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So often when Black men have to play roles on TV, we're either the noble savage or we're completely a savage, and there's no nuance.
Don Cheadle

Meaning of "noble savage" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF NOBLE SAVAGE

noble savage play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF NOBLE SAVAGE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Noble savage is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES NOBLE SAVAGE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

noble savage

Noble savage

The term noble savage is a literary stock character that expresses the concept of an idealized indigene, outsider, or "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. In English, the phrase first appeared in the 17th century in John Dryden's heroic play The Conquest of Granada, wherein it was used by a Christian prince, believing himself a Spanish Muslim, in reference to himself. However, the phrase later became identified with the idealized picture of "nature's gentleman", which was an aspect of 18th-century sentimentalism. The noble savage achieved prominence as an oxymoronic rhetorical device after 1851, when used sarcastically as the title for a satirical essay by English novelist Charles Dickens, whom some believe may have wished to disassociate himself from what he viewed as the "feminine" sentimentality of 18th and early 19th-century romantic primitivism. The idea that humans are essentially good is often attributed to the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, a Whig supporter of constitutional monarchy.

Definition of noble savage in the English dictionary

The definition of noble savage in the dictionary is an idealized view of primitive man.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE NOBLE SAVAGE

nobiliary particle
nobilitate
nobilitation
nobilities
nobility
noble
noble art
noble fir
noble gas
noble rot
noble science
noble-minded
nobleman
noblemen
nobleness
noblesse
noblesse oblige
noblewoman
noblewomen
nobly

WORDS THAT END LIKE NOBLE SAVAGE

cleavage
enfant sauvage
gavage
gillravage
gilravage
lavage
lovage
pavage
ravage
rivage
salvage
savage
scavage
Scotch lovage
selvage

Synonyms and antonyms of noble savage in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «noble savage» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF NOBLE SAVAGE

Find out the translation of noble savage to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of noble savage from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «noble savage» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

高贵的野蛮人
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

buen salvaje
570 millions of speakers

English

noble savage
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

महान बर्बर
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الهمجي النبيل
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

благородного дикаря
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

bom selvagem
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

উন্নতচরিত্র অসভ্য
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

noble sauvage
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kejam yang mulia
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

edlen Wilden
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

高貴な野蛮人
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

고귀한 야만인
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Bangsawan mulia
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

hoang dã cao quý
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

மிகுந்த கொடூரம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

उज्ज्वल क्रूर
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Asil vahşi
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

buon selvaggio
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

szlachetnego dzikusa
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

благородного дикуна
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

sălbatic nobil
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ευγενούς άγριου
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

edel barbaar
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

ädle vilden
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

edle villmann
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of noble savage

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «NOBLE SAVAGE»

The term «noble savage» is regularly used and occupies the 81.955 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
62
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «noble savage» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of noble savage
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «noble savage».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «NOBLE SAVAGE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «noble savage» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «noble savage» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about noble savage

EXAMPLES

QUOTES WITH «NOBLE SAVAGE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word noble savage.
1
Don Cheadle
So often when Black men have to play roles on TV, we're either the noble savage or we're completely a savage, and there's no nuance.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «NOBLE SAVAGE»

Discover the use of noble savage in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to noble savage and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Myth of the Noble Savage
Ellingson's narrative follows the career of anthropologist John Crawfurd, whose political ambition and racist agenda were well served by his construction of what was manifestly a myth of savage nobility.
Terry Jay Ellingson, 2001
2
The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1754-1762
Traces the middle years of the influential French philosopher, discusses the major works he wrote during this period, and describes his connections with the Romantic movement
Maurice Cranston, 1991
3
Le Corbusier, the Noble Savage: Toward an Archaeology of ...
Uncovering crucial dimensions of Le Corbusier's early life and resurrecting primary documents and source materials overlooked by other scholars.
Adolf Max Vogt, 2000
4
Going Native Or Going Naive?: White Shamanism and the ...
Going Native or Going Naive? is a critical analysis of an esoteric-Indian movement, called white shamanism.
Dagmar Wernitznig, 2003
5
Noble Savage: Behing the Ranges
Independent Katie Lachlan has caught the eye and heart of a rich suitor who won't take no for an answer.
Judith B. Glad, 2007
6
The Noble Savage: Allegory of Freedom
Taking into account Spanish, Italian, French, and English sources, the author describes how the building materials for Rousseau’s allegory of the Noble Savage came from the early Spanish chroniclers of the discovery and conquest of ...
Stelio Cro, 1990
7
Constant Battles: The Myth of the Peaceful, Noble Savage
In Constant Battles: The Myth of the Peaceful, Noble Savage, LeBlanc contends that warfare and violent conflict have existed throughout human history, and that humans have never lived in ecological balance with nature.
Steven Le Blanc, Katherine E. Register, 2013
8
Noble Savage
What if someone orchestrated events to purposely fulfill Biblical prophecy for personal gain?
Liz Moore, 2003
9
The Noble Savage in the New World Garden: Notes Toward a ...
This book is a literary history of the Noble Savage and a comprehensive metamorphology of the American mind. Wide-ranging and deep-diving, this book suggests many reevaluations of American heroes and attitudes.
Gaile McGregor, 1988
10
The Representation of the Savage in James Fenimore Cooper ...
Chingachcook and Queequeg: The Noble Savage Like the ignoble savage image, the noble savage image was used to define the other in relation to the EuroAmerican in the attempt to create the myth of a uniquely American past on this ...
Anna Krauthammer, 2008

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «NOBLE SAVAGE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term noble savage is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Malaysia must be for all Malaysians – OMG!
He spoke of the colonialists inventing the idea of the noble savage “to grant those natives a modicum of respect; they are savages nonetheless ... «The Malaysian Insider, Jul 15»
2
A leader's massive ego in trying to change a culture – M. Bakri Musa
To reinforce that collective mindset, they had to create certain myths, like that of the "noble savage" (to grant those natives a modicum of respect ... «The Malaysian Insider, Jul 15»
3
Clutch to Unleash New Album 'Psychic Warfare' in October
... haven't been played onstage yet include “The Affidavit,” “Sucker For The Witch” and “Noble Savage Church.” The full track listing is below. «Loudwire, Jul 15»
4
The reality of the sweating brow
Louis Armstrong was called a “noble savage,” whose playing exuded “intensity” and “intuition.” (Of course, Armstrong was also accused of ... «OUPblog, Jul 15»
5
Documentary explores Asian tribe's bond with elephants
“I didn't want to make the noble savage kind of film, either. That's so passé,” said Ferguson, who addresses questionable practices such as ... «Times Colonist, Jul 15»
6
What Marikana media coverage told us
Metaracists immersed in the noble savage archetype, attaching heroism and warrior tropes to the man in the green blanket. It was the more ... «Independent Online, Jul 15»
7
Karlovy Vary: Eaux Vives, Martin, Ivanov Prep 'At Dawn' (EXCLUSIVE)
... the story of a refined Paris-based Brazilian journalist, who travels to a Brazilian backwater to debunk the idea of the happy noble savage. «Variety, Jul 15»
8
Elegies for the American Indian
Words like “noble savage” and “paternalism” and “benign ethnocentrism” come to mind. Their staginess notwithstanding, the earnestness of ... «Boston Globe, Jul 15»
9
'Emily' At The Yards: A high point of DC Jazz Festival 2015
“I was taught to be aware of the noble savage, but not the Noble Noble. God wants you to live your life. Stop the fear, In an instant it could be ... «Communities Digital News, Jul 15»
10
Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's Paul McCartney, was too perfect a …
Since giving the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture, Sangakkara is seen as a cricketing noble savage of sorts, a player untouched by the corrupting, ... «The National, Jun 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Noble savage [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/noble-savage>. May 2024 ».
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