Warlocks, Wizards, and their Wardrobes

[Gwyneth]

No: HPFGUIDX 23706


Thanks a million, this makes enough sense that i can let the subject 
be for now.  ~Gwyneth

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Hillman, Lee" <lee_hillman at u...> wrote:
> Gwyneth asked: 
> > A simple question, hoping for a simple answer:
> > 
> > What's a Warlock?
> > 
> > What makes a Warlock different from a Wizard?  Because Dumbledore 
is 
> > Head Warlock or something-like-that, is he a Warlock?  So can a 
> > Warlock be a Wizard?  Are all warlocks wizards?  Are all wizards 
> > warlocks? Can a witch be a warlock?  What is a warlock?
> > 
> > Okay, maybe that was more than A question.  But I'm interested in 
> > knowing.
> > 
> 
> This may be too simple an answer, but here's what I think:
> 
> Warlock = A Person-of-Magic who is of the male gender.
> 
> Witch = A Person-of-Magic who is of the female gender.
> 
> Wizard = A Person-of-Magic of unspecified gender _or_ male.
> 
> Warlocks = A group of People-of-Magic who are _all_ Male.
> 
> Witches = A group of People-of-Magic who are _all_ Female.
> 
> Wizards = A group of People-of-Magic who are of unspecified, male, 
or (more
> likely) mixed genders.
> 
> This theory has some basis. First, many systems of magic 
specify "warlock"
> to be the term for a male witch, as "witch" has feminine 
connotations. In
> this sense, Rowling may be basing the term on a more "classical" or
> historical doctrine. Second, she taught French for several years, 
and French
> has gendered nouns. In any group situation where genders may be 
mixed, the
> default usage (IIRC) goes to the male. In other words, in French, 
one could
> refer to a group of mages who are all female, and the gender would 
be
> female, or a group of mages who are all male, and the gender would 
be male,
> but if the group is possibly mixed, it must be referred to as male. 
Third,
> she seems to make a distinction between "Witchcraft" 
and "Wizardry," but
> there seems to be no difference between these two schools of magic. 
All
> witches and wizards learn magic from the same professors, in 
integrated
> classes, and apart from the lesson on unicorns, and the lack of 
girls on
> Slytherin's Quidditch team, there appears to be no preferential 
treatment
> given to one gender over the other. 
> 
> So I humbly submit that the explanation is as simple as "warlock" 
is a
> specifically male term, "witch" is a specifically female term, 
and "wizard"
> is a more-or-less male term but that can be loosely applied to both 
genders.
> 
> 
> Ah, you ask, but then why is there discrepancy between always 
calling
> Hermione a witch and sometimes calling all genders wizarding folk? 
Well,
> have any of you ever referred to a whole group of your friends, 
presumably
> of mixed gender, as "Guys?" As in, "Hey, guys!" or "Come on, you 
guys?"
> 
> Just as Muggles do, I believe wizarding folk often use shorthand in
> referring to themselves or groups of themselves. Thus "wizards" 
while
> originally a predominantly male-oriented term has become acceptable 
as a
> catch-all. 
> 
> [By extension, I suppose some male-chauvenistic warlocks could refer
> sardonically to their male companions as "witches," the same way 
often
> groups of Muggle men will derisively call their fellows, "Ladies" or
> "girls."]
> 
> 
> As for your other question, about wardrobes, that has been the 
subject of
> much debate. Personally, I think it has to do with the background 
of each
> individual family: how much contact they have or have had with 
Muggles, how
> much Muggle blood is in the family, how progressive or conservative 
the
> family's views are about interaction, etc. Certainly, I think it 
possible
> for a family to exist with almost no contact with the Muggle world 
and
> therefore need very little in the way of non-wizard clothing. 
However, in
> this modern age, I think it less likely that any children would be 
unaware
> of basics like sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts. And if I were a witch 
with no
> contact, I'd still take myself down to the local discount store for
> underwear and socks--way easier than making them myself!
> 
> 
> Gwendolyn Grace
> 
> BTW, Gwyneth, Dumbledore is "Supreme Mugwump," which is something 
entirely
> different about which we can all debate. I know someone posted the
> definition of Mugwump and where it derives historically, but can't 
recall
> the post. Check the Lexicon. http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon