Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “goblin” come from?

Goblin comes from Middle English gobelyn, derived from Old Northern French gobelin, of unknown ultimate origin.

goblin (English): One of various hostile supernatural creatures,...

Definitions

  1. One of various hostile supernatural creatures,...

Ancestry of “goblin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgobelyn—
2Old Northern Frenchgobelin—

Words derived from “goblin”

  • hobgoblin
  • goblinlike
  • goblinry
  • goblinoid
  • goblinize
  • shitgoblin
  • gobliness
  • goblinkind
  • goblindom
  • ゴブリン
Every word from Old Northern French gobelin →