Added 10 October 2026
changeling
/ˈtʃeɪn(d)ʒlɪŋ/ noun
In Latin: cambiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about changeling at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.
- A person or object (especially when regarded as inferior) secretly exchanged for something else.
- An infant secretly exchanged with another infant deliberately or by mistake; a swapling.
adjective
Origin
The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1). The adjective is derived from the noun.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)