1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Necromancy

NECROMANCY (Gr. νεκρομαντεία, or νεκυομαντεία, from νεκρός or νέκυς, corpse, and μαντεία, divination, properly divination by communicating with the dead. The latinized form of the Greek word was corrupted into nigromantia, connecting the word with niger, black, and so was applied to the “black art,” “black magic,” in the sense of witchcraft, sorcery. This corrupted form is common in English to the 17th century (see Magic and Witchcraft).