The most commonly accepted etymology derives warlock from the Old English wǣrloga meaning "oathbreaker" or "deceiver".[2] However, in early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch (which can be male or female, but is used predominantly for females).


A derivation from the Old Norse varð-lokkur, "caller of spirits", has also been suggested;[4][5][6][7] however, the Oxford English Dictionary discounts this due to the extreme rarity of the Norse word and the fact that forms without -k, consistent with the expected Old English etymology, are attested earlier than forms with -k.



나무위키에서는 '연금술의 일파로서 엘리멘탈을 부르던 사람들' 을 부르는 명칭에서 왔다고 하는데,

위백에 따르면 옥스포트 사전은 이를 부정하고 있다네...

근데 이런 류의 어원은 언제나 불확실해서.