warlock

English

Alternative forms

  • warluck (uncommon, chiefly dialectal, largely obsolete)
  • warlow (obsolete)

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros
Proto-Germanic *wēraz
Proto-Germanic *wērō
Proto-West Germanic *wāru
Proto-Indo-European *h₂lewgʰ-der.
Proto-Germanic *lugô
Proto-West Germanic *-logō
Proto-West Germanic *wārulogō
Old English wǣrloga
Northern Middle English warlowe
English warlock

    Inherited from Northern Middle English warlow, warlowe (occasionally warlocke), from Old English wǣrloga (“traitor, deceiver”, literally “truce-breaker”), from Proto-West Germanic *wārulogō (“liar”), equivalent to Old English wǣr (“covenant, truce, pact, promise”) (from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁- (“true”); whence also Latin vērus) + -loga (“liar”), from Proto-Germanic *lugô, related to Old English lēogan (whence English lie). The hard -ck ending originated in Scottish and Northern English, like the sense "male magic-user" (from the notion that such men were in league with the Devil and had thus broken their baptismal vows). Cognate with Old Saxon wārlogo (“liar, unfaithful or insidious one”).

    A few writers alternatively propose[1] a derivation from Old Norse varðlokkur (“incantations, charms”, literally “ward songs”),[2] but as the OED notes, this is implausible due to the extreme rarity of the Norse word, the semantic difference, and because forms without hard -k, which are consistent with the Old English etymology (“traitor”), are attested earlier than forms with -k,[3] and forms with -ð- are not attested. The same phonological development also appears in Scots elbuck (“elbow”) and winnock (“window”).

    Pronunciation

    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɔː.lɒk/
    • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈwɔɹ.lɑk/
    • Audio (US):(file)

    Noun

    warlock (plural warlocks)

    1. A male magic-user; a male equivalent of a witch.
      Coordinate term: wizard
      • 1730, Edward Burt, Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland:
        He was himself a warlock, or wizard, which they knew by his taking the witch's part.
      • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
        It was the day of warlocks and apparitions, now happily driven out by the zeal of the General Assembly.
    2. (especially in fantasy) A magic-user (regardless of gender).
      • 2015 February 25, Lawrence Watt-Evans, The Spell of the Black Dagger: A Legend of Ethshar, Wildside Press LLC, →ISBN, page 115:
        “Is it because she was a warlock?” she asked. “I know different kinds of magic . . .” “No, that's not it, or at least . . .” Mereth paused, collecting her thoughts, then explained, “The warlockry doesn't help, Lady Sarai, […]”
      • 2015 March 17, Cassandra Clare, Robin Wasserman, The Lost Herondale, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
        It seemed like a strange thing for her to risk on a student she barely knew—but then, she was a warlock. Simon had no idea what they were capable of, but he was getting better at imagining.
      • 2015 July 21, Cassandra Clare, Robin Wasserman, Pale Kings and Princes, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
        Usually she blended in with the rest of the Academy faculty, making it easy to forget she was a warlock (at least, if you overlooked the blue skin). But he'd noticed that whenever another Downworlder was on campus, Catarina went out […]
      • 2020 September 1, Cassandra Clare, Wesley Chu, The Lost Book of the White, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
        “We're also looking for a couple of warlocks,” Magnus said. “A Korean woman and a green fellow with horns.” “Oh,” said Fang with a distinct change of mood. “Them.” “You've seen them?” Alec said, trying not to sound too eager.

    Usage notes

    • Unlike the word wizard, which has neutral or even positive connotations, warlock often imparts negative connotations; for example, Cambridge defines a warlock as a man who has magic powers "usually to do evil".
    • Because of its etymology and connotations, the term is not used by some neopagans, who prefer other terms like witch instead.[4][5][6] Outside of neopaganism, use of warlock to refer to the male equivalent of a witch continues, though less common than wizard.

    Derived terms

    Translations

    References

    References
    1. ^ M. Loewe, C. Blacker, Oracles and Divination (1981), page 130: "'Vardlokkur'...is related to the Scots dialect word 'warlock', wizard, and the meaning is thought to relate to the power to shut in or enclose"
    2. ^ Richard Cleasby; Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874), “varð-lokkur”, in An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford Clarendon Press
    3. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, (online) 2nd Edition (1989): "ON. varðlokkur wk. fem. pl. ... incantation, suggested already in Johnson, is too rare (? occurring once), with regard to the late appearance of the -k forms, to be considered."
    4. ^ Nigel Pennick, Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition (2015, →ISBN: "The northern English and Scots word warlock, meaning a cunning man or practitioner of spellcraft, is rarely used today except pejoratively. Because dictionaries have given it meanings such as “liar” and “deceiver,” the word has fallen from use."
    5. ^ Carl McColman, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism (2002, →ISBN, page 51: 'Words ike "wizard" or "magician" aren't used and especially not "warlock."'
    6. ^ Hans Holzer, The New Pagans (1972), page 60: "Those who do not know about Wicca, especially the uninformed press, like to refer to a male follower of witchcraft as a warlock. While the term "warlock" is certainly a valid description of a person engaged in pagan rituals, it is never used in Wicca, or 'white' witchcraft."

    Anagrams

    Scots

    Alternative forms

    Etymology

    Inherited from Middle Scots warlow, warloche, from Early Scots warlo, from Old English wǣrloga (“traitor, deceiver”, literally “truce-breaker”), from wǣr (“covenant, truce, pact, promise”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wēr- (“true”); compare veritable) + loga (“liar”), from Proto-Germanic *lugô, related to Old English lēogan (whence English lie).

    Noun

    warlock (plural warlocks)

    1. the Devil
      1. a devil; a fiend
    2. warlock; a man who is thought to be in league with the powers of darkness and to have supernatural knowledge and means of bewitching and harming others
      1. (occasionally) witch
      2. (in a weaker sense) sorcerer, wizard, magician
        • He wis hissel a warlock or a wicht, whit thay kent by thit he teuk 'e witch's pairt.
          He was himself a warlock, or wizard, which they knew by his taking the witch's part.
    3. (attributive, in combination) bewitched, magical, supernatural; malevolent, mischievous
    4. (derogatory) an old, ugly or misanthropic man; a mischievous or troublesome fellow

    Synonyms

    • (male magic user): juglour, sorcerar, varlet, weird
    • (female magic user): ell-woman, galdragon, gyre carline, hexie, sorceres, wancanny carlin, weird-woman, wise woman, wise wife, witch, witch-carline, witch-queen, witch-wife

    Derived terms

    • warlock-breef (“a written commission to be a warlock, a magic charm, supernatural power”)
    • warlockry (“wizardry, magic”)
    • warlokin

    Further reading

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