fey and feydom and pixillated

Fey, like pixillated, seems to be a perfect New Yorker-type of word. That magazine, which surely considers itself to be the arbiter of literary fashion in the US, frequently showcases work of authors of ambition--authors who are facile with the pen and extremely skilled in using words that have multiple shades of meaning usually without disclosing which shade of meaning they are intending. For example, the New Yorker used pixillated in 1977, but in a way calculated either to confuse us or, at best, not to enlighten us: "He was known as a coarse creature and a little pixillated." Well, does pixillated here mean "tipsy" or "whimsical" or "insane" or "confused?" We are led into a world of uncertainty because pixillated and fey are so easy to use in a confusing way. But let's see if we can inject some precision into our understanding of fey.

Fey

As with many important English words, the ultimate derivation of fey is uncertain. Its usage as "disordered in mind; possessing or displaying magical, fairylike qualities; affected, whimsy" (why not whimsical?) dates only to 1823, and is in connection with fairies and pixies. A man who is fey about his "entails and his properties," is one confused or disordered in thinking about his real estate holdings. A daughter who is fey over a man (1856) could also be pixillated or balmy over that man (From 1971: "Suddenly we were pixilated, we'd fallen in love with the sweetest girl we ever saw"). A fey person is a strange person, one who may be an "inhabitant of some different, some elfin world." Or, from another source: "'Fey' people are magic people; they see what no one else sees,--they hear voices that no one else hears--voices that whisper secrets and tell of wonders as yet undiscovered." More contemporary appearances of fey stress the contrast between a fey person and a "normal" one. For example, from 1959: "A sensible elder daughter, and fey younger daughter." Or, from 1969: "Now your wife would be perfect for the part; she's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a leprechaun." Someone fey then is magical or other-worldly or impractical or strange or different or even affected. A fey person may also be confused or disordered in thinking. We might say it feydom the result of what the pixies have done to you---they have made you "fey."

One Other Meaning of Fey

By far the oldest signification of fay, which the OED assures us is still popular in Scotland, is as someone "fated to die, doomed to death" or even "at the point of death." This usage stretches back 1000 years. Scottish examples from the 18th and 19th centuries are not hard to find, but I will not belabor the point.

"'We'll turn again,' said good Lord John.
'But no,' said Rothiemay,
'My steed's trepann'd, my bridle's broke,
I fear this day I'm fey.'"

Or, "There's fey fowk in our ship, she winna sail for me." Or, finally, "Puir faint hearted thief," cried the Laird's ain Jock, "There' nae man die but him that's fie."

From Confusion to Surprise to Disorder

Thus, a pixillated or fey person is one apt to appear confused or absorbed in thought--influenced as s/he is by the pixies. But English has a host of other similar terms, many of them obsolete, as Jeffrey Kacirk in his wonderful book, The Word Museum, has demonstrated. If you are confused you might say you are pixillated. But why not claim to be blutterbunged? As Kacirk says, quoting Joseph Wright's Dictionary of Dialect English, "blutterbunged" means "overcome by surprise, confounded." Perhaps this word is a bit too obscure, but my vocabulary could use another synonym or two for befuddled or confused--inasmuch as that reflects my condition in life so often. Kacirk then gives us another little gift--the word gloppened, which an 18th century Yorkshire dictionary also defines as "surprised."

But often we are surprised or confused because things are disordered all around us. In such a situation, things can be said to be aflunters. Albert Einstein provides for us the quintessential picture of a person with hair aflunters. Whenever I think of one of my colleague's offices, I think of the word aflunters. Books are strewn around; papers are piled up; no order reigns. And, sadly enough, it appears on this day as if all is becoming aflunters in Iraq. Our invasion of that country in Spring 2003 was attended with promises from the Administration that we would be greeted with open arms as liberators. A few no doubt saw us in this light, but the political process embarked upon from 2003-2005 resulted in a constitution in which historic minorities who formerly had disproportionate power (i.e., the Sunni) would run the risk of being cut out of the governing process. Thus, they are retaliating now against the Shi'a majority and the possibility of a democratically-elected and run Iraq. By destroying the golden dome of the 1200 year-old Aksariya Shi'a shrine, the Sunni have assured that issues will not only be joined on the political level but on the much deeper, and emotionally charged, religious level. All is seemingly aflunters, despite the Administration's promise that victory is not far away--whatever that might mean.

Conclusion

Kacirk's work also mentions other words suggesting a variety of emotions. Let's continue to explore some of them.

1744