Having supernatural powers or marked by a foreboding of death or calamity. In modern usage, often means whimsical, otherworldly, or having an elfin quality.
From Old English 'fæge' meaning doomed to die, related to Old Norse 'feigr'. Originally carried the sense of being marked by fate for death, but evolved to describe otherworldly or supernatural qualities.
Fey has undergone one of the most dramatic meaning shifts in English - from the grim Old English sense of 'doomed to die' to today's charming description of elfin whimsy. Tina Fey's surname coincidentally captures this modern sense of clever, otherworldly humor perfectly.
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