A duende is a fairy- or goblin-like mythological creature from Iberian, South American , Chammorro and Filipino folklore. Duendes may also have some traits similar to goblins and kobolds. The word is often considered to be the Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of the English word "sprite" or the Japanese word yōkai and is used as an umbrella term for any fairy-like being such as goblins, pixies and elves. The Spanish term originated as a contraction of the phrase dueño de casa or duen de casa, "possessor of a house," and was originally conceptualized as a mischievous spirit inhabiting a house.