Warlock
/ˈwɔːr.lɒk/noun
A male practitioner of witchcraft or sorcery; also used historically as a traitor or oath-breaker in Scots.
Did you know?The word’s original Scots sense was tied to treachery and false oaths, which is why it later became a loaded label for a sorcerer rather than a neutral magical title.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*warją
“truth, pledge, oath”
Old English
OE
wǣr
“agreement, covenant, pledge”
Old English
OE
lēac
“deceiver, liar; false, untrue”
Old Scots
Scots
warloghe / warlogh
“oath-breaker, traitor”
16th Century
English
warlock
“a male witch; a sorcerer”