faerie en · NOUN
Etymology
A deliberately archaic spelling of fairy (attested since the 1300s in spellings like fairye, fayre), based on Old French faerie, used in 1590 by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene.
Meanings
-
(alt-of, archaic, countable, uncountable) Archaic spelling of fairy.
alt of fairy
All these stories are based upon the classic structure of the faerie tale and are highly enjoyable (and, yes, they end "happily ever after"). But they can provide much more than that.
1985 February 2, Tim Broadbent, “Kindred Spirits (review)”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 28, page 10:
- (countable, uncountable) Realm of the fays, fairyland.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| faërie | alternative | lexicographic | |
| færie | alternative, hypercorrect, nonstandard | lexicographic | |
| faeries | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
faeriecore · faeriekind · faerie godmother · faerie tale · faeriedom