Hocus pocus (magic) derived from the Protoslavic word "kusiti", which is itself derived from Gothic "kausajn" meaning "to try", "to attempt". This may indicate that the wording belongs to the alchemy kitchen and court of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552 – 1612). Also, "hocus" may mean "to cheat" in Latin or a distorted form of the word "hoc", "this". Combination of the two words may give a sense, especially both meanings together "this attempt/experiment" and "cheated attempt/experiment". According to the Oxford English Dictionary the term originates from "hax pax max Deus adimax", a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magical formula by conjurors.
Pax Syriana Pax Syriana Pax Syriana (Lat., "Syrian Peace") is a historiographical term, modeled after the original phrase "Pax Romana", used in the study of international relations in Western Asia, usually pertaining to efforts by Syria to influence its neighbors, particularly Lebanon. The idea behind Pax Syriana is that Syria, through diplomacy and military strength, could secure peace in Lebanon. An earlier reference was published in "Time" magazine in 1976, referring to Syrian efforts to impose a truce during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War. It has recently been used to refer to the period between 1990 and 2005 when