Where does “elfishness” come from?
elfishness (English) comes from English elfish, from English elf, from Middle English elf, from Old English ielf, from Proto-West Germanic albi, from Proto-Germanic albī, from Latin Albis, from Latin Albeus.
elfishness (English): The quality or state of being elfish
Definitions
- The quality or state of being elfish
Ancestry of “elfishness”, step by step
elfishness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English elfish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | elfish | Characteristic of an elf; elfin, elven;... |
| 2 | English | elf | A luminous spirit presiding over nature and... |
| 3 | Middle English | elf | elf, fairy; spirit, shade |
| 4 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 7 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 8 | Latin | Albeus | — |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |