IMP
The imp or nuton is a legendary creature of small size, resulting from the Folklore French (imp) and folklore Wallon (nuton). It appears as of the Moyen-âge in the literature, and becomes at the time modern a character of the Fantastique. These beings have a small size, and are commonly mischievous and facetious, beneficial or malfaisants.
In the French language, imp is also a generic term to indicate all the fairy-like creatures “” of small size.
Etymology
The term imp and his many French derivatives is of unknown origin. If some authors consider an etymology related on the night or the Roman god Neptune, they seem all two conjectural. Littré of 1863 also announced that “ Frisch draws it from German Laut, its, noise; Grimm, of Latin luctus, mourning; but the imp is not a demon of mourning. ”
According to the Littré, luiton and nuiton , resulting from old French, would be the oldest known forms, employed until the 17th century. One finds in particular in Walloon: “ lûton, nûton, nuton ” which brings at the end modern nuton
Some references:
- At the 12th century: “Not grant serpenz volanz, hisdous, Noituns monsters perillous… ”, Benoit of Holy-Moor, Roman of Troy
- “It is only with the imps of luicter deaths” Montesquieu (1734)
- “These misanthropists and let us lute …”, Etienne Pasquier, Lettres
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