Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “elve” come from?

elve (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.

elve (English): an upper atmospheric optical phenomenon...

Definitions

  1. an upper atmospheric optical phenomenon...

Ancestry of “elve”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishelfA luminous spirit presiding over nature and...
2Middle Englishelfelf, fairy; spirit, shade
3Old Englishielfelf
4Proto-West Germanicalbielf, fairy
5Proto-Germanicalbīriver
6LatinAlbis—
7LatinAlbeus—

Words derived from “elve”

  • elves
Every word from Latin Albeus →