I don’t consider myself a guru — or a “guro,” for that matter

7 comments June 3rd, 2008

A reader pointed out that our blog links page bills me as a word “guro.” That’s a typo. According to Webster’s unabridged, the Guro (or Guros, both usually capitalized) are “a people of the interior of the Ivory Coast now known chiefly for their wood carvings (as dancing masks).” They’re also called the Kweni (or Kwenis).

I, on the other hand, am from east-central Indiana. And even though my last name is Wood, I can’t carve a lick. The intended word is “guru,” which is a Hindi term from the Sanskrit “guruh,” meaning venerable or, originally, heavy. (OK, I am heavy.)

In Hinduism, a guru is a “personal spiritual adviser or teacher.” In general, it can mean “any leader highly regarded by a group of followers,” and is “sometimes used derisively.” Maybe that’s what’s going on.

I have never thought of myself as a guru. I’m just a guy who’s willing to look things up.