Re: Conlang book

> > Andreas Johansson replied:
> > >>IIRC Finnish has at least some of these, though "walk" and
> > "wall" may not
> > >>be
> > >>the most sematically felicitous combination.
> > >
> > >Maybe not. I guess I simply liked the idea of a guy walking
> > around inside a
> > >wall ...
> > >
> > Well, it could happen!  Lovecraft's rats were certainly running around
> > _inside_ the walls......And last summer, _something_ took up residence in
> > the wall near my computer.  Scratch scratch, bump, rustle.
> > Eldritch horror.
> >
>
>Eldritch? Is that a real word or is it a word that Terry Pratchett invented?
>
>Imperative
OED online edition, eldritch, a.

Forms: 6 elrich(e, elritch(e, -risch(e, -rish, elraige, -rage, alriche, 8-9
eldrich, (9 eltrich), 8-
eldritch. [Of obscure origin; connexion with ELF, conjectured by Jamieson,
would be suitable for the sense, and is
supported by the form elphrish, app. the same word.]

   Weird, ghostly, unnatural, frightful, hideous.

   1508 DUNBAR Gold. Targe 125 Thare was Pluto the elrich incubus. 1513
DOUGLAS Æneis VII. 108 Vgsum to heir was hir wyld elriche
screik. 1535 STEWART Cron. Scot. II. 636 Thair cleithing quhilk wes of
elritche hew. 1536 BELLENDEN Cron. Scot. I. 217 Mony haly
and relligious men..fled in desertis and elraige placis. 1585 JAS. I. Ess.
Poesie (Arb.) 68 The king of Fary..With many elrage Incubus
rydant. 1598 J. MELVILL Diary 25 Feb. 320 The amazfull, ugly alriche
darkness. 1789 BURNS On Capt. Grose, Ye'll find him snug in
Some eldritch part. 1834 PRINGLE Afr. Sk. ii. 144 Loud bursts of wild and
eldrich laughter. 1850 HAWTHORNE Scarlet Let. vii. (1879)
122 Pearl..gave an eldritch scream. 1860 LD. LYTTON Lucile I. iii. §I. 87
Truth is appalling and eltrich, as seen By this world's artificial
lamplights. 1866 HOWELLS Venet. Life iii. 40 Joy that had something
eldritch and unearthly in it.