Words for "magician"

[aths]

charmer
conjurer
enchanter
evocator
illusionist
magician
sorcerer
warlock
wizard

So many words just for a man who casts its magic?

[Lost Prophet]

Original geschrieben von aths
So many words just for a man who casts its magic?


why not, i dare to ask? ;)

cya, axel

[nggalai]

Hola aths,
Original geschrieben von aths
charmer
conjurer
enchanter
evocator
illusionist
magician
sorcerer
warlock
wizard

So many words just for a man who casts its magic? Nope--those words are NOT synonymous, the most important distinction is between "illusionist" and "magician": illusionist = stage magician / trickery, magician = "the real thing". An enchanter enchants things, a sorcerer uses "natural" magic to do stuff, a conjurer conjures up things (mostly demons and spirits), a charmer charms things (both in the sense of charming animals and creating charms, i.e. good luck charms) ...

;)

93,
-Sascha.rb

[aths]

Original geschrieben von nggalai
Hola aths,
Nope--those words are NOT synonymous, the most important distinction is between "illusionist" and "magician": illusionist = stage magician, magician = "the real thing". An enchanter enchants things, a sorcerer uses "natural" magic to do stuff, a conjurer conjures things, a charmer charms things ...There are still more variants! A hexer hexes things, ...

What the damn is the difference between "wizarding", enchanting, and conjuring? Ok, an enchanter enchants things, but istn magic about enchating? And conjuring, too?

[nggalai]

Original geschrieben von aths
There are still more variants! A hexer hexes things, ...

What the damn is the difference between "wizarding", enchanting, and conjuring? Ok, an enchanter enchants things, but istn magic about enchating? And conjuring, too? Yes and no. We had a discussion about "what the hell IS magic?" a couple of months back in the religion subforum. Basically, you can understand "magic" and/or "magick" to be means and techniques to alter (the perception of) reality. Now, depending on how you do it, and what exactly you try to achieve, you've got a different nomiker. The different schools put together would be "magic(k)", and all blokes could be called "mages" if you're so inclined. Wizards get their knowledge from learning--the term "wizard" is a lexeme that originally meant "wise, learned guy". A sorceror, on the other hand side, has some serious natural talent and doesn't need to learn stuff to do his magick. Warlock is usually used with a negative tint to it (remember the Julian Sands movie "Warlock?" there you are ;)).

Those distinctions are mainly academic, mind. Only one you have to stick to is illusionist vs/ magician. i.e. Copperfield et al are illusionists, NOT magicians. I've known an illusionist called Pierre [French name I can't remember] for some time, now, and he gets really, really livid if you call him a "magician". That's about it.

93,
-Sascha.rb

[aths]

Original geschrieben von nggalai
Yes and no. We had a discussion about "what the hell IS magic?" a couple of months back in the religion subforum.I was talking of "real" magicians, like in roleplay games and fantasy stories and so on.

So, I meant mages with the ability to "really" alter the enviroment, conjure and evoke, and enchant things.

[Quasar]

D&D?

Well, those words are just schools of magic. They point out the main areas a member of a given schools excells in.

The closest thing to the german zauberer would IMO be a wizard. Wizards do sling spells but are also able to cast other magic - in older revisions the D&D rulebook called it a "generalist". Problem is, he is pretty average, or even below, on all schools of magic, but on the other hand, he has no special disadvantage in a certain form of magic, IIRC, whereas each of the other classes do specialize in, for example, evocation. But they are restricted in other areas of magic (i do not remember the exact interdependencies in D&D now, over two years, that i regularly played it).

Does that help you?

[VoodooJack]

Original geschrieben von aths
I was talking of "real" magicians, like in roleplay games and fantasy stories and so on.

So, I meant mages with the ability to "really" alter the enviroment, conjure and evoke, and enchant things.

It's true, in RPGs Zauberer are frequently called mages.

AFAIK

Zauberer (Magier) = sorcerer or wizard
Zauberer (Zauberkünstler) = magician or conjuror or illusionist

[aths]

Original geschrieben von Quasar
D&D?

Well, those words are just schools of magic. They point out the main areas a member of a given schools excells in.I know :) I got the complete Core Rules for D&D 3.5. But I don't took this as reference. D&D i. e. also defines a Necromancer, who is a real specialized mage and therefore not in my list.

In D&D, als Sorcerers and Bards are able to conjure arcane spells.

In LotR, Gandalf was called a conjurer sometimes. This seems to be uses as a vilification.

[Quasar]

Conjurer (of cheap tricks, as he called himself back at Bagend), yes.
But originally (i.e. as intended by Tolkien), he was one of the Istare, who are the only true wizards in the middle-earth setting.

But back to the topic:
So your question is, why there are as many words for zauberer in englih in general? But, if i may ask, compared to what? In german, there are at least as many (though not frequently used, but i doubt that that is the case with most of your D&D-References either).

[aths]

Original geschrieben von Quasar
Conjurer (of cheap tricks, as he called himself back at Bagend), yes.Wyrmtongue named him "Conjurer", too :)
Original geschrieben von Quasar
But originally (i.e. as intended by Tolkien), he was one of the Istare, who are the only true wizards in the middle-earth setting.I only read a half book of three. Elronds tale of the history of the elfes was so boring for me, I quitted.
Original geschrieben von Quasar
But back to the topic:
So your question is, why there are as many words for zauberer in englih in general? But, if i may ask, compared to what? In german, there are at least as many (though not frequently used, but i doubt that that is the case with most of your D&D-References either). For "Magier", to be precisely, but "real" mages with the ability to "really" conjure.

[Argo Zero]

@aths

There are so many different kind of casters. You could even read tons of books and don't know everything.
But one thing. Those casters mentioned by you aren't just magicians. Some use their mind(e.g. Arcanist-- not mentioned by you but i know him) in different worlds. The real world and their world of magic. An Illusionist goes this way too, I think.
A Sorcerer just casts his spells he learned and can't do things like the Arcanist or other spritiual caster.
You see the topic is really complex so you can't just throw them all into one pot.

[dogmeat]

What about "Mage"? Or just a short form for magician?

[InsaneDruid]

One reason, why there are so many words for persons that can do magical things, is (probably) to distinguish the form of magic (good bad or in between) they do.

Evil warlocks surely don´t enchant things. They curse them.

Also, the terms distinguish the form of magic. Does the subject need a spell to cast? Or brews a potion?

[Gast]

from bards tale there are known many forms of mages. mostly its a sort of ranking or mastership in a certain resort - healer, alchimist, sorcery, wizard, archmage, conjurer (of creatures)

[Muselbert]

dogmeat[/POST]']What about "Mage"? Or just a short form for magician?

As far as i know, "Mage" is a archaic word for magician, like "Magus" for "Magier".

[darph]

Muselbert[/POST]']As far as i know, "Mage" is a archaic word for magician, like "Magus" for "Magier". It is derived from maguš, an old persian priest (profession, not person). Wizard ist derived from Middle English wysard (from wys "wise" and the -ard suffix also in drunkard etc.), while the sorcerer is of French origin "sorcerie" (sors, latin for fate). So a wizard would be more a wise person, an elder or so while the sorcerer is someone who can change fate.

[Gast]

Let me add another word to complete your list: captivator.
I think there are no more synonyms for "magician".