Talk:summon

Etymology vs. modern meaning

I don't really understand the link between the etymology (submonere, to warn people secretly) and today's meaning of summon.

Do you mean that you don’t understand how warning secretly came to mean beckon? Its original meaning was to advise privately (call someone over to give him advice in private), often achieved by beckoning with the hand, and now it means to beckon or signal someone to come for a specific purpose such as informing or questioning. The meaning hasn’t changed very much. —Stephen ^(Talk) 02:32, 23 September 2011 (UTC)

Thank you. Submonere also means "to remind or advise privily". Then it is maybe easier to understand the slight change in meaning. Do you make a big difference between to summon and to invite ? Inviting is more of asking ?

Yes, summon means that the person or office that is summoning is an authority of some kind, and people do not like to be summoned. Inviting is done among equals for friendly purposes and everybody likes to be invited. —Stephen ^(Talk) 10:50, 23 September 2011 (UTC)

Missing noun sense from video games?

"Summons" are some type of thing in video games. I think they might be summoned creatures/monsters, invoked to do the summoning character's bidding. Anyone know? Equinox ◑ 22:43, 30 October 2020 (UTC)

 Done Equinox ◑ 16:45, 8 May 2021 (UTC)