▁also ▁used ▁by ▁soci olog ists ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁mag ical ▁power ▁res iding ▁in ▁an ▁object , ▁particularly ▁when ▁writing ▁about ▁ideas ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁tradition . ▁When ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁sense , ▁num en ▁is ▁nearly ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁man a . ▁However , ▁some ▁authors ▁reserve ▁use ▁of ▁man a ▁for ▁ideas ▁about ▁magic ▁from ▁Pol yn esia ▁and ▁sout heast ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Et ym olog ically , ▁the ▁word ▁means ▁" a ▁nod ▁of ▁the ▁head ", ▁here ▁referring ▁to ▁a ▁de ity ▁as ▁it ▁were ▁" n od ding ", ▁or ▁making ▁its ▁will ▁or ▁its ▁presence ▁known ). ▁According ▁to ▁H . ▁J . ▁Rose : ▁ ▁The ▁literal ▁meaning ▁is ▁simply ▁" a ▁nod ", ▁or ▁more ▁accur ately , ▁for ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁pass ive ▁formation , ▁" that ▁which ▁is ▁produced ▁by ▁nod ding ", ▁just ▁as ▁fl amen ▁is ▁" that ▁which ▁is ▁produced ▁by ▁blow ing ", ▁i . e ., ▁a ▁g ust ▁of ▁wind . ▁It ▁came ▁to ▁mean ▁" the ▁product ▁or ▁expression ▁of ▁power " ▁— ▁not , ▁be ▁it ▁noted , ▁power ▁itself . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁num en ▁( div inity ) ▁is ▁not ▁person ified ▁( although ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁personal ▁attribute ) ▁and ▁should ▁be ▁distinguished ▁from ▁de us ▁( god ). ▁ ▁Roman ▁cult s ▁of ▁the ▁num ina ▁Num en ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁imperial ▁cult ▁of ▁ancient ▁Rome , ▁to ▁refer ▁to