Where does “elfinfolk” come from?
elfinfolk (English) comes from English elfin, 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.
Ancestry of “elfinfolk”, step by step
elfinfolk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English elfin
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | elfin | An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land; A little... |
| 2 | Dutch | elf | eleven; The number eleven, or a representation... |
| 3 | German | Elf | eleven; football team, XI; elf |
| 4 | English | elf | A luminous spirit presiding over nature and... |
| 5 | Middle English | elf | elf, fairy; spirit, shade |
| 6 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 9 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 10 | Latin | Albeus | — |
via English folk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | folk | Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land,... |
| 2 | German | volk | people, nation, folk, tribe, race group united by culture, history, descent, and/or language |
| 3 | Middle High German | volc | — |
| 4 | Old High German | folc | folk; people collectively, nation; people, nation |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | folk | people, tribe |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fulką | people; tribe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |