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# historian

noun (a historian, historians)

«historian» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A historian is a person who studies history and writes about the past, using evidence such as documents, objects and buildings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#m1)
2. (school) A historian is anyone who does the work of history, like pupils asking questions about the past and checking sources. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#m2)

### In the lessons

In history lessons pupils «think like historians»: they look at primary and secondary sources, ask who made them and why, and compare different accounts. It tells the reader that knowledge of the past comes from evidence. Phrases: «a local historian», «historians believe», «a military historian», «an art historian».

### Examples

- Historians study letters and diaries to learn about the past. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x1)
- A local historian showed us old photos of our town. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x2)
- Historians disagree about why the war began. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x3)
- Today we are historians, looking at clues from Roman Britain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x4)
- The historian wrote a book about the Victorian railways. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x5)
- Historians use evidence, not guesses. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x6)
- To what extent Hook is to blame for his tactics on this occasion is for the historian to decide. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/#x7)

### Note

Both «a historian» and «an historian» are seen; «a historian» is more common today. Related: history, historic (important in history), historical (about history). Trap: a historian is not the same as a «storyteller»; historians must check evidence.

## In Jewish tradition

In history lessons pupils «think like historians»: they look at primary and secondary sources, ask who made them and why, and compare different accounts. It tells the reader that knowledge of the past comes from evidence. Phrases: «a local historian», «historians believe», «a military historian», «an art historian».

### Note

Both «a historian» and «an historian» are seen; «a historian» is more common today. Related: history, historic (important in history), historical (about history). Trap: a historian is not the same as a «storyteller»; historians must check evidence.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «historian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/historian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«historian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/historian.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «historian» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/historian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«historian» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/historian.html) on Mova free.