this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 years ago (5 children)

That's partly because most of this stuff precedes modern fantasy media and also because Tolkien said that Gandalf isn't actually a wizard it's just that to him wizard was the closest word he could find to describe him. As back then wizard just meant very wise person, afaik. A more apt term for him nowadays would be "sage", I guess? Dunno. Also, Gandalf isn't human, he's a celestial being and he's not allowed(?), I think, to use the full extent of his powers. Either way, yeah.. the more I learn about Tolkien's work the more interesting it becomes.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Well, way back when, wizard just meant wise man (wise + -ard). The connotation with magic is centuries older than Tolkien, though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Actually, ard is a negative suffix, as in drunkard, sluggard, etc..

Wizard meant wise guy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Actually, that's where it comes from anyway.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I meant actually as in fun fact, not correction, sorry.

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