faery
UK[ˈfeɪəri]US[ˈfeɪəri]
n
A variant spelling of 'fairy', meaning one of a class of supernatural beings of folklore and romance, typically having magical powers and often depicted as small and delicate.
n
The land or realm where such beings dwell; fairyland.
Etymology
The word 'faery' is an archaic and poetic variant of 'fairy', entering English in the late 14th century from Old French 'faerie', which meant "enchantment, magic, or fairyland." This Old French term derived from 'fae' (a fairy, from Latin 'fata', meaning 'the Fates'), combined with the abstract noun suffix '-erie'. The Latin 'fata' referred to the mythological goddesses who controlled human destiny. Over time, the meaning shifted from the realm of enchantment to its supernatural inhabitants, with 'faery' specifically evoking a more archaic, romantic, or literary sense of these beings and their magical realm compared to the standard 'fairy'.
Analysis
This word is a loanword and variant spelling of 'fairy'. It is not productively formed from separable English morphemes in its current spelling.
Examples
The old tales spoke of a hidden faery queen ruling from a hollow hill.
The painter's work was inspired by visions of a luminous faery.
He felt he had stepped into a faery, where the very air sparkled with magic.