" ABRACADABRA: This term was already known as a magical word in the second century BCE. It appears in an amulet from that era in the form of a ba ga da in Greek letters. According to some, this could be the acrostic form of the Hebrew Ha brakha dabra, “The blessing has spoken”; others maintain it is a derivative of Abraxas. It is used in a shrinking pattern against fevers and pains. By making the word shorter and shorter, the pains or illness are encouraged to gradually diminish: Abracadabra Bracadabra Racadabra Acadabra Cadabra Adabra Abra Bra Ra A "

― Claude Lecouteux , Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells: From Abraxas to Zoar