leprechaun

English

Etymology

From Irish leipreachán, luprachán, from Middle Irish luchrupán, from Old Irish luchorpán, from lú (“small”, from Proto-Indo-European *legwh) + corp (“body”, which is from Latin corpus). See also Irish lucharachán.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛpɹəkɔːn/
• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛprəˌkɔn/, /ˈlɛprəˌkɑn/

Noun

leprechaun (plural leprechauns)

1. (Irish folklore) One of a race of elves that can reveal hidden treasure to those who catch them.
   • 1888, William Butler Yeats, Irish Fairy and Folk Tales:

     Do you not catch the tiny clamour,
     Busy click of an elfin hammer,
     Voice of the leprechaun singing shrill,
     As he merrily plies his trade?

Derived terms

• leprechaunesque
• leprechaunic
• leprechaunish
• leprechaunism
• leprechaunology, leprechology
• leprechauny

 

Translations

one of a race of Irish elves

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (no exact term exists) （愛爾蘭民間傳說裡的）短妖精／（爱尔兰民间传说里的）短妖精, （爱尔兰民间传说里的）短妖精 ([Àiěrlán mínjiān chuánshuō lǐ de] duǎn yāojing)

• Czech: leprikón m, irský skřítek m
• Esperanto: leprekono
• Estonian: härjapõlvlane
• Finnish: leprekauni
• French: leprechaun (fr) m, lutin irlandais m, farfadet irlandais m
• Georgian: ლეპრეკონი (leṗreḳoni)
• German: Leprechaun m
• Irish: leipreachán m, luprachán m, lucharachán (ga) m, lucharbán (ga) m, lucharpán (ga) m, luchargán (ga) m, luchorpán m, luchormán m, luchramán (ga) m

  Middle Irish: luchrupán m, luchorpán m

  Old Irish: luchorpán m

• Italian: leprechaun m, leprecano m, lepricauno m, leprecauno m, gnomo irlandese m, folletto irlandese m
• Japanese: レプラコーン (repurakōn)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: leprekonas m
• Manx: please add this translation if you can
• Navajo: beʼádíláhí niʼ
• Polish: leprechaun (pl) m, irlandzki skrzat m
• Portuguese: duende irlandês m
• Russian: лепреко́н (ru) m (leprekón)
• Scottish Gaelic: lucharban m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: и̑рскӣ вилѐња̄к m

  Roman: ȋrskī vilènjāk m

• Spanish: duende irlandés m
• Welsh: please add this translation if you can

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Italian

Alternative forms

• leprecano, lepricauno, leprecauno (adapted forms)

Etymology

Borrowed from English leprechaun, from Irish leipreachán, luprachán, from Middle Irish luchrupán, from Old Irish luchorpán, from lú (“small”, from Proto-Indo-European *legwh) + corp (“body”, which is from Latin corpus and cognate with corpo).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.pre.kon/, /ˈlɛ.pri.kon/

Noun

leprechaun m (uncountable)

1. (Irish folklore) leprechaun

   Synonyms: gnomo irlandese, folletto irlandese

Derived terms

• leprechaunismo