Where does “elfwife” come from?
elfwife (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.
elfwife (English): A married female elf
Definitions
- A married female elf
Ancestry of “elfwife”, step by step
elfwife 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 wife
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wife | A married woman, especially in relation to her... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyf | Alternative form of wif |
| 3 | Old English | wīf | wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wīb | woman; wife |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wībą | woman; wife |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰwíh₂bʰ- | shame, pudenda |