eldritch
/ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/ adjective
Forms eldrich elrich elritch
- adjective Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.
Synonyms
Etymology
From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other” (related to Old English ellende and modern English else); others think that it derives from elf. It was reintroduced into popular literature by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “eldritch”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details