erlking
English
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erlking¹
- /ˈɜːlkɪŋ/
Where it comes from
Partial calque of German Erlkönig (literally “alder-king”), a mistranslation of Danish ellerkonge (“king of the elves”).
noun erlkings · Erlking · erl-king
- In German literature and modern folklore, a malicious elf or spirit who preys on children. This line, and indeed the whole passage (lines 653-664), allude to the well-known poem by Goethe about the erlking, hoary enchanter of the elf-haunted alderwood, who falls in love with the delicate little boy of a belated traveler.
Erlking²
noun Erlkings
- Alternative letter-case form of erlking
Translations
Every language
noun erlking
| Français | roi des aulnes |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Erlkönig |
Talk about this word "erlking." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/erlking. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. erlking. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/erlking "erlking." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/erlking.Cite this
@misc{erlking_2026,
title = {erlking},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/erlking},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
