Motivational model “do magic <- play the fox, sorcerer <- a cunning person” in Russian dialects

In the article on the data of Russian dialect dictionaries and mythological stories the motivational model do magic ← play the fox, sorcerer ← a cunning person is regarded. Using the data of “An etymology dictionary of the Slav languages” it is revealed that the semantic development of the words with the roots хит - (hit-), хитр - (hitr-) determines the emergence of “magic” meaning of contemporary derivatives functioning in the semantic sphere “Folk magic”. It is proved that the motivational model do magic ← play the fox has common semantic bases with the model do magic ← know.