Where does “elf” come from?
elf (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch elf, from German Elf, from English elf, from Middle English elf, from Old English ielf, from Proto-West Germanic albi, from Proto-Germanic albī, from Latin Albis.
elf (Afrikaans): eleven
Ancestry of “elf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | elf | eleven; The number eleven, or a representation... |
| 2 | German | Elf | eleven; football team, XI; elf |
| 3 | English | elf | A luminous spirit presiding over nature and... |
| 4 | Middle English | elf | elf, fairy; spirit, shade |
| 5 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 8 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 9 | Latin | Albeus | — |