Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: E ai ki te "Oxford English Dictionary", ko te shaman (, or ) tetahi tangata e kiia ana he uru atu ki, me te awe i roto i, te ao o nga wairua atawhai me te kino, e uru ana ki te ahua o te wairua i te wa o te tikanga, me te mahi tohu me te whakaora. Ko te kupu "shaman" i ahu mai pea i te reo Tungusic Evenki o Ahia ki te Raki. E ai ki te ethnolinguist Juha Janhunen, "ko te kupu e whakaatuhia ana i roto i nga korero katoa a Tungusic" penei i a Negidal, Lamut, Udehe / Orochi, Nanai, Ilcha, Orok, Manchu me Ulcha, a "kaore he mea e pa ana ki te whakapae ko te tikanga'shaman' ka ahu mai i te Proto-Tungusic" a ka whai pakiaka ka roa atu i te rua mano tau. I whakauruhia te kupu ki te uru i muri i nga ope a Ruhia
I riro i a ia te Khanate shamanistic o Kazan i te tau 1552.