Where does “elbe” come from?
elbe (Middle High German) comes from Middle High German alp, from Old High German alp, from Proto-West Germanic albi, from Proto-Germanic albī, from Latin Albis, from Latin Albeus.
elbe (Middle High German): nominative plural of alp
Ancestry of “elbe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | alp | elf; friendly spirit, ghostly being, genius, or... |
| 2 | Old High German | alp | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | albi | elf, fairy |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | albī | river |
| 5 | Latin | Albis | — |
| 6 | Latin | Albeus | — |