wizard
UK: ˈwɪzəd | US: ˈwɪzərd
n. 1. A person skilled in magic or sorcery; a magician.
n. 2. An expert or highly skilled person in a particular field (e.g., "a computer wizard").
adj. 3. (Archaic) Wonderful; excellent.
wizard = wis<wise> + ard<noun suffix, often pejorative>
- wis<wise>: From Old English wīs ("wise, knowledgeable"). Retains the core meaning of wisdom or cleverness.
- ard<noun suffix>: A suffix of Germanic origin, originally implying a person characterized by a trait (often negative, e.g., drunkard). In wizard, it neutralized over time to denote skill.
Etymology Origin:
The word wizard emerged in late Middle English (c. 15th century) as wysard, combining wis (wise) with -ard. Initially, it described a sage or philosopher, but by the 16th century, it shifted to denote magical practitioners—likely due to the association of wisdom with occult knowledge. The modern positive connotation (e.g., "tech wizard") reflects the suffix's semantic softening.
The wizard cast a spell to protect the village.
She’s a wizard at solving complex math problems.
(Archaic) "That was a wizard performance!" he exclaimed.
The young wizard studied ancient grimoires diligently.
In folklore, wizards often serve as mentors to heroes.