eldritch

WOTD - 15 March 2007    

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɛldrɪtʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Etymology

Middle English from earlier elrich, equivalent to Old English el- (“foreign, strange, uncanny”) (see else ) + rīċe "realm, kingdom" (see rich ); hence “of a strange country, pertaining to the Otherworld”; compare Old English ellende "in a foreign land, exiled" (compare German Elend "penury, distress"), Runic Norse alja-markir "foreigner".

Adjective

eldritch (comparative more eldritch, superlative most eldritch)

1. unearthly, alien, supernatural, weird, spooky, eerie
   • 1790 — Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter

     So Maggie runs, the witches follow,
     Wi' mony an eldritch skriech and hollo.

   • 1850 — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, ch VII

     Pearl, in utter scorn of her mother's attempt to quiet her, gave an eldritch scream, and then became silent.

   • 2003 — Jim Butcher, Death Masks, ch 3

     Between the new case, the Outfit hitter, and Duke Ortaga's challenge, I wanted to make damn sure that I wasn't gonna get caught with my eldritch britches down again.