From Seelie to Silly

The word "Seelie" dates back to about 1200 AD, when it meant "punctual, orderly". In 1225 it was being used to mean "blessed" or "pious", and 1250, "well-omened, fortunate". Oddly enough there don't seem to be any references in the OED to its use in a supernatural context.

It seems as though any references to "Seelie" and "Unseelie" fairies originally just meant "nice" and "nasty", very similar to the Filipino view of our own such 'spirits' ranging from benevolent to mischievous to malevolent. No real "Courts" to speak of.

By the end of the 13th century, "seelie" was shifting in meaning towards "innocent" and "harmless", and over the centuries, it came to have more and more implications of triviality. In fact, we still use it today, with a vowel shift. The Silly Court, anyone?