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A fairy (also ''fay'', ''fae'', ''fair folk''; from ''faery'', ''faerie'', "realm of the ''fays''") is a type of mythical being or legendary creature in European folklore, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural. ==Etymology== According to Thomas Keightley, the word "fairy" derives from the Latin ''fata'', and is from the Old French form ''faerie'', describing "enchantment". Other forms are the Italian ''fata'', and the Provencal "fada". In old French romance, "fee" was a woman skilled in magic, and who knew the power and virtue of words, of stones, and of herbs.〔(Kready, Laura. ''A Study of Fairy Tales'', Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1916 )〕 ''Faie'' became Modern English ''fay''. ''Faierie'' became ''fairy'', but with that spelling now almost exclusively referring to one of the legendary people, with the same meaning as ''fay''. The word "fairy" was used to in represent an illusion, or enchantment; the land of the Faes; collectively the inhabitants thereof; or an individual such as a fairy knight.〔 To the word ''faie'' was added the suffix ''-erie'' (Modern English ''-(e)ry''), used to express either a place where something is found (fishery, nunnery) or a trade or typical activity engaged in (cookery, thievery). In later usage it generally applied to any kind of quality or activity associated with a particular type of person, as in English knavery, roguery, wizardry. In the sense "land where fairies dwell", the distinctive and archaic spellings ''Faery'' and ''Faerie'' are often used. The latinate ''fay'' is not to be confused with the unrelated (Germanic) ''fey'', meaning "fated to die".〔(Online Etymology Dictionary )〕 Various folkloristic traditions refer to them euphemistically, by names such as ''wee folk'', ''good folk'', ''people of peace'', ''fair folk'' (Welsh ''tylwyth teg''), etc.〔Briggs, Katharine Mary (1976) ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies''. New York, Pantheon Books. "Euphemistic names for fairies" p. 127 ISBN 0-394-73467-X.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「fairy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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