Gobelinus
Forms
Gobelīnus m (genitive Gobelīnī); second declension[1]
Etymology
It is borrowed from Old French gobelin according to the DMLBS,[2] while Niermeyer marks it as Germanic,[3] and Köbler compares Middle High German kobolt (“household spirit”), adding that its further origin is unclear.[1] Etymonline calls the origin uncertain: the word is said to be unrelated to German Kobold, or else traced to Medieval Latin cabalus, from Ancient Greek κόβαλος (kóbalos, “impudent rogue”).[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first found in the chronicle of Ordericus Vitalis, in the 12th century,[4][2] as the name of a demon driven out of a temple of Diana who still lived in the city, appearing in various shapes but harming no one: “the common people call him Gobelinus”.[5][2]
Semantic evolution
Etymonline places the spirit in the region of Évreux.[4] Du Cange equates it with the spirit commonly called faunus, French gobelin.[5] Niermeyer and the DMLBS define it as a goblin or a kind of devil.[3][2] The word passed into English as goblin in the early 14th century.[4]
Timeline
- 12th century – Ordericus Vitalis says the common people call a harmless demon Gobelinus.[4][2][5]
- early 14th century – English goblin is recorded, from Norman French.[4]
Meanings
Noun
Related words
- English goblin
References
- ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d e f Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre