The word "Witcher" (translation)

[AeonGrey]

The word "Witcher" (translation)

I know that in Polish the original word is "Wiedzmin", right? And that Polish has gender case and Wiedzmin is basically just the male equivalent of "Wiedzma", correct? I just think it is interesting to look at how the word has been translated into other languages. In Spanish it is "brujo" which is also the masculine equivalent of the word bruja. I'm assuming that "Witcher" was chosen because English does not have gender case for nouns...and we didn't want it to be called "warlock" or "male witch" or something stupid like that, but I sometimes wonder if a better word could have been chosen for the English equivalent, as "Witcher" is a bit strange...it implies that he is someone who "witches", which makes no sense...I've also seen it translated as "Hexer". Does anyone here know how it has been translated into languages other than Polish and Spanish? Any languages without gender systems?

 

[Flash]

i'm Polish and in my opinion witcher is perfect translation. wiedzmin is male equivalent of wiedzma but the point is that "wiedzmin" word doesnt exist in our dictionaries. its a neologism created by Sapkowski, one of many. its not about being a male witch. we dont know any male witches, do they even exist in fairy tales? witcher is something new and unknown. it sounds as strange in English as it is in Polish and that's how it was intended to be. witcher is not a warlock nor male witch, not even close to it. its unique word existing only in Sapkowski's books. and while you still ponder about it you didnt even noticed you grew fond of it. you cant imagine calling geralt other way. he is a witcher. geralt is the very definition of this word.

 

[AeonGrey]

i'm Polish and in my opinion witcher is perfect translation. wiedzmin is male equivalent of wiedzma but the point is that "wiedzmin" word doesnt exist in our dictionaries. its a neologism created by Sapkowski, one of many. its not about being a male witch. we dont know any male witches, do they even exist in fairy tales? witcher is something new and unknown. it sounds as strange in English as it is in Polish and that's how it was intended to be. witcher is not a warlock nor male witch, not even close to it. its unique word existing only in Sapkowski's books. and while you still ponder about it you didnt even noticed you grew fond of it. you cant imagine calling geralt other way. he is a witcher. geralt is the very definition of this word.

You're saying "wiedzmin" was coined by Sapkowski? Well, you guys must really like his books over there because I'm pretty sure I've seen it in printed Polish dictionaries here in the states. I believe you though...you're Polish and I'm not. I just figured Witcher was chosen for English because English doesn't have gender.

 

[Badriel.364]

Well.. Sapkowski preffered to call Wiedzmin "Hexer" (from German - Warlock) in english version of book. But no one cared about him,

 

[trybald]

You're saying "wiedzmin" was coined by Sapkowski? Well, you guys must really like his books over there because I'm pretty sure I've seen it in printed Polish dictionaries here in the states. I believe you though...you're Polish and I'm not. I just figured Witcher was chosen for English because English doesn't have gender.

Who knows what lands in some Polish dictionaries nowadays? After all, neologisms from "Harry Potter" made their way to the English ones.

 

[FuneralFrog]

Salut to all!In Bulgarian, the word is translated as вещер (veshter) - the masculine form of вещица (veshtitza - a witch). I'm speaking about the translations of 'The Last Wish" and "The Sword of Destiny" by Sapkowski, there's no BG localization of the game. As for Russian, I think the terms used are the very same - ведьмак (m. of ведьма)

 

[koena]

"Wiedzma" isn't like "wiedzmin" at all (In Polish)! - in meaing. it's two different things. I've never read or heard the world "wiedzmin" before Sapkowski's books. Moreover, "wiedzma" = "witch", in Polish is associated with female, 1. old lady, doing some dark magic with herbs and spells, mostly bad or 2. old lady using herbs to heal ppl (it's true image from history, not the false one). "Wiedzmin" is a male who uses herbs, potions and magic BUT meant to kill monsters and is a mutated human ("wiedzma" is rather to create monsters ). I think Sapkowski invented that because we have no "wiedzma" males, it's always magician / sorcerer (mag / czarodziej) in Polish culture. In Wikipedia we have no encounter of "wiedzmin" other than connceted with Sapkowski's fiction. However, we cannot argue that the world "wiedzmin" origins from "wiedzma" but inflectionally. The best thing is to ask Sapkowski (I'm Polish)

 

[thaes]

Hiya all!Even though the books haven't been translated in Finnish (and therefore, there isn't any official translation), the word "witcher" is actually translated in the Finnish part of the Quickstart-section in the manual of the Enhanced Edition. It's translated as "noituri". The word is rather gender neutral, and can have two "meanings" that I can think of. First, it may be someone who bewitches (in Finnish, "bewitch" is "noitua", and "-ri" suffix means the actor of the action (for instance, "taikuri", Finnish for "magician", is a similar word, meaning someone who does magic)). The second meaning could be a mixture of the words "noita" ("witch) and "soturi" ("warrior"), which would make sense, considering that witchers are combinations of warriors and witches, in a way.

 

[Gamewidow]

I like the word "witcher". when i first saw the box cover, my first impression was "witcher? what the heck is that?" but then after reading a bit (even the little bit on the box cover) ... i thought, "yeah, sure, why not?" it has a nice masculine ring to it and it hints at magic but is somehow not so dainty sounding. I think it fits perfectly. I have read that Sapkowski initially chose "hexer", but i do not believe that he actively dislikes the newer "witcher" term in english.to me "hexer" just sounds more german and less english, that's all ... which is why witcher works better for me eace: In french, they use "sorceleur" which i find alright as well ... it has this otherness / similarity that "witcher" also possesses eace:

 

[st_ghost]

I suppose the Chinese translation was not that well done then. It translates into the commonly used word for mage/wizard (巫师)

 

[ausir]

it has a nice masculine ring to it and it hints at magic but is somehow not so dainty sounding. I think it fits perfectly. I have read that Sapkowski initially chose "hexer", but i do not believe that he actively dislikes the newer "witcher" term in english.

No, he's even used it himself in "Historia i fantastyka", a long interview with him published in a book format in 2005.

 

[TheSilver]

Personally I like the term "Witcher". It somehow feels .. right, I guess.I also liked the term "Hexer", which Sapkowski first thought of, though it would probaly be easily confused with certain novels of Edgar Wallace

 

[A.P.P.]

Salut to all!In Bulgarian, the word is translated as вещер (veshter) - the masculine form of вещица (veshtitza - a witch). I'm speaking about the translations of 'The Last Wish" and "The Sword of Destiny" by Sapkowski, there's no BG localization of the game.

That's true. Also to mention: the word actually does exist, unlike its equivalents in Polish and English.

 

[telesien]

the czech word for wiedzmin was "zaklinac" (or with proper transcription "zakl

 

[geraltus26]

I'm Polish and I always thought Witcher is a bit strange word. When I was in high school (ages ago) I asked English teacher how word wiedźmin can be translated into the english and after a while of intensive thinking he sad "witch men" (that was several years before game was launched).I know it sounds trashy, but its only synonym that occur to me too. So I curious haw someone who was born in country where English is native language "feel" this word "witcher" and is there any other word which can be use instead of witcher. In fourth act one peasant (baker i think) from the village say something like that "wiedzmin ma zwiędłe jaja", don't know haw it's in English version but this can be translated as "witcher has wither bolls(testicles)" :teeth: . As i consider it's a bit weird (witcher - wither). Anyone think similar?

 

[ausir]

That's true. Also to mention: the word actually does exist, unlike its equivalents in Polish and English.

The English word also does exist. "Water witcher" is an old-fashioned name for a dowser.

 

[A.P.P.]

That's true. Also to mention: the word actually does exist, unlike its equivalents in Polish and English.

The English word also does exist. "Water witcher" is an old-fashioned name for a dowser.

I meant, the word in English doesn't exist as in meaning "the male opposite of 'a witch'".

 

[lyonesse]

as far as I am aware, the closest we have in popular English myth is warlock - which actually means 'oath breaker' or words to that effect, rather than someone who casts spells... definitely not appropriate for our hero!

 

[IvoHury]

He didnt think much about it. He used Striga - a mutant monster. But Striga is in the Slavic mythology some witch. There are a lot of mistakes. I think the word Witcher has create CD project. It could register as a trademark. There is no mythological aspect.

 

[Jesting-Jack]

The Male Witch: Unruly Cavalcade