changeling
English
/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/
noun
Definitions
- (mythology) In pre-modern European mythology, an infant that was secretly exchanged for a mother's own baby by an evil creature. (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 witches, devils, or demons.)
- (informal) An infant secretly exchanged with another infant by mistake or by human doing; swapling.
- (science fiction) An organism which can change shape to mimic others.
- (obsolete) A simpleton; an idiot.
- (obsolete) One apt to change; a waverer.
Etymology
Suffix from English change.
Origin
English
change
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- antichange English
- change English
- changeability English
- changeful English
- changeless English
- changelog English
- changemaker English
- changemaking English
- changeout English
- changeover English
- changepoint English
- changer English
- changeroom English
- changeset English
- changest English
- changeth English
- changiness English
- foldchange English
- megachange English
- microchange English
- outerchange English
- overchange English
- rechange English
- shortchange English
- transchange English
- treechange English
- unchange English
- change French
- チェンジ Japanese
- cinkciarz Polish
- changen Middle English
- 唱錢 Chinese
- chenji Swahili
- shintsha Zulu
- cen Volapük
- itshintshi Xhosa
- senisim Tok Pisin
- chinji Chichewa, Chewa, Nyanja