The term pixie was initially documented in a 1542 translation of Erasmus’s Apophthegmes, where it was likened to hobgoblins. The exact origin of the word remains uncertain, sparking intriguing speculation. Some suggest it could be derived from the dialectal Swedish noun pyks, meaning “small goblin” (similar words exist in Scots and Norwegian), although the Oxford English Dictionary dismisses this connection as lacking evidence. Another theory proposes that pixie may stem from an obscure Cornish term, given its early usage predominantly in southwestern English regions (suggesting a Celtic origin rather than Germanic as previously thought). Literary references to pixie were scarce until a surge in mentions around the turn of the twenty-first century, likely influenced by its popularization in children’s literature.
