goblin [ME] This is from Old French gobelin from Gobelinus, said to be the name of a mischievous spirit that haunted the region of Évreux in northern France in the 12th century. The term may be related to German Kobold, the name of a German spirit that haunted houses or lived underground in caves and mines, although the relationship is unclear; the apparent ultimate source is ancient Greek kobalos ‘rogue, knave’ and kobaloi, mischievous sprites invoked by rogues. See also cobalt, gremlin, hobby.