a word for people without powers?

As an analogy to theist and atheist, how about mage and amage?

dysmagi plural

dysmagus singualr

Eta: depending on the status/social implications--nulls, normals, norms, deadheads . . .

Are the normals a minority?
I think it depends on who is talking and what that character thinks about them.

Powerless. Simple and to the point!

Square

How are these people viewed? How much of a minority are they? Would they be considered disabled? Would they be viewed sympathetically or discriminated against?

The I'd think about the character using the word. How does this character, personally, view these people and their relation to society?

The word you choose to call them depends a great deal on their place in their society and how they are treated by that society.

I'd say there will probably be quite a few words, one or more for any answer to the above questions.

Disabled, crippled, lacking, powerless, blind, broken, flawed etc. A thesaurus would be handy, but pick a word that you think you can play with and use its connotations to improve your world. I kinda like "lacking" and "flawed" personally, I could have fun with those.

Nimram said:

Are the normals a minority?
I think it depends on who is talking and what that character thinks about them.

Click to expand...

This.

Debio said:

How are these people viewed? How much of a minority are they? Would they be considered disabled? Would they be viewed sympathetically or discriminated against?

The I'd think about the character using the word. How does this character, personally, view these people and their relation to society?

The word you choose to call them depends a great deal on their place in their society and how they are treated by that society.

Click to expand...

and this.

Majority or minority? Are mages taboo (good) or taboo (bad)? There has to be more world building info.

If the story were taking place in today's world, they might just be called physically challenged, like anyone else with disabilities.

Mundane...

Night_Writer said:

If the story were taking place in today's world, they might just be called physically challenged, like anyone else with disabilities.

Click to expand...

Or, rather, psychically challenged.

benbradley said:

Or, rather, psychically challenged.

Click to expand...

Lol!

metaphysically challenged

apotentious = lacking power, force, efficacy

I think it depends on the context, i.e. how derogatory the description. If the powers are seen as a burden and the person describing the lack of them was high-minded, they could be called "the blessed". If the powers are seen as a necessity to survival and the person describing the lack of them was callous, they could be called "the retarded".

For that extra insulting flavour, you could go with "impotent".

Muggles? Or, rather, some other made up word of your own invention.

My Fantasy WIPs are set in our world, and the magic users refer to non-users as humans. The antagonist faction however calls them pets, and sometimes the good guys do too. But I agree with the people who say it depends who's the minority.

In my books, those with power are a small minority. They refer to those without power as norms, head-blind or humans (even though they are technically human themselves).

In the book I'm writing now, people are just people. People who can do magic are wizards, plain and simple. People who cannot do magic or have some immunity to it are "nul". The vast majority of the world are just people and don't get a special name since it's the unusual ends of the spectrum that are different.

I've used:

In scifi work with prevailing augments: skinners, normals and flesh.

In fantasy I've never differenciated. humans are humans. Unless referred to as a mage, it's assumed they're normal.

Nulls... For those with no abilities beyond the five-senses threshold of normal humans, especially in a world wherein exceptions are typically commensurate with power.

ironmikezero said:

Nulls... For those with no abilities beyond the five-senses threshold of normal humans, especially in a world wherein exceptions are typically commensurate with power.

Click to expand...

Most people have more than five senses.