chiromancy vs. palmistry

Question

what's the difference between chiromancy and palmistry?

GPY · Accepted Answer

As far as I am aware, none, except that "chiromancy" sounds a more technical or highfalutin word.

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

I don't disagree with GPY. If there's a difference to be made, it's perhaps in the fact that 'palmistry' is Middle English in origin and 'chiromancy' is Greek

The art of hand reading seems to originate in Northern India and to come to England via three main routes. First, there are travelling Roma fortune tellers who also originate from that part of India. They arrive in England around the 15th - 16th century and it is around that time that the word palmistry is coined. Like many Old and Middle English words, it implies the down-to-earth, grassroots nature of the art and that it belongs to the common people. That is palmistry

By contrast, others, some time later, became aware that hand reading also came to Europe via the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras. It was popularised in the nineteenth century by a society celebrity called Cheiro and by the Chirological Society of Great Britain. Cheiro, in fact, claimed to have travelled to India to learn chiromancy directly. The aim here, it seems, was to proclaim chiromancy as a science rather than just an art enjoyed by ordinary people and travelling folk. So the nineteenth century practitioners adopted the more scientific-sounding name

As GPY says - they were more highfalutin

Dave

GPY · Answer

dave_anonThe art of hand reading seems to originate in Northern India and to come to England via three main routes. First, there are travelling Roma fortune tellers who also originate from that part of India. They arrive in England around the 15th - 16th century and it is around that time that the word palmistry is coined. Like many Old and Middle English words, it implies the down-to-earth, grassroots nature of the art and that it belongs to the common people. That is palmistryBy contrast, others, some time later, became aware that hand reading also came to Europe via the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras. It was popularised in the nineteenth century by a society celebrity called Cheiro and by the Chirological Society of Great Britain. Cheiro, in fact, claimed to have travelled to India to learn chiromancy directly. The aim here, it seems, was to proclaim chiromancy as a science rather than just an art enjoyed by ordinary people and travelling folk. So the nineteenth century practitioners adopted the more scientific-sounding name

Thanks, that's interesting.

chiromancy vs. palmistry

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