gremlin

gremlin
\ \ [20] Gremlin originated as Royal Air Force slang, as the name of a mischievous imp that caused malfunctions and crashes. It is first recorded in 1941, but it is said to go back to the early 1920s. It is generally assumed that its latter part comes from goblin, but speculation has been rife and diverse as to the source of its first syllable: from the scholarly (Old English gremmanmake angry’) to the inventively popular (a blend of goblin with Fremlin, the name of a well-known firm of brewers).

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gremlin — Maskottchen als Glücksbringer der Royal Air Force von 1942 bis 1945 Die Figur des Gremlins ist ein Fabelwesen und entstand im frühen 20. Jahrhundert. Der Gremlin, wie viele andere Koboldarten auch, hat Spaß am Schabernack, vor all …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • gremlin — s.m.inv. ES ingl. {{wmetafile0}} spiritello maligno dall aspetto di mostriciattolo {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1994. ETIMO: ingl. gremlin propr. folletto …   Dizionario italiano

  • gremlin — grèmlin m DEFINICIJA 1. žarg. glupan 2. fam. čudovište, osebujna ličnost ETIMOLOGIJA engl. gremlin, u žargonu pilota u 2. svjetskom ratu, zločesti nevidljivi stvor koji uzrokuje kvar motora …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • gremlin — (n.) small imaginary creature blamed for mechanical failures, oral use in R.A.F. aviators slang from Malta, Middle East and India said to date to 1923. First printed use perhaps in poem in journal Aeroplane April 10, 1929; certainly in use by… …   Etymology dictionary

  • gremlin — /ingl. ˈɡrɛmlɪn/ [lett. «folletto», «spiritello maligno»] s. m. inv. mostriciattolo …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • gremlin — ► NOUN ▪ a mischievous sprite regarded as responsible for unexplained mechanical or electrical faults. ORIGIN a Second World War term: perhaps suggested by GOBLIN(Cf. ↑goblin) …   English terms dictionary

  • gremlin — [grem′lin] n. [prob. < Dan * græmling, imp, dim. of obs gram, a devil < ON gramr, angry, akin to OE gremian, to enrage: for IE base see GRIM] a small imaginary creature humorously blamed for the faulty operation of airplanes or the… …   English World dictionary

  • Gremlin — Infobox Paranormalcreatures Creature Name = Gremlin Image Caption = Grouping = Mythological creature Fairy Possibilities = AKA = Country = Worldwide Europe (initially) Region = Habitat = First Reported = In folklore Last Sighted = Status =… …   Wikipedia

  • Gremlin — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Gremlin (homonymie). Les Gremlins sont des créatures imaginaires farceuses, de la taille d un lutin et avec une prédilection pour la mécanique. Elles émanent d une légende de l aéronautique militaire, née en… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gremlin — Para otros usos de este término, véase Gremlins. Un gremlin es una criatura mitológica de naturaleza malévola y popular en la tradición de países de habla inglesa. Los gremlins son capaces de sabotear maquinaria de todo tipo. Esta percepción… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gremlin — Un gremlin es una criatura mitológica de naturaleza malévola y popular en la tradición sajona. El nombre gremlin proviene del inglés antiguo grëmian, que significa mortificar o hacer enfadar . También está relacionado con grim, que quiere decir… …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”