elf
English
/ɛlf/
noun
Definitions
- (Norse mythology) A luminous spirit presiding over nature and fertility and dwelling in the world of Álfheim (Elfland). Compare angel, nymph, fairy.
- Any from a race of mythical, supernatural beings resembling but seen as distinct from human beings. They are usually delicate-featured and skilled in magic or spellcrafting; sometimes depicted as clashing with dwarves, especially in modern fantasy literature.
- (fantasy) Any of the magical, typically forest-guarding races bearing some similarities to the Norse álfar (through Tolkien's Eldar).
- A very diminutive person; a dwarf.
- (South Africa) The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix).
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English elf inherited from Old English ælf (elf, incubus) inherited from Proto-Germanic *albiz (elf, fairy) inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰós (white, shining white, brilliant, mountain).
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*h₂elbʰós
Gloss
white, shining white, brilliant, mountain
Concept
Semantic Field
Food and drink
Ontological Category
Person/Thing
Kanji
山, 岳
Emoji
⚾️ ❄️ 🎪 🏔️ 🐻❄️ 🤍 🥋 🦓 🦳
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Albin English
- Alvin English
- Aubrey English
- Elfland English
- albification English
- albocracy English
- albolith English
- albous English
- dealbation English
- elfdom English
- elfen English
- elfette English
- elfhood English
- elfin English
- elfinwood English
- elfish English
- elfishly English
- elfishness English
- elfkin English
- elfkind English
- elflike English
- elflock English
- elflore English
- elfmaid English
- elven English
- elvish English
- elvishly English
- half-elf English
- half-elven English
- land English
- lock English
- lore English
- maid English
- were-elf English
- kalmankalpea Finnish
- kalpea Finnish
- kalpeaihoinen Finnish
- kalpeakasvoinen Finnish
- kalpeanaama Finnish
- kalpeasti Finnish
- kalpeus Finnish
- kalventaa Finnish
- kalveta Finnish
- kuolonkalpea Finnish
- *albaster, albastrum Latin
- *exalbicāre Latin
- Albina Latin
- Albius Latin
- Albruna Latin
- alba Latin
- albamentum Latin
- albatus Latin
- albedo Latin
- albeo Latin
- albiceps Latin
- albico Latin
- albicornis Latin
- albicostus Latin
- albimanus Latin
- albinus Latin
- albipennis Latin
- albipunctus Latin
- albitarsis Latin
- albitudo Latin
- albiventris Latin
- albo Latin
- albofasciatus Latin
- albogularis Latin
- albolabris Latin
- albolineatus Latin
- albomaculatus Latin
- albomarginatus Latin
- albopictus Latin
- alborem, albor Latin
- albugo Latin
- albulus Latin
- albumen Latin
- alburnus Latin
- albus Latin
- albōrem, albor Latin
- albūra Latin
- aurantialbus Latin
- subalbus Latin
- Alban German
- Albe German
- Albit German
- Bienenelfe German
- Elfe German
- Elfenbein German
- elfengleich German
- albino Italian
- -ane French
- albophobie French
- эльф Russian
- albino Spanish, Castilian
- albo Spanish, Castilian
- élfico Spanish, Castilian
- κάδος Ancient Greek
- ἄλβος Ancient Greek
- *albʰós Proto-Indo-European
- *h₂elbʰós Proto-Indo-European
- albino Norwegian Bokmål
- alba Portuguese
- alvo Portuguese
- *albiz Proto-Germanic
- albino Swedish
- エルフ Japanese
- albino Norwegian Nynorsk
- elf Old English
- ielf Old English
- Ælfhelm Old English
- ælf Old English
- ऋभु Sanskrit
- elf Middle English
- elfe Middle English
- elven Middle English
- elvyssh Middle English
- Ailbín Irish
- alfr Old Norse
- albino Danish
- *elbedь Proto-Slavic
- *olbǫdь Proto-Slavic
- albade Old French
- albino Serbo-Croatian
- alb Catalan, Valencian
- alb Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- albastru Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- albeață Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- เอลฟ์ Thai
- alba Old High German
- alp Old High German
- albacares Translingual
- albicollis Translingual
- albifrons Translingual
- эльф Kazakh
- *albi gmw-pro
- *alf Old Dutch
- *kalbas Proto-Finnic
- *albiyū Proto-Celtic
- *Hr̥bʰúš Proto-Indo-Iranian
- alf Old Saxon
- albastru Aromanian
- albu Aromanian
- algheatsã Aromanian
- alba Occitan
- *alβos Proto-Italic
- alb Romansh
- alv Romansh
- *Hr̥bʰúṣ Proto-Indo-Aryan
- jualb Dalmatian
- abiel ONF.
- åb Istro-Romanian