Harlequin

Harlequin. See PANTOMINE. The etymology of the word is curious. The Fr. is arlequin, from which apparently is derived the Ital. arlecchino. The Old Fr. phrase was li maisnie hierlekin (Low Lat. harlequini familias), 'a troop of demons that haunted lonely places.' This Skeat derives from Old Fries. helle cyn, Icel. heljar kyn—i.e. the kindred of hell, host of hell, troop of demons. The change from hellequin to harlequin was due to a mistaken analogy with Charles Quint. See Max Müller's Lectures, ii. p. 581.