Where does “elfism” come from?
elfism (English) comes 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.
elfism (English): The belief in elves as supernatural beings
Definitions
- The belief in elves as supernatural beings
Ancestry of “elfism”, step by step
elfism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English elf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | elf | A luminous spirit presiding over nature and... |
| 2 | Middle English | elf | elf, fairy; spirit, shade |
| 3 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 6 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 7 | Latin | Albeus | — |
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |