Elver
/ˈɛl.vər/noun
A young eel, especially one migrating from the sea into freshwater.
Did you know?Elvers can travel astonishing distances upstream, and their life cycle remained scientifically mysterious for centuries because adult eels were rarely observed spawning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ēlaz
“Eel; the reconstructed Germanic ancestor of the word”
Old English
Old English
ǣl
“Eel, the long, snake-shaped fish”
Middle English
Middle English
elver(e)
“A young eel; a regional form built from eel terminology”
17th Century
English
elver
“A young eel, particularly one moving upstream”
Modern English
English
elver
“A juvenile eel, especially during its freshwater migration”