. Magic words will show up highlighted (in red for source editor, gray for visual editor).

In the Visual editor

In the VisualEditor, magic words that affect the page content will show as templates.

Typing two opening curly braces ( {{ ) will bring up a modal to «Add a template», which can be slightly confusing. Once the magic word is entered, and the Add template tab is clicked, there is an error message saying that «The «Template:<magic word>» template doesn’t yet exist.» but using the Insert tab in the upper right corner of the modal will result in the magic word being added and it will function properly. See the example illustration of adding the {{PAGENAME}} magic word to this page. Only magic words that are enclosed by double curly braces can be added this way in the Visual editor. You must use a Source editor to add the other type.

Common magic words

Here are some of the most commonly used magic words:

• {{PAGENAME}} outputs the name of the page the word is placed on. (Magic words)
• {{SITENAME}} outputs the name of the community. (Community Central)
• {{NUMBEROFEDITS}} outputs the Contribution count of the community. (3,666,542)
• {{CURRENTDAYNAME}} outputs the current day of the week. (Thursday)
• {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} outputs the number of articles on your community. (32,617)
• {{FULLPAGENAME}} outputs the full name of the page, i.e. with the namespace prefix, of the page it is placed on. (Help:Magic words)
• {{NAMESPACENUMBER}} displays the ID (number) of the page’s namespace. (12)
• __NOTOC__ hides the table of contents on a page.
• __TOC__ places the table of contents exactly where this is entered. It overrides the NOTOC switch.
• __NOEDITSECTION__ hides the «edit» links beside all headings on the page. To hide the edit link beside a particular heading, specify the heading using an HTML tag such as <h2>heading</h2> rather than with the usual wiki equals-signs syntax ( == heading == ).
• __NEWSECTIONLINK__ replaces the «Edit» button with «Add topic», for adding new sections on a non-talk page.
• __NONEWSECTIONLINK__ replaces the «Add topic» button with «Edit», on talk namespaces.
• __HIDDENCAT__ placed on a category page, it makes the category hidden.
• __EXPECTUNUSEDCATEGORY__ removes the category from Special:UnusedCategories which is helpful for tracking categories which should not necessarily appear as «unused» even when they are empty.

Full list of magic words

For a full list of available^[1] magic words, see the magic words help page on MediaWiki.

Notes

1. ↑ Some magic words may function differently, or not work, at Fandom. This occurs because the version of the MediaWiki software used by Fandom is not always the same version as those of either MediaWiki.org or Wikipedia.

• {{SUBJECTPAGENAME}} and {{TALKPAGENAME}} (similarly {{SUBJECTPAGENAMEE}} and {{TALKPAGENAMEE}}) may not always act inversely. For example:

  {{TALKPAGENAME:User:Example}} → User talk:Example

  {{SUBJECTPAGENAME:Message Wall:Example}} → Message Wall:Example

  {{SUBJECTPAGENAME:User Talk:Example}} → User:Example

See also

• Editing
• Parser Functions on MediaWiki.org

Further help and feedback

• Browse and search other help pages at Help:Contents
• Check Fandom Community Central for sources of further help and support
• Check Contacting Fandom for how to report any errors or unclear steps in this article

Hocus pocus, abracadabra, alakazam! These are the words we invoke when magic is at work—even if it might just be a card trick at home. While a few of these words and phrases have wholly crossed over into entertainment magic or originated there from the start (e.g., presto change-o), some of these words are rooted in older commands that called upon higher powers to influence the material world.

Whether called hexes, hymns, prayers, or simply spells, the words we invoke to communicate with a greater power to work our will all require an intangible force that can be universally described as magic. Take a look and decide for yourself if magic is real or if it’s just a bunch of hocus-pocus.

abracadabra

Perhaps one of the oldest and most recognized magical phrases, abracadabra has been around since the second century BCE and has famously appeared in the Harry Potter series. Its origins are contested as scholars posit that abracadabra emerged from Late Latin or Late Greek, reflecting the recitation of the initial letters of the alphabet (abecedary); others hypothesize that it could related to the Hebrew Ha brakha dabra, which translates as, “The blessing has spoken.” We do understand it as a word generally meant to invoke magical power. Abracadabra is classified as a reductive spell, which means it would have been written out as a complete word on the first line, then with one letter missing on the next, then another letter removed on the following line, and so forth. The idea behind reductive spells is that by making the word shorter so would a pain or illness gradually diminish.

Recorded in English in the late 1600s, abracadabra is used in incantations, particularly as a magical means of warding off misfortune, harm, or illness, and for some, is used as a nonsense word, implying gibberish in place of supposedly magical words.

alakazam

Often used as the finale word in the presentation of a grand stage illusion, alakazam is intoned as a powerful command.

While the origins of the word are unknown, according to Magic Words: A Dictionary, alakazam may have ties to a similar-sounding Arabic phrase, Al Qasam, which means “oath.” Therefore, a conjuror invoking alakazam may be calling back to a promise made by a superior being to help complete the miraculous feat they are presenting.

One of the earliest printings of alakazam in an English text is the poem “Among the White Tents,” first published in the Chicago Herald Tribune in 1888. While the poem uses alakazam in the context of entertainment and as an excited expression (“We’re goin’ to de cirkis! / Alakazam!”) there is oddly no connection to magic.

hocus-pocus

Immortalized in a ’90s cult classic family film, hocus pocus may be both invoked as an incantation and might also be used to refer to an act of trickery. For instance, one who is dismissive of fortunetelling might call the act of reading tarot cards “a bunch of hocus pocus.”

First recorded in the 1660s, hocus pocus is likely a corruption of the Latin phrase used in Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum (“here is my body”).

Discover more about hocus-pocus and other bewitching words here.

voilà

Maybe you’ve seen a magician conclude an amazing feat with this little phrase. She’ll flourish a sheet over a table and voilà, where there was no one a second ago, her whole assistant will appear!

First recorded in English between 1825–35, voilà is used as an expression of success or satisfaction, typically to give the impression that the achievement happened quickly or easily. Combined from the French words voi (“see”) and là (“there”), voilà is used to direct attention during performance magic.

open sesame

First recorded in English in the late 1700s, open sesame comes from Antoine Galland’s translation of One Thousand and One Nights. These are the magic words Ali Baba speaks to open the door of the den of the 40 thieves.

Perhaps one of the greatest magical commands to survive from folklore, open sesame today may be used as a noun to refer to a very successful means of achieving a result. For instance, you might say an MBA is the open sesame to landing a competitive job in finance.

sim sala bim

These magic words were made popular by the famous professional magician Harry August Jansen (1883–1955), also known as The Great Jansen or Dante, who used sim sala bim as the name of his touring magic show. Jansen was born in Denmark and immigrated to Minnesota with his family at age 6. Jansen used sim sala bim at the end in his show, saying the words meant, “A thousand thanks.” (They are actually nonsense syllables from a Danish nursery rhyme.) He would tell the crowd that the larger the applause, the bigger the bow, and the more thanks that the sim sala bim symbolized.

mojo

While mojo can apply to the magic influence of a charm or amulet (usually positive), the term can also refer to the influence or charm an individual can have on the people around them. A popular Muddy Waters song, “Got My Mojo Workin’,” alludes to the degree to which the singer is able to charm the women he encounters. Mojo is less of a spell and more specifically an aura of power. An Americanism first recorded between 1925–30, it is believed to draw from the West African Gullah word moco, which means, “witchcraft.” It is probably connected to Fulani moco’o, or “medicine man.”

calamaris

Similar to abracadabra in popularity and structure, calamaris is the word that Scandinavians would invoke to heal a fever. Also like abracadabra, this word was a reductive spell, meaning the full word would be written down on one line, then each successive line would have one letter removed.

miertr

In ye olden times, having a decent hunt to provide for one’s family was critical. The incantation of miertr was spoken aloud as one walked backward and then left the house. After reaching the forest to hunt, the spellcaster was advised to take three clumps of dirt from beneath the left foot and throw them overhead without looking. This will allow an individual to advance without making any noise and capture birds and animals. Definitely a process, but hopefully it led to some successful hunting.

micrato, raepy sathonich

One of the most iconic scenes in the Bible’s Old Testament is Exodus 7:8-13, which tells of Moses and his brother Aaron as they go before Pharaoh and are challenged to perform a miracle as a sign of their god. When Aaron throws down his staff, it transforms into a snake that consumes the snakes conjured by Pharaoh’s own advisors and sorcerers. According to the Semiphoras and Schemhamphorash, an occult text published in German by Andreas Luppius in 1686, micrato, raepy sathonich were the opening words Moses spoke before changing his staff into a serpent.

daimon

A variant of the word daemon, daimon [ dahy-mohn ] appears in some Greek charms and holds the meaning of a “god, deity, soul of a dead person, or genie.” In this context, it does not necessarily correspond with the Christian interpretation of a demon—it is more akin to a spirit. This word might be used in a spell to summon a daimon attendant, who would then assist the conjurer in executing a specific task. Though new practitioners should be forewarned, summoning daimons are for more experienced magic practitioners and should always be handled with care. Daimon comes from Middle English and can ultimately be traced to the Greek daimónion, meaning “thing of divine nature.”

Divine the meanings behind familiar potion ingredients with the help of this explanation.

INRI

Those who can recall their days in Catholic school know INRI are the initials typically depicted on the crucifix and represent Jesus’ title (Iēsūs Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum). But long ago, INRI was also written on amulets and paper to offer cures to afflictions. For instance, to stop a fever, a person might eat a piece of paper with the initials written on it, or, to stop blood loss, INRI would be written in blood on a piece of paper that was then pressed to the forehead. It’s even been stamped on stable doors to ward off the evil eye.

grimoire

We’ve got two more interesting terms for good measure. Unlike the others on this list, a grimoire is not a magical spell. Described as a “textbook of sorcery and magic,” a grimoire [ greem-wahr ] is a must-have for any would-be spellcaster. First recorded in the 1800s, this word likely arose from the French grammaire (“grammar”). Essentially, this origin word refers to a textbook and/or a set of rules to be applied to the text. For a book that has the potential to summon other beings (for better or worse) and carry out supernatural feats, any student of that book had best be willing to follow those rules to the letter!

caracteres

The unique word caracteres refers to symbols written on bits of parchment or amulets. They were used as a way of encoding powerful spells to keep them from being repeated by someone who may not be aware of their potency or seek to abuse their power. Because of this general barrier to entry, caracteres also demanded the potential conjurors devote time to studying and learning how to correctly interpret the encrypted incantations.

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.

The magic word here is perspective.

The magic word here is intent.

Consensus, that’s the magic word, you know, helping Tunisia to run our transition.

Вы знаете, консенсус — это магическое слово, которое помогает Тунису в преодолении нашей переходной ситуации.

The magic word «cholesterol» was the cause of one of the most common myths about eggs — about the harm of egg yolk for the heart and blood vessels.

Магическое слово «холестерин» стало причиной одного из самых распространенных мифов о яйцах — о вреде яичного желтка для сердца и сосудов.

The magic word here is TESTING.

The magic word for working with children is motivation.

The magic word «exclusives» often made a decisive argument in disputes.

Волшебное слово «эксклюзивы» часто выступало решающим аргументом в спорах.

The magic word… is «potato».

The magic word here is continuity.

The magic word, in this case, is «topic».

The magic word, what is it?

The magic word is movement — moderate, but regular

The magic word is usability (and time)

The magic word is «expect.»

The magic word here is «because.»

The magic word «Googly» that Alexandria repeats in the movie is also the name of the production company.

Волшебное слово «Googly», которое Александра повторяет в фильме, также является названием производственной кинокомпании.

The magic word is «food combining», and the rule behind it is super easy: you never eat carbs and protein together

Волшебное слово — «комбинирование пищи», и правило, стоящее за ним, очень просто: вы никогда не едите углеводы и белок вместе. Что теперь и

The magic word, the magic word-

«Please.» The magic word is «please.»

The magic word «Ablanathanalba,» which reads in Greek the same backward as forward, also occurs in the Abraxas-stones as well as in the magic papyri.

Магическое слово «Ablanathanalba», которое по-гречески читается одинаково как с начала, так и с конца, также встречается на геммах с A., равно как и в магических папирусах.

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

Результатов: 364. Точных совпадений: 364. Затраченное время: 117 мс

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