There is a word in the dialect of the German southwest that sounds quite similar to eldritch: Elwetritsche. Etymologically they are not related, but there are certain similarities (besides one being an adjective, the other one a noun).
Both words have a connection to the mythical, the not-quite-explainable. Elwetritsche are said to have come about by cross-breeding wood spirits such as elves and goblins with domestic fowl. Somewhere along the lines, some also acquired antlers. Hunting them is great fun but one should avoid them at night when one is alone. A meeting might be quite scary or even dangerous, if not quite as horror-inducing as what eldritch suggests.
Being descendants of fowl they lay eggs. The one just about to hatch inspired me to whip out my crayons.
