seer
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seer
A person who is believed to have the ability to perceive future events or hidden things; a prophet or clairvoyant.
Der Seher warnte den König in einer Vision vor dem bevorstehenden Krieg.
The seer warned the king in a vision about the coming war.
'Der Seher' (the seer) is derived from the verb 'sehen' (to see). The ending '-er' indicates a person who performs the action. A seer is therefore someone who 'sees' something that others cannot see, such as the future.
Niemand glaubte den Worten des alten Sehers.
No one believed the words of the old seer.
This word is mainly used in a literary, mythical, or historical context. It sounds elevated and is often used for figures in legends, myths, or fantasy stories.
In der Legende warnt ein Seher die Bewohner des Dorfes vor einer großen Flut.
In the legend, a seer warns the villagers about a great flood.
Common combinations are 'ein weiser Seher' (a wise seer) or 'ein blinder Seher' (a blind seer), which is a classic motif in literature. People also speak of the 'Gabe des Sehers' (gift of the seer) to describe the special ability.
Der blinde Seher konnte die Zukunft in seinen Visionen erkennen.
The blind seer could recognize the future in his visions.
prophet
A Prophet can correctly assess an upcoming development and often proclaim it as a far-reaching or warning message. A Seher, by contrast, is attributed a special, visionary perception of the future or of hidden things. Therefore, Prophet is more appropriate for a well-founded public warning.
Der Mann galt als Seher, weil er behauptete, die schwere Krise in einer Vision erkannt zu haben.
The man was considered a seer because he claimed to have recognized the severe crisis in a vision.
Der Ökonom galt als Prophet, weil er die schwere Krise früh angekündigt hatte.
The economist was considered a prophet because he had warned early about the severe crisis.
