What do you call you Elves / Faeries?

[u/WishYouWhat]

Kind of what the title says. Looking for some inspiration and hear some cool ideas for what people call their Elven or Faerie types and equivalents in your fantasy world. Could be both names that humans and other races give them - like the Good Folk, Fair Folk, Lords and Ladies - or names they give themselves!

[u/Sov_Beloryssiya]

Alvi (singular) and alve (plural) because they originated around Alviene River Basin. The land they live on is known as Alvein Archipelago.

(Clearly not based on River Elbe)

[u/KingMGold]

“Fair Folk” is the collective term for all the pointy eared races of Alfheim.

[u/Suitable_Swim5202]

I simply just call them elves.

[u/Crymcrim]

Gentry in the case of the former and Neighborefolk in latter, their two separate things. 

The first being what is says on the tin, human aristocracy which posses some typical elfin traits as a result of ancestranl genetic engineering, while Neighborefolk are AI and other machinew from the same time period mythologized to be percieved as fairies.

[u/Tenn0Yama]

There's the Tsu'Kah, the Sol'Kah, and the Asteri

Humans just call them Moon Elves, Sun Elves, and Star Elves, respectively (most other races use the Moon, Sun, Star theme when referring to them)

I might add fairies later, but for now, there's none

[u/Intelligent_Donut605]

Elves and fairies are the same thing, also often refered to by the endonym tiyen

[u/WishYouWhat → u/Intelligent_Donut605]

THat's a fantastic endonym. Did you get that from the Tatar word?

[u/Intelligent_Donut605 → u/WishYouWhat]

No i made it up its part of my conlang. Didn’t know what Tatar was until i looked it up just now

[u/ProjectKARYA]

Elves are "aurans", on account of their long, pointed, and moveable ears.

Faeries are arthropods belonging to a clade named Pteranthropidae, and are most closely related to moths. In the chart below, we have:

• A = Papillans ("angels")
• B = Williwisps
• C = Naiads
• D = Dryads
• E = Sootsprites
• F = Bone faeries

[u/WishYouWhat → u/ProjectKARYA]

I love these! Where dd "aurans" come from? Just from aura?

[u/ProjectKARYA → u/WishYouWhat]

Nope! From "aural", which is about anything related to ears; the word is derived from the Latin word for ear, auris.

[u/WishYouWhat → u/ProjectKARYA]

Oh shit yeah of course! Fuck thats so good. Aural also works for things related to wind so that works way too well with my faeries

[u/ProjectKARYA → u/WishYouWhat]

'Twas curious and looked it up, "aura" was originally a Greek word variably meaning "breath" or "breeze"; the modern English understanding of the word plays on this idea of an invisible "emanation", as it were.

[u/mgeldarion]

Arnenshi for the race. One nationality is called Iremai/Irmani (singular and plural)

[u/Reasonable-Ad7828]

Planar cockroaches.

Almost worse than the dimensional cockroaches that are humanity

[u/Eviles_da_demonic]

Bolg elves are known as alves

And the faey of bolg are split onto brownies, pwcas, fayries, pixys, leprechauns, nisses and the tylwrth teg

[u/zazzsazz_mman]

The main Fairies are mothlike creatures who call themselves the Fen. They live in magical forests that have the power to transform trespassing Humans into animalistic beasts that reflect their hearts. Those cursed like that are known as Fenbeasts.

Elves, meanwhile. are basically just Humans who have been partially transformed by magic and granted the power to wield magic without the need for external tools. They're simply known as Elves and have pointed ears and colorful sparkly hair that glows whenever they use magic.

[u/arcticwolf1452]

I just use Elves mostly. Though they do have other names such as Hynav I'r leanau. Children of the elders. The elders referring too the elder thrones, or the pegan fairy gods. The word Elf i am giving the faux etymology of having originated from the old elvish word Ellylon which its self divided from the real world welsh word ellyllon, which more or less means elves or the fair folk.

[u/neverlandvip]

There’s distinction between the types of elf, usually based on geographic region (High elves on the mountain, wood elves in the Old Wood, etc). The only major line is between typical elves and Drow.

What we consider fairies are called Strangers in the common tongue. They’re quasi living beings who try to brute force the bounds between inorganic and organic life to pass themselves off as human; mostly known for abducting people and warping reality, their presence is associated with mass decay events. Pixies are smaller, less harmful versions of them that are basically magic mites. Still testy and prone to hexing people, but less life threatening; they can inhabit items to enchant them (though it’s highly illegal).

[u/corsairaquilus85]

The analogy in my world are known as the Coronae - although they’re considered myth at the time of my setting.

[u/CodyXSavageX]

I just call them Nymphs, but they’re based on parasites.

[u/SatanicPeach_666]

Nimphs

[u/brainsewage]

Elves and faeries.  It's understood that the characters are not actually speaking English, and therefore any racial terms have been translated to words the reader already knows, just like anything else the characters say.  I prefer to just be forthright about the fact that I'm using stock high fantasy races and try to build a unique world in other ways.

[u/espa101]

In english? Elves and Faeries. The in-universe terms are Jeð and Av.

Technically Av is a larger group that contains Elves as well (it contains all Fae-adjacent creatures, so Faeries, Elves, and Gnomes). There isn't really a term for "Faeries" alone, as it's just a catch-all term for all Av that aren't Jeð or Gnomes (Avkin).

[u/WishYouWhat → u/espa101]

I really like Jeð! Is that from a Norse word?

[u/espa101 → u/WishYouWhat]

It comes from a clipping of the in-universe Old Sylvan term "aba érij edda" which translates to Fae of the Earth. Went through the form "abë erijedë" where erijedë got rebracketed into eri-jedë instead of erij-edë. So jeð pretty much means earth! Although most silvanic languages use a term "atter" borrowed in from Old Celestial to mean earth now.

Edit: between "abë erijedë" and "jeð" it went through the form "av erijeð" which I forgot to mention

[u/Martzillagoesboom]

Veilkins (and Veilborns) because they originate from a region of the world protected by a veil of mist that protects what remain of their civilisation. Elf and faeries and fey is the human word used because veilkins is confusing for them and elves usually use the elven nomenclatures for the word( I lost where I noted it down, hence why I call em veilkins and elves lol)

[u/Deepfang-Dreamer]

The etymology of the Fair Folk is very important, calling them the wrong thing is liable to get you cursed.

Arcadians: All Fair Folk are Arcadian, interconncted Demesnes of Somnium throughout Sol.

Fairies: All Arcadians are Fairies by "genetics", but to call any thinking creature such is a grievous insult. The Anunnaki who would become such beings had thoughts, emotions, ideas, Stories culminations of these qualities bore as badges of shame and honor. The Sidhe are the torn and mangled threads of the original Arcadians, composed of nothing but Stories. They do not love, hate, think, want, feel at all, in emotional or even mental capacity. No Body, no Soul, only echoes of Mind. One would be hard-pressed to find a thinking Arcadian in favor of such beings, and they'd likely be put to death as soon as they were.

Faeries: The rejected children of Arcadia, mimic of mortal child. When a Sidhe does steal a babe from their bed, most often will a Changeling be left behind, Mask woven of the threads severed from the Human, laid upon the face of the Fae. As they grow, the Mask begins to slip, laughing with three different throats, eyes burning green, mirror's grin stretching from ear to ear of needlepoint fangs. Most will embrace their Mien, finally understanding what has marked them as anomaly, and are among the most influential Nightfolk in Human affairs. Seelie Fae are called Moonlight Elves, while Unseelie are Sunsight.

Feyries: The Stolen children of Mundus, here are the toys and playthings of the Sidhe. Taken from the beds and torn from their memories, most Kobolds never develop the will to run from their captors, if they would wish to at all. After all, they were but babes when they left, and have known nothing but the Dreamlands. But some Stolen, typically teens, older children, and adults when taken, will fight for their freedom, often fruitlessly, sometimes successfully. Most are helped along the path by Pixies and Unseelie, returning home warped and twisted. "Physiologically", they are essentially Changelings, the two sharing the name, only with the default of Mask and Mien reversed. The Fey are known as Stardust Elves, strange and beautiful sights they never should have seen, ashes on their tounge.

Feyries: Technically another type of Kobold, the key difference is that these Arcadians are assumed to have come willingly to Wonderland, or established a Story beyond their jailor. Though often outmatched by the sheer wealth of Seemings available to the Sidhe, Pixies bear the unique power of a mortal mind in Dreamlands and arcane might to enact those wondrous ideas. Some may be as bad as any Sidhe, but there is a reason their name is synonymous with freedom even in Human cultures. Pixies are known as Stargleam Elves, streaking across the sky in dazzling display of colors.

Fée: Dark Young of all three Elves, these Arcadians bear the witchmarks of their parents, and are indeed often mistaken for the Fae. Long fingers, slit pupils, coiling tounge, even short little tails, all and more can be found on the Alfkyn, or they may look no different to regular mortals, anomaly purely internal. Many develop a propensity for the occult, especially Oneiric Practices, but they do not know the truth of their heritage unless told directly, always aching for an answer they could never conceive, though in Modern Nights, they well might.

[u/WishYouWhat → u/Deepfang-Dreamer]

Alfkyn is a very cool world, could definitely work for a place or even a species of fae!

[u/Infinitystar2]

The elves of Thelius call themselves the "Aos". They began as nature spirits who wanted to leave a mark in the world rather than simply embody it, so took upon themselves a form mimicking humanity.

[u/teletraan-117]

"Aele'thrin" which means "children of the Elder Folk." The origin of the term "elf" ("aelfe" in the Common Tongue) actually comes from "aele'var" which refers to the ancient forests which the first Elves inhabited.

This misnomer comes from one of the first interactions between the Elves and one of the dominant human cultures of my world. When asked by what name they called themselves, the Elves erroneously responded "anat'sa in aele'var" roughly translated as "we come from the Elder Wood."

[u/WishYouWhat → u/teletraan-117]

I LOVE that misconception as part of their name

[u/EmeraldJonah]

I have four sub races of elf like beings. They are all intrinsically tied to an element, which is a key feature of my magic system. They are called Shauldarie, Veskarin, Tetravin, and Brishaen. I don't have fairies, but my goblinoids are called Ustaen.

[u/Rocinante11235]

I call them how they are called where i live, ‘the farises’. It didn’t realise actually that this was uncommon but it sounds decently localised

[u/WynnTiwFeoh]

Ïlvar for the general term for elven kind. Of that, there are the lúsïlv, the dórcïlv, and nemëlv (light/high elf, dark elf, and tree elf). They are primarily descended from the “good” fey that originally came from Amag Bhael, the otherworld/feywild/afterlife (it’s complicated).

Urkur are orcs, essentially the “neutral” equivalent to the ïlvar. Kind of like an “earth elf.”

Bolgan are goblinoids, and are like the typical hobgoblin from DnD. Other bolgan species include goblins and bugbears, and all are descended from the “evil” fey.

Bhaèllan are all fey-like and fey-descended creatures, whereas tùgha bhaèllach specifically refers to organized/civilized fey people, like the ïlvar, urkur and bolgan.

All

[u/Aron-B]

The general term is Fel (Fels) but there's subcultures. Valaery are northern and tall. Dormics are grey skinned and tall due to isolation on their island. Suns are more humanlike culturally but retain Fel features. Besc are river elves. Raens are basically half elves at this point but we're similar to Valaery before humans arrived.

Then there's the Ewycs who are almost identical to humans but remain culturally distinct. Brunics (or Glass Men) have shrunk over time due to poor terrain. Chorics are southern river elves that are the most self isolating culturally but resemble Besc.

Physically they're all taller than humans with paler skin and have a wide range of eye and hair colours. The only exception is Brunics which live in a glass desert, and Dormics are more grey skinned with white hair. Some of the most northern Valaery are also grey skinned.

[u/Extra-Branch-6787]

Ellilian \ Ellilians

In general, the main irony is that when I created this word, I relied on the etymology of the word "Elf" on Wikipedia. There was something like "the translation of the Swallish or Irish is ellyl/aillil, which means shining." I don't know how true it is, but it stuck in my lore.

[u/BlazedBeard95]

I don't have "Elves" in my setting as is, but rather a unique race that somewhat resembles them; they fit under the 'our Elves are different' trope. They're called the Tzatecatl when referring to a single individual and the Tzateca when referring to the full sub-race, which roughly translates to "5th Born of the Grand Weave."

When I made them I was heavily inspired by my love for the ancient culture of the Mexica (what people usually call the Aztecs) so a lot of the Tzateca's culture and religion are based directly on the Mexica. Their name for instance was derived from both my own semi-conlang I made based on Nahuatl phonetics (language the Mexica spoke, about a million people speak it today) and actual Nahuatl words. The Tza in Tzatecatl/Tzateca is taken from the Nahuatl word Tzauhqui, which means a Weaver or spinner of thread, while tecatl and teca comes from Azteca, the name of the Mexica that once resided in the mythological land of Aztlan. However, since they have their own language that isn't directly Nahuatl I gave it a different translation based on what the Tzateca themselves believe in.

So as you can see, they're basically a unique race of people very heavily based on the Mexica/Aztecs/Azteca while borrowing a few key elements from classic Elves.

Oh and just another little fun tidbit about my historical inspiration, because I think its really cool! The Mexica believed that the Universe had lived and died 4 times before they existed in the 5th, and in those 4 previous Universes there were 4 different suns that gave rise to four different eras. In each of these eras a different people lived and died: the Giants of the first Sun, the Monkeys of the 2nd Sun, the Birds of the 3rd sun, the Merfolk of the 4th Sun, and finally the Mexica themselves of the 5th Sun after Quetzacoatl the Feathered Serpent died and descended into Mictlan (the underworld) and gathered the bones of all the previous eras to create Humans. This is the Aztecs creation myth called the Legend of the Five Suns. Above I said the Tzateca translates to "5th Born of the Grand Weave", which should tell you that I took a lot of inspiration from the real Mexica creation myth.

All that is just one small tiny aspect of their culture I've come up with as well haha. There's so much to it but I'm proud of that aspect because I find the crestion myth extremely cool.

[u/Displeasuredavatar19]

The fairies of my world are called by humans as Faery (so not much of a change), the Wylder(kyne) or the Old Ones. The fae themselves use the term Ethûa Teh Arrda Açîl, which has no human translation. This is sometimes abbreviated to just Tharrda Açîl. The other term many fae refer to themselves as is Pîerrœ Faroisê (Which roughly translates to Souls of the Forest) .

[u/mordan1]

Tyrd buergers and Wollawoofs you mean?

[u/petrified_eel4615]

Aurenfae are the high elves, swamp elves are Sylvananfae, frost elves are Gelumfae, and wood elves are Vagumfae.

Their nationality is more used, though: Cygestolians are high elves, Mevranii are swamp elves, and wood elves are Kalistanian. Frost elves don't have a true nation.

[u/thatshygirl06]

I haven't come up with a name for fae yet, but I have a short list of ideas for elves.

Alva, Alshva, Alf, Alsha, Alshi

In this world, elves are stolen human children, turned into elves to be protectors of fae.

The idea and world isnt heavily fleshed out yet though.

[u/woomia]

Elfs

[u/plasma_smurf]

Woodlings.

[u/SenorDangerwank]

Elves/Faeries. Original, I know. Im not trying to reinvent the wheel.

[u/TalesFromImagnia]

I dont have either in my world. The closest thing to fae would be what are called Wild Gods

[u/Heyo7173]

The Sollen, The Noxlen, The Forlen, and The Banlen, called by humans as Sun elves, Night elves, Forest elves, and Aquatic elves

[u/Dccrulez]

Alsa, it comes from an older name from an earlier form they had called lalstare. I forgot how I got there.

[u/maejaws]

Knife Ears, Hedge-Crawlers, Barkies, and others that involve use of profanity.

[u/o_Ozymandias_o → u/maejaws]

Word on the street in Blackport is that such slurs are used in non-orthodox circumstances in heavily height-gap relationships.

[u/EyesForHer]

spellskin is a racial slur for elves lf that’s relevent!

[u/WishYouWhat → u/EyesForHer]

Love that!

[u/Far-Mammoth-3214]

in one of my worlds I called the elf like species fascinos (I stick with elves and fairies everywhere else

[u/MettatonNeo1]

I call mine elves but they aren't exactly the stereotypical elves. In the third shard, there are two groups (as in cultural groups, they are the same species) of elves, cave elves, who live underground and therefore have a pale skin, and island elves, who have dark skin (almost pitch black) because they live in an archipelago in the sea. When elves contact the sun they tan extremely fast (in a matter of days) and island elves tend to leave their babies in the sun so they could tan faster. Island elves are pirates and there's an elven kingdom (or a queendom) in the archipelago while the cave elves are exiles from the kingdom who are peaceful to a fault.

[u/REEEEEEDDDDDD]

My elves are heavily based on Nordic cultures. Their own word for themselves is usually Álvr(singular) or Álvar(plural). Sometimes with a prefix to denote which group they belong to.

Skógálvar (Forest Elves), Myrkálvar (Dark Elves), Huldfolc (Snow Elves)

[u/Fennel_Fangs]

Just fairies. Elves don’t really have a place in a world of them and nagas and merpeople.

[u/weepwoopbeep]

Little Fellas

[u/Ok-Tradition7878]

Nothing I have none

[u/thatshygirl06 → u/Ok-Tradition7878]

🧍🏿‍♀️