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warlock

Etymology and origin of the English word warlock

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈwɔː.lɒk/ (UK); /ˈwɔɹ.lɑk/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English warloghe, warlau, warlo,[2][3][4][5] inherited from Old English wǣrloga (“oath-breaker, traitor; the Devil”),[2][3][4][5][6] from wǣr “faith, pledge, covenant” and -loga “liar”, an agent noun related to lēogan “to lie”.[2][3][4][5][6] Wǣr is related to Old High German wāra “truth” and Old Norse várar “solemn promise”.[4][6] The word has nothing to do with war or lock.[7] The modern -ck ending is Scottish (1680s).[3][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Old English, a traitor, oath-breaker or scoundrel, a damned soul, and a monster or savage creature (before 900).[8][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The original primary sense seems to have been “oath-breaker”.[4] About 1000 it was applied especially to the Devil, and also to giants and cannibals.[4][8][6] The meaning “one in league with the Devil”, a sorcerer, is recorded from about 1300.[4][8][6] The specific sense “male witch” arose in Scots (1560s),[4] and became widely known through Sir Walter Scott's novels in the early 19th century.[7] In Middle English the usual form was warlow, which survives as a surname.[4][6]

Timeline

  • before 900 – Old English wǣrloga, a damned soul; a demon.[8][3]
  • c. 1000 – the Devil.[4][8]
  • before 1023 – an oath-breaker, traitor.[8]
  • c. 1300 – a sorcerer in league with the Devil.[4][8]
  • 1560s – a male witch (Scots).[4]
  • 1680s – spelling warlock.[4][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A man who practises black magic; a male witch; a sorcerer or wizard.
  2. A conjurer or fortune-teller.

Usage notes

Unlike wizard, which has neutral or even positive connotations, warlock chiefly refers to a malevolent user of magic.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Warlock.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/warlock. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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