drow

Meaning

Noun

• A member of a fictional race of dark elves in various fantasy settings, such as Dungeons & Dragons.
• A fictional constructed language spoken by the Drow.
• A trow; a member of a race of folkloric beings from Orkney and Shetland; cognate to the Scandinavian troll.

Related

Similar words

• dark elf

Origin

• A Shetlandic and Orcadian alteration of trow, most likely influenced by an unattested Norn *drog. Trow is derived from Norn troll, or otherwise from Old Norse trǫll. L-vocalisation occurred in the early 15th century in Middle Scots, so "trolly knolls" probably became "trowie knowes" around this time. The supposed Norn *drog would have been derived from Old Norse draugr.