Leprechaun
/ˈlɛp.rə.kɔːn/noun
A mischievous fairy in Irish folklore, often depicted as a shoemaker and guardian of a hidden pot of gold.
Did you know?The word entered English from Irish folklore, and older Irish forms point to a tiny solitary fairy figure whose modern image was later reshaped by English-language tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Old Irish
Old Irish
luchorpán
“a small-bodied being or sprite”
Middle Irish
Irish
leipreachán
“a fairy or little sprite”
Early Modern Irish
Irish
leipreachán
“a solitary fairy, often associated with shoemaking and trickery”
18th Century
English
leprechaun
“an Irish fairy creature in English-language folklore”
Modern English
English
leprechaun
“a mischievous fairy of Irish legend, commonly imagined as a tiny man in green”