Warlock is a noun and defined as a man practicing the black arts. First used in the 14th century, the term warlock comes from the Old English term wǣrloga meaning “one that breaks faith.” The term wǣrloga can be broken down into the words wǣr and -loga, which in modern English translates to faith and lie, respectively. In early Scotland, the term warlock was used to label men that had made pacts with the devil and thus betrayed the Christian faith. Today, the word warlock is normally used as the male equivalent of the word witch.
Popular warlocks in today’s pop culture include Gandalf the Grey from J.R R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Gargamel from The Smurfs.
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Sources
“warlock,” Merriam-Webster.com
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