farfadet (French)

Where does "farfadet" come from?

French farfadet, a word for a mischievous elf or sprite, was borrowed from Occitan farfadet, built on fadet with an expressive prefix far- (compare French farfouiller). The form and sense were also nudged by similar-sounding words like Italian farfarello and possibly Arabic farfar “fickle, inconsistent,” from farfara “to agitate, stir,” reinforcing the idea of a restless, troublesome little spirit.

Full etymology tree

• farfadet (French), 'elf, leprechaun (or similar small demon)'
  • inherited from farfadet (Occitan)
    • compound of fadet (Occitan)
    • prefix far- ((expressive element))
  • influence farfarello (Italian)
  • influence فرفار (farfar) (Arabic)
    • derived from farfara (Arabic)

Updated March 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris