mandisaw |
Completely depends who I'm talking to/writing for. Americans not familiar with English/European folk stories or medieval studies/fantasy/D&D usually register with "fey" or "fey folk" or even plain-old "fairy". All others get "fae" or "faerie".
I think older folks/books in the States (so that would include the earlier Oz editions) do use "fay", but somewhere along the way that got associated with homosexuals, and then became derogatory in that respect. So since more people know it that way rather than "pointy-eared people who have an alternative moral scheme", it's become pretty anti-PC in current usage.
Fey, although being Swedish, the one I use most of all wouls be "trolsk." ;)
That's interesting - anybody know any other non-English-usage terms? Might add some "local color" to my NPCs.
jocundthejolly |
Apparently there are a
couple of independent roots, not simply variant spellings. Fairy seems
seems to be related to the latter.
gamer-printer |
'Fay' is the earliest form in which the word 'fairy' appears. It is generally supposed to be the broken-down form of 'Fatae', the Fates, which in Roman tradition became less formidable and multiplied in number. The 'fairy' was originally 'fayerie', the enchantment of the fays, and only later became applied to the people working the enchantment, rather than to the state of illusion.
according to Katherine Briggs, Encyclopedia of Fairies, page 169
GP
Yucale |
When playing D&D or Pathfinder, most of the time, or when I want to convey a darker tone (due to another use of the word) I use the word fey.
I sometimes use the word fay. Rarely.
Fae is the coolest spelling in my opinion. So I use it in my creative writing.
I don't use faen because it sounds like "fain", an actual mundane though little used word, but I do use the word fayen when refering to the fey/elf/halfling things in my current writing project.
Kajehase |
Kajehase wrote:That's interesting - anybody know any other non-English-usage terms? Might add some "local color" to my NPCs.
Fey, although being Swedish, the one I use most of all wouls be "trolsk." ;)
To clarify a bit on what was an off-the-cuff comment: "Fey" (or fae, depending on the context) the noun is "Fe" (with an accent over the e [stupid ipod]), or even "alv/alf" if it's an old enough story. "Fey" the adjective (as in "This forest glade has a fey quality to it.") is the above-mentioned "trolsk."
yellowdingo |
Having traced the lineage of all these unhuman races back to their source...the 'Gray Gate' or 'Dhwergher' is the appropriate name for all the Unhumans: Fairy, Fae, Fée, Fata, Elf, Hob, HobGoblin, Bogey, Bogy, Bugbear, Scarecrow, Sprite, Sidhe, Banshee, Dwarf, Dwerg, Troll, Twerg, Giant, Geant, Cyclops, Albho, Ogre, Knocker.
The only reference to a Gray Gate is that a gray Gate opens when subject to a balance of Positive and Negative Energy...what ever the Dhwergher are or were appears to have been spawned in conflict or collision between Positive and Negative (Good and Evil).
Estebal the Paladin unleashed a low power smite against a skeleton - the collision of positive and negative energy thus opening a gray gate - and out comes a tiny little flittering fairy like creature which after the glamor wears off looks like a tiny deformed grey goblin with Bald Head and Pirana teeth, four hind legs that look like barbs, two clawed hands, and a 'its dinner time' smile on its face. After it's done scraping the face off the Paladin and the Barbarian has wet himself in fear...someone bothers to scream: "Oh god what is that thing?"
Dark_Mistress |
FAE will always be "fuel air explosive" (i.e. a FAE bomb) to me, so it looks funny for describing fairies to me.
I go with fey when I have to write it.
Unless you load them up with bean burrito's and hot sauce, then it makes perfect sense.
as for the OP, I use fey.
Jeff de luna |
As I understand it -- fay and fey have ultimately the same root, but in English, Fay derives from Old French Faee (from Latin Fata) and Fey from and Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'fated, doomed.' Thus the term Fay is more appropriate for Dryads, et al. They are easily confused because they have an identical pronunciation and the notion of being 'fated to die' mixes well with being bedazzled by fay.
I've been reading up on this since I'm working on a Pathfinder campaign set in Fairyland rather than the Prime Material.
Jeff de luna |
I like my fey Anglo-Saxon, not Latin. What would Roman fairies do? Curse pasta?
The Roman/Greek Fatae (alias Parcae or Moirae) had power of cursing and destiny over the Olympian gods. Jupiter was afraid of them...
The Norns, or Wyrds were similar, if you want a Germanic analogy.Mairkurion {tm} |
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:I like my fey Anglo-Saxon, not Latin. What would Roman fairies do? Curse pasta?The Roman/Greek Fatae (alias Parcae or Moirae) had power of cursing and destiny over the Olympian gods. Jupiter was afraid of them...
The Norns, or Wyrds were similar, if you want a Germanic analogy.
I was just messing with you. Welcome to the boards, Jeff!