A creature by any other name.

[Ursa major]

According to my Collins German Dictionary, a gremlin is a böser Geist (= evil/wicked/naughty Spirit) or a Maschinenteufel (= machine devil).

Neither seems quite right for a creature of something akin to flesh and blood, particularly as both definitions are accompanied by the code, hum, which stands for humorous.

[LauraJUnderwood]

Maschinenteufel is the literal german word for gremlin...

Well not literal since it means Machine Spirit or Devil.

[SJAB]

Many thanks for the name

[chrispenycate]

I chatted to my polyglot German, and the first entity we came up with was a Kobold; generally responsible for mischief making, although in no way specialised in mechanical matters, or aircraft (I'd met them in mines, like Tommyknockers, but they are also domestic, and will occasionally be helpful, like Hobgoblins). Then, she eMailed me to follow up the word "wicht", being a sort of generalised gnome or 'little people' figure, and a word short enough for the German compound noun mania to give Mekanikwicht or something of the order. There is, however, less of the destructive side of the gremlin; 'Wichten' can often be helpful, or co-operative, gremlins are universally antipathetic.

[Ursa major]

There may also be a danger, I suppose, that some readers could, on seeing the word, wicht, start thinking of another mythical entity, the wight.

[HareBrain]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

There may also be a danger, I suppose, that some readers could, on seeing the word, wicht, start thinking of another mythical entity, the wight.

Wight isn't a mythical entity, in fact: it's just a Middle English word that comes from the Old English for person, from the same root as the German wicht.

Its use in fantasy probably comes from Tolkien's barrow-wight, by which I guess he meant a being who lived in a barrow.

[Ursa major]

But we don't speak Middle English. (At least, I don't).

While a good portion (most?) of the population probably don't know the word, wight, at all, I'd expect of those that do, most** will think of the mythical entity. (As I did, which is why I looked at the Wiki page, to see if the mythical wight and the Wicht had anything in common with each other.)





** - One would have to assume that SJAB's story would most appeal to readers of fantasy, who would most likely be familiar with the wights that appear in Tolkien, rôle playing games and (more recently) A Song of Ice and Fire.

[HareBrain]

I was only taking issue with your use of "mythical" to describe something that doesn't exist in myth. And I hope no one takes this as meaning I have nothing worthwhile to do -- I simply felt it important enough to put aside my highly important job for a few minutes.