Brewer's: Goblin

A familiar demon. According to popular belief goblins dwelt in private houses and chinks of trees. As a specimen of forced etymology, it may be mentioned that Elf and Goblin have been derived from Guelph and Ghibelline. (French, gobelin, a lubber-fiend; Armoric gobylin; German kobold, the demon of mines; Greek, kobalos; Russian, colfy; Welsh coblyn, a “knocker;” whence the woodpecker is called in Welsh “coblyn y coed.”) (See Fairy.)

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