"Fairy" vs. "Faerie" in English (2024)

FAQs

"Fairy" vs. "Faerie" in English? ›

The terms 'fairy' and 'faerie' refer to supernatural beings that are typically depicted as small, magical creatures with wings. The difference is that 'fairy' is the more common spelling, while 'faerie' is an archaic and uncommon spelling.

In most cultures, fairies are considered the more amiable of the two creatures; whereas the faeries are known for their mal-intent. The word 'fairy' is derived from the Latin word 'fatum', which can mean 'fate'. 'Faerie' is a word derived from the Gaelic 'fear shidhe', which translates to 'man of the shee'.

Faie became Modern English fay, while faierie became fairy, but this spelling almost exclusively refers to one individual (the same meaning as fay). In the sense of 'land where fairies dwell', archaic spellings faery and faerie are still in use.

Fairy, also fay, fae, from faery, faerie or "realm of the fays," are mythical beings or legendary creatures in British folklore. It is a form of spirit often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural. Sometimes the term can describe any magical creature including goblins or gnomes.

Urban fantasy often uses quasi-archaic spellings like Fay, Fae and Faerie, especially to conjure images of Fae creatures of a more archaic and scary sort, while Fairy has come to mean the children's creature or the romantic Victorian concept of the tiny winged Pixie.

While they are their own race, it's common that the name fairy is used sometimes as a general term to refer to small winged fey like sprites and pixies, or interchanged with the similar term faerie (which acts as a synonym for fey).

The Gaelic word sìth or sìdh (pronounced shee) can mean 'fairy' and 'hill' and in Scottish place-names is usually considered to denote a 'fairy hill'. It probably derives from the ellipsis of the Irish phrase aos sídhe 'people of peace'.

“Fairy” is a non-gendered word, unless an individual fantasy author makes it different for their story. “Nymph,” on the other hand, is feminine. The original meaning of the word was “bride.” And “satyr” is male, though late in antiquity artists made up “satyresses.”

Fae is sometimes also used as another word for faeries (or fairies), the mythical pixie creatures fae folklore.

The High Fae are a group of faeries that are known as the ruling nobility in the Fae world. High Fae differ from the lesser faeries by their human-looking appearances, save for their delicately arched ears and longer limbs. Any other difference will mark a faerie as 'lesser' faeries.

Is faerie Irish? ›

Although dozens of nations have fairy folklore, Ireland has one of the strongest traditions. Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no linear path regarding tracing the development of such folklore in Ireland. Typically, fairy folklore is a combination of Celtic, Greco-Roman and Germanic elements.

In written records there appear both male and female fairies. However, when talking about folk tales, there is a kind of bias toward the figure of a female fairy. The idea of a Fairy Queen is an old one, going right back to Chaucer, and used famously by Spenser, Shakespeare, and so on.

These two words are often used interchangeably. In general, the choice between 'fairy' and 'faerie' is largely a matter of personal preference or stylistic choice. However, some writers and fantasy authors may use one term over the other to create a particular mood or atmosphere in their writing.

The word comes from Old French “faerie” and “fae,” leading to Middle English “fairie” (oh look, another variant) which became Modern English “fairy.” So yes, in a sense, the modern version is spelled “fairy,” as the dictionary says.

What are Scottish fairies called? Scottish fairies go by many names. Often the old Scots called them 'the guid folk' i.e. 'good folk' in a bid to stay on their good side. In Gaelic they're known as the sìth (pronounced 'shee').

In the mid-thirteenth century, Thomas of Cantimpré classified fairies into neptuni of water, incubi who wandered the earth, dusii under the earth, and spiritualia nequitie in celestibus, who inhabit the air.

Fate: The Winx Saga changes that formula by introducing six core elements that every fairy's magic connects to – fire, water, earth, air, light, and mind. Aisha's “waves” magic simply becomes water magic, Musa is a mind fairy, and so on.