What is the origin of the word leprechaun?

Question

Leprechaun means dwarf, if I am right. What is the origin of the word leprechaun?

Answer 1

There are a number of possible etymologies of the name "leprechaun". One of the most widely accepted theories is that the name comes from the Irish Gaelic word leipreachán, defined by Dinneen as "a pigmy, a sprite, a leprechaun; for luchorpán"; the latter word Dinneen defines as "a pigmy, a leprechaun; 'a kind of aqueous sprite'"; this word has also been identified as meaning "half-bodied", or "small-bodied". This is the etymology given in the Collins English Dictionary .

The word which is widely believed to be the root and one of the ones quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary is luchorpán. An alternative derivation for the name and another one quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary, is leath bhrógan, meaning shoe-maker — the leprechaun is known as the fairy shoemaker of Ireland and is often portrayed working on a single shoe.

Another derivation has the word "leprechaun" deriving from luch-chromain, meaning "little stooping Lugh", Lugh being the name of a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The word leprechaun was first recorded used in the English language in 1604 in Middleton and Dekker's The Honest Whore as lubrican. The original meaning was of some kind of spirit and not specifically associated with the Irish mythological character:

"As for your Irish Lubrican, that spirit
Whom by preposterous charms thy lust has raised."
Some alternative spellings of the word leprechaun that have been used throughout the ages are; leprechawn, lepracaun and lubberkin. The word leprehaun has also been used.

Answer 2

Origin Of Leprechauns

Answer 3

Leprechaun Meaning

Answer 4

Its is an old Gaelic word.the Irish knew their were little people under the floor boards of their homes,.then they later figured out that these people had rich uncles who had money .they then came up with that word leprechaun. they assumed that at the end of the rainbow was a treasure, and that the rich uncles had some gold and silver there,so they always kept an eye out for them,some people got very rich finding the treasure after beating up the poor little things for it,ha ha.poor little leprechaun's..but the leprechauns got them back with the potato famine, it was all such a shame this greed some of the Irish had.But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the leprechauns as my people came here after the famine, so it all turned out OK for me anyway

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the Sun shine warm on your face
and rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again
May God hold you in the Palm of his hand.

Answer 5

The word comes from lu "little" + corpan, dim. of corp "body." There are various forms of the word, and Oxford English Dictionary says, "All these forms may be corrupted from one original; cf. Middle Irish luchrupán (Windisch Gloss.), altered form of Old Irish luchorpán (Stokes in Revue Celtique I. 256), f. lu small + corp body.]"

By the way, 'leprechaun' does not mean "dwarf". A dwarf is a kind of human; a leprechaun is a kind of elf in Irish folklore.

Answer 6

Leprechaun
by Micha F. Lindemans
Very small sprites who sometimes live in farmhouses or wine cellars. They are known to aid humans and perform small labors for them. Sometimes they ask humans for supplies and furniture, for which in return they give objects which bring luck and fortune. Leprechauns are called fairy cobblers, for they make shoes for elves (but always one shoe, never a pair). They are seen quite often by humans and are described as merry little fellows gaily dressed in old-fashioned clothes; green, with a red cap, leather apron, and buckled shoes.
When they finish their daily tasks, leprechauns like to organize wild feast, during which time they are referred to as cluricauns. These (often drunk) cluricauns can then be seen riding in moonlight on the back of a dog or a sheep.

According to popular belief, a leprechaun possesses a treasure (usually a pot of gold) which a human may obtain if he succeeds in capturing one, which is extremely difficult. Even after capture, a person may not take his eyes off of him for an instant, for then he will vanish. Leprechauns are mainly found in Irish folklore.

Derived from the Gaelic luacharma'n, "pygmy"; or leith brogan "maker of one shoe".

Answer 7

Irish Mythology.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

Answer 8

"In Irish mythology, a leprechaun (Modern Irish: leipreachán) is a type of male faerie said to inhabit the island of Ireland. They are a class of "faerie folk" associated in Irish mythology and folklore, as with all faeries, with the Tuatha Dé Danann and other quasi-historical races said to have inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts.

Leprechauns and other creatures of Irish mythology are often associated with "faerie forts" or "faerie rings" — often the sites of ancient (Celtic or pre-Celtic) earthworks or drumlins.

They usually take the form of old men who enjoy partaking in mischief. Their trade is that of a cobbler or shoemaker. They are said to be very rich, having many treasure crocks buried during war-time. [1] According to legend, if anyone keeps an eye fixed upon one, he cannot escape, but the moment the eye is withdrawn he vanishes."

Etymology
There are a number of possible etymologies of the name "leprechaun". One of the most widely accepted theories is that the name comes from the Irish Gaelic word leipreachán, defined by Dinneen as "a pigmy, a sprite, a leprechaun; for luchorpán"; the latter word Dinneen defines as "a pigmy, a leprechaun; 'a kind of aqueous sprite'";[2] this word has also been identified as meaning "half-bodied", or "small-bodied". This is the etymology given in the Collins English Dictionary [3].

u The word which is widely believed to be the root and one of the ones quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary is luchorpán. An alternative derivation for the name and another one quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary, is leath bhrógan, meaning shoe-maker — the leprechaun is known as the fairy shoemaker of Ireland and is often portrayed working on a single shoe.[4]


A leprechaun counts his gold, in this engraving circa 1900.Another derivation has the word "leprechaun" deriving from luch-chromain, meaning "little stooping Lugh", Lugh being the name of a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann.[5]

The word leprechaun was first recorded used in the English language in 1604 in Middleton and Dekker's The Honest Whore as lubrican. The original meaning was of some kind of spirit and not specifically associated with the Irish mythological character:[6]

"As for your Irish Lubrican, that spirit
Whom by preposterous charms thy lust has raised." [7]
Some alternative spellings of the word leprechaun that have been used throughout the ages are; leprechawn, lepracaun and lubberkin. The word leprehaun has also been used."

Answer 9

Gaelic/Irish

Answer 10

Gaelic, Old Irish, Old English, Latin