Q I was telling my children the story of the Three Magi, and it got me wondering about the word “magi.” Where does it come from? Is it ever used anywhere else? – N.L., Augusta, Ga.

A: “Magi” is the plural of “magus,” a Latin word that originally referred to “a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians.” Its Greek root is “magos,” a word of Iranian origin meaning “sorcerer.” “Magos” is also the ultimate root of the English word “magic.”

But the Three Magi of Christmas were not sorcerers: The common translation of the word “magi” in this context is “wise men.” This meaning of “magi” has existed in English since the Middle Ages and was first seen in an anonymous work titled Three Kings Cologne from the year 1400. Translated from Middle English, the reference reads: “Saint Augustine says that this word Magi in the tongue of Chaldee is as much to say a Philosopher.” The “Three Kings (of) Cologne” were none other than the Three Magi, identified with the French city because of a shrine of the Magi there.

“Magi” still occurs in other contexts, but when this word is used today, it is usually in direct reference to the wise men who followed the star to the manger in Bethlehem.

Q For years I’ve listened to my husband label nearly everything he hears on the news “bunk.” I suppose he could be saying worse things, but it makes me wonder where the word “bunk” comes from. – T.C., Mitchell, S.D.

A: Although it is probably not what residents would like to be noted for, “bunk,” a shortened form of “bunkum,” derives from the name of Buncombe County, North Carolina. The infamous event which forever linked Buncombe County with your husband’s favorite word for nonsense took place in 1820 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House was embroiled in a debate over a divisive issue when the gentleman from North Carolina, Felix Walker, asked to be recognized. Congressman Walker was apparently well known for his long-winded speeches, but when he rose before the assembly, the other representatives at least expected his ramblings to concern the issue at hand. Instead, the congressman launched into oratory on completely unrelated topics. Some of the members interrupted him with shouts while others simply walked out. Mr. Walker’s etymologically significant response was that he was not speaking for the members’ benefit, he was only talking for Buncombe.

In the opinion of most of the members, Mr. Walker’s oration was “bunkum,” as such nonsensical speech became known thereafter. Eventually the antidote for bunk was discovered. In 1923, W.E. Woodhouse coined the word “debunk,” which means “to expose the sham or falseness of.” In Mr. Woodhouse’s own words, “De-bunking means simply taking the bunk out of things.”

Q How come a person who writes a play is called a “playwright”? Why not a “playwriter”? – -C.J., Elizabeth, N.J.

A: Your question must be in the back of the minds of many people since the most common misspelling of “playwright” is “playwrite.” But the “-wright” of “playwright” has nothing directly to do with writing at all. “Wright” means “worker” or “maker” and goes back to the Old English period before the Norman Conquest. It still survives as an independent word but is more common in compounds like “millwright,” “shipwright,” “wheelwright” and “wainwright.” The last two are probably more familiar today as family names than as occupational names.

Those words are all very old in our language, but “playwright” is a relative newcomer. It first appeared in the late 17th century, was being used by Alexander Pope and others within the next fifty years, and has remained in active use (to the exclusion of possible alternatives like “playwriter”) ever since.

Q I know that Stentor was a Greek herald in the Trojan War. I’m wondering if his name has anything to do with the origin of the English word “stenography.” It would kind of make sense, in a way, given that stenographers, like heralds, play a role in passing on public information. Did I guess right? – P.W., Lake Placid, N.Y.

A: Your guess isn’t entirely correct, but you are right about one thing. Stentor, that notorious loudmouth of ancient times, did make a mark on the English language. As you may know, Stentor was a rather noisy fellow. In fact, in the “Iliad” Homer described him as a man whose voice was as loud as that of 50 men together. Stentor’s powerful voice made him a natural choice for delivering announcements and proclamations to the assembled Greek army during the Trojan War, and it also made his name a byword for any person with a loud, strong voice. Both the noun “stentor,” meaning “a person having a loud voice,” and the related adjective “stentorian,” meaning “extremely loud,” pay homage to the big-voiced warrior.

The word “stenography,” however, which denotes the art or practice of writing in shorthand, is not related to “stentorian.” Rather, “stenography” brings together the combining forms “steno-” – from the Greek word “stenos,” meaning “narrow” or “close” – and “-graphy” – from the Latin “-graphia” and ultimately from the Greek verb “graphein,” meaning “to write.”

This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, MA 01102.