Engastrimyth

/ɛnˈɡæstrɪmɪθ/ noun

Definition

A performer or magician who practices ventriloquism; someone who throws their voice to make it seem like it comes from their belly or another source.

Etymology

From Greek 'en-' (in) plus 'gaster' (belly) plus 'mythos' (speech or voice). The word literally means 'one who speaks from the belly,' and refers to the ancient art of ventriloquism.

Kelly Says

Ancient Greeks called ventriloquists 'engastrimyths' because they thought the voice literally came from the performer's belly—the scientific term for these performers comes from a misunderstanding about how bodies work!

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