Where does “elfin” come from?
Elfin comes from Middle English elven, from Old English ælfen, from Old English ælf, from Proto-Germanic albiz, from Proto-Indo-European albʰós, meaning white or bright.
elfin (English): An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land; A little...
Definitions
- An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land; A little...
Ancestry of “elfin”, step by step
elfin traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch elf
| 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 | — |