1610 (implied in
oafish), also
auf (1621), "a changeling; a foolish child left by the fairies" [Johnson], from a Scand. source, cf. Norw.
alfr "silly person," in O.N., "elf" (see
elf). Hence, "a misbegotten, deformed idiot." Until recently, some dictionaries still gave the plural as
oaves.