somoner

Somoner is a term with ambiguous usage in English. In standard modern English, the common form is summoner, a person who calls forth beings, spirits, or powers. Somoner is generally treated as nonstandard, archaic, or stylistic, and may appear in historical texts, dialect writing, or in fantasy works to evoke an older or alternative orthography.

In contemporary fantasy, somoner is sometimes used as a fictional title or class name. When employed in fiction or game settings, a somoner is typically portrayed as someone who summons entities, but the specific scope and method differ by work. Some depictions emphasize ritual mastery, others bind or command spirits, and some portray somoners as mediators between worlds. The term may also be used to imply a distinct tradition separate from other summoning archetypes, depending on authorial intent.

Origin and orthography: The word derives from the verb summon with the agentive suffix -er. Spelling variants exist in earlier English, and contemporary usage favors summoner. When used deliberately as a stylistic choice, somoner can signal archaic tone or a unique world-building element.

See also: Summoner, Magic, Spirit possession, Ritual magic.

Notes: Because somoner is not a standard modern spelling, readers should rely on context to interpret its meaning in a given work.