Where does “búálfur” come from?

búálfur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic álfur, from Old Norse Álfr, from Proto-Germanic albiz, from Proto-Indo-European albʰós — white.

búálfur (Icelandic): a gnome-like being that lives in people's houses

Definitions

  1. a gnome-like being that lives in people's houses

Ancestry of “búálfur”, step by step

búálfur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic álfur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicálfurelf; fool
2Old NorseÁlfr—
3Proto-Germanicalbizelf, fairy
4Proto-Indo-Europeanalbʰóswhite

via Icelandic bú

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicbúhousekeeping; farm; estate
2Old Norsebúdwelling, household, farm, estate, housekeeping,...
3Proto-Germanicbūąbuilding, dwelling
Every word from Proto-Indo-European albʰós →Every word from Proto-Germanic albiz →Every word from Old Norse Álfr →