Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “elven” come from?

elven (English) comes from Middle English elven, from Old English elfen, from Old English elf, from Proto-Germanic albiz, from Proto-Indo-European albʰós — white.

elven (English): A female elf, a fairy, nymph; any elf; Belonging...

Definitions

  1. A female elf, a fairy, nymph; any elf; Belonging...

Ancestry of “elven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishelvenA elf, a fairy, nymph
2Old EnglishelfenAlternative form of ielfen
3Old Englishelf—
4Proto-Germanicalbizelf, fairy
5Proto-Indo-Europeanalbʰóswhite
Every word from Proto-Indo-European albʰós →