Where does “elf” come from?

elf (Middle English) comes from Old English ielf, from Proto-West Germanic albi, from Proto-Germanic albī, from Latin Albis, from Latin Albeus.

elf (Middle English): elf, fairy; spirit, shade

Definitions

  1. elf, fairy; spirit, shade

Ancestry of “elf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishielfelf
2Proto-West Germanicalbielf, fairy
3Proto-Germanicalbīriver
4LatinAlbis—
5LatinAlbeus—

Words derived from “elf”

Every word from Latin Albeus →Every word from Proto-Germanic albī →Every word from Latin Albis →