Midget vs Elfin - What's the difference?
midget | elfin | Related terms |
(originally) A little sandfly.
(loosely) Any small swarming insect similar to the mosquito; a midge
A normally proportioned person with small stature, usually defined as reaching an adult height less than 4'10".
(sometimes derogatory) Any short person.
(attributively) That is a small version of something; miniature
Relating to or resembling an elf, especially in its tiny size or features.
*
*:Three chairs of the steamer type, all maimed, comprised the furniture of this roof-garden, withon one of the copings a row of four red clay flower-pots filled with sun-baked dust from which gnarled and rusty stalks thrust themselves up like withered elfin limbs.
*{{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 24, author=Nathan Rabin, work=The Onion AV Club
, title=
Midget is a related term of elfin.
As nouns the difference between midget and elfin
is that midget is (originally) a little sandfly while elfin is an elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.As an adjective elfin is
relating to or resembling an elf, especially in its tiny size or features.midget
English
Noun
(en noun)- ''Although tiny and just two-winged, midgets can bite you manyfold till you itch all over your unprotected skin
- the midget pony
Usage notes
* Used for an insect, this is a variation on (midge) that is incorrect but commonly used.Synonyms
* dwarf (loosely) * dwarf, short-arse, shortie/shorty, tich/titch, vertically challenged person (humorous) * (swarming insect) midge * (miniature) dwarfAntonyms
* giant * (miniature) giantReferences
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=midge&searchmode=none]elfin
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) elven, from (etyl) elfen, .Etymology 2
Partly from attributive use of Etymology 1, but reanalysed by Spenser as if equivalent to .Adjective
(en adjective)Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3, passage=He’s forced to travel back to 1969 to prevent an evil alien (a shockingly effective, nearly unrecognizable Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords, playing sort of a psychotic extraterrestrial-biker serial killer) from destroying the world by killing Brolin. Smith is aided in his quest by an elfin , time-jumping alien with psychic powers played by another Coen brothers veteran, A Serious Man star Michael Stuhlbarg. }}