Padawan, did Lucas make up the term?

FaxModem1 · Post by **FaxModem1** » 2004-09-16 01:12am

Just a bit of wondering, did Lucas make up the term or did he get it from some old language or something. It still sounds cool either way.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2004-09-16 03:09am

No idea, but George Lucas first used the term in his very first story treatment for Star Wars from 1973:

This is the story of Mace Windu, a revered Jedi Bendu of Ophuchi who was related to Usby C.J. Thape, Padawaan learner of the famed Jedi.

Not very much more is known about the first treatment (or rather outline). It's never been published, besides the small snippet from the Behind the Magic CD-ROM.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-09-16 01:47pm

Yeah, that's older than even the stuff on starwarz.com (last time I checked). Did it come from some other source or did he make it up?

Don't know.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-09-16 01:49pm

I'm almost 100% sure that a padawan is a title for a level of holy man in India.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-09-16 01:57pm

I think I might have heard something like that, too, Stravo.

By the way, Lucas invented the word "Jedi" based on the Japanese term jidai-geki, or "period drama." Lucas spent some time in Japan during the early 70s (I think), and enjoyed watching the samurai period dramas aired on TV.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-09-16 02:17pm

Dictionary.com came up with nothing.

Looks like it's the name of a community in Sarawak, Malaysia:

http://www.leisureguide.com.my/Sarawak/ ... sure.phtml

This guy makes an interesting claim:

http://www.hrafn.btinternet.co.uk/Stole ... ujedi.html

Padawan - This is a combination of two sanskrit words. "Pada" means foot, and "wan", actually spelled "van", means forest, in this case, it's related to the spiritual world. This is perceived to mean "a footstep in the forest". In other words, in the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode IV "You've taken your first step into a larger world"

Patrick Ogaard · Post by **Patrick Ogaard** » 2004-09-16 03:06pm

Well, no one can claim that George Lucas wasn't trying hard when he came up with names and terminology.

One of the moderately interesting ones, though no direct connection to padawan, is Dagobah, Yoda's hideout world. Dagoba, the real world term, is just another word for stupa, a dome-shaped memorial containing relics of Buddha or a buddhist saint. Kind of apt for the mystic hangout of the last Jedi Master.

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2004-09-16 04:37pm

Patrick Ogaard wrote:Well, no one can claim that George Lucas wasn't trying hard when he came up with names and terminology.

One of the moderately interesting ones, though no direct connection to padawan, is Dagobah, Yoda's hideout world. Dagoba, the real world term, is just another word for stupa, a dome-shaped memorial containing relics of Buddha or a buddhist saint. Kind of apt for the mystic hangout of the last Jedi Master.

I think you mean Pagoda.

Patrick Ogaard · Post by **Patrick Ogaard** » 2004-09-16 05:13pm

Warspite wrote:
Patrick Ogaard wrote:Well, no one can claim that George Lucas wasn't trying hard when he came up with names and terminology.

One of the moderately interesting ones, though no direct connection to padawan, is Dagobah, Yoda's hideout world. Dagoba, the real world term, is just another word for stupa, a dome-shaped memorial containing relics of Buddha or a buddhist saint. Kind of apt for the mystic hangout of the last Jedi Master.
I think you mean Pagoda.

Nope. The word dagoba is in Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. George Lucas is always good for a surprise.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-09-16 05:20pm

Well I'm not too surprised about the origins of any of these terms; after all, a lot of sci-fi terms are based upon real words and meanings (for example, Jem'Hadar is, if I recall the Creating the Dominion interview correctly, a rank in the Indian army equal to Major).

Patrick Ogaard · Post by **Patrick Ogaard** » 2004-09-16 05:49pm

JME2 wrote:Well I'm not too surprised about the origins of any of these terms; after all, a lot of sci-fi terms are based upon real words and meanings (for example, Jem'Hadar is, if I recall the Creating the Dominion interview correctly, a rank in the Indian army equal to Major).

Just about. That would be jemadar. Apparently it's supposed to be (or at least was in the East India Company) the lowest commissioned army officer rank.

Of course, the Ferengi are just feringi, a severely uncomplimentary term for Franks (as in Europeans/Westerners) implying deceitfulness, dishonesty, greed and misplaced arrogance. Not hard to see what was on the political agenda there.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-09-16 07:32pm

And my favorite, the so-called "Witch of Endor" from 1 Samuel 28 in the Bible.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-09-16 07:34pm

Specifically, Endor was a Canaanite villiage.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-09-16 08:18pm

And it wasn't enough to just use the name, we got an ACTUAL witch in one of the Ewok movies too! LoL

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Padawan, did Lucas make up the term?

Padawan, did Lucas make up the term?

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