Where does “elf-folk” come from?

elf-folk (English) comes from English folk, from German volk, from Middle High German volc, from Old High German folc, from Proto-West Germanic folk, from Proto-Germanic fulką, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

elf-folk (English): All elves, considered as a people

Definitions

  1. All elves, considered as a people

Ancestry of “elf-folk”, step by step

elf-folk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English folk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfolkOf or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land,...
2Germanvolkpeople, nation, folk, tribe, race group united by culture, history, descent, and/or language
3Middle High Germanvolc
4Old High Germanfolcfolk; people collectively, nation; people, nation
5Proto-West Germanicfolkpeople, tribe
6Proto-Germanicfulkąpeople; tribe
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

via English elf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishelfA luminous spirit presiding over nature and...
2Middle Englishelfelf, fairy; spirit, shade
3Old Englishielfelf
4Proto-West Germanicalbielf, fairy
5Proto-Germanicalbīriver
6LatinAlbis
7LatinAlbeus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-Every word from Proto-Germanic fulkąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic folk