Elf
/ɛlf/noun
A supernatural being in Germanic folklore, often imagined as small, magical, or otherworldly.
Did you know?Old English and Old Norse sources show elves as powerful supernatural beings, and the word’s deep Germanic root is shared with the name of the river Elbe, originally linked to “white” or “bright” imagery.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*albʰós
“white, bright”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*albiz / *albaz
“elf, supernatural being”
Old English
OE
ælf
“elf, supernatural being”
Old Norse
ON
álfr
“elf, supernatural being”
Middle English
ME
elf
“elf, fairy-like being”
Modern English
English
elf
“a supernatural being in folklore”