wise elder
1
3.7
- noun
:
sabio
- At the ceremony, the wise elder shared stories filled with lessons from the past.
I have some very wise elders and healers that I lean on.
- I have some very wise elders and healers that I lean on.
- And the culture doesn't, our culture doesn't lift up our wise elders.
Examples
-
We are undergoing this rite of passage with virtually no guidance from wise elders because the wise elders are themselves caught up in the same crisis.
Academic text (2001) -
I have some very wise elders and healers that I lean on.
-
We are reminded of the Eagle Clan Mother: the wise elder counsels respect for the earth.
Academic text (1999) -
Societies often delegate this mode of thinking to a ruling caste, wise elders, elected representatives, etc.
Blog text (29) -
We are undergoing this rite of passage with virtually no guidance from wise elders because the wise elders are themselves caught up in the same crisis.
Academic text (2001) -
While Sundogs considers both the role of the warrior and the wise elder, the latter personified by Elijah Harper, it stresses the importance of a new generation of well-educated female knowledge holders.
Academic text (2014) -
In practice, with respect to peak oil and global warming, I suppose this means that individuals who don't really do collective, low-discount thinking will consent to the constraints of the other sort of thinking insofar as it becomes the conventional wisdom, i.e., the thinking of those whom they implicitly acknowledge as the wise elders of the tribe.
Blog text (29) -
The community often turns to its wise elder for guidance in difficult times.
-
Children listen closely to the wise elder who teaches them about their heritage.
Synonyms
162
3.1
An older person who is respected for age and experience
1
5.1
A person who has done a job or activity for many years and knows it well
A respected older person with grey hair who gives advice
A polite name for an older man who people respect for his wisdom
Antonyms
How Wise
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly composed from the adjective 'wise' (having good judgment) modifying 'elder' (an older respected person), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer the phrase means an older person respected for wisdom. This adjective+noun composition is a transparent, cross-linguistic pattern and requires no idiomatic or metaphorical knowledge beyond the constituents.
Etymology
Wise elder comes from the image of an elder who has lived a long time and is wise, sitting with the community to tell stories and give advice, so people trust them. That's why the phrase means 'an older person who is respected for their knowledge, experience, and good judgment'.