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
- elf, fairy; spirit, shade
Ancestry of “elf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | ielf | elf |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 4 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 5 | Latin | Albeus | — |