Where does “elf” come from?
Elf comes from Old English ælf, from Proto-Indo-European albʰós, a word of unknown ultimate meaning that gave rise to supernatural beings in Germanic folklore.
elf (English): A luminous spirit presiding over nature and...
Definitions
- A luminous spirit presiding over nature and...
Ancestry of “elf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | elf | elf, fairy; spirit, shade |
| 2 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 5 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 6 | Latin | Albeus | — |