elf

CEFRB2

/ɛlf/

noun

Türkçe translations

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In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small magical creature in traditional stories.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A member of a race of tall, slender, graceful beings with pointed ears, typically immortal or very long-lived and possessing wisdom and magical abilities.

Examples

  • Never deal with a dragon and never trust an elf!

  • This elf is so cute.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A small, magical creature similar to a fairy, often mischievous, playful, or occasionally helpful.

  2. A supernatural being or spirit associated with illness, mischief, and harmful or dangerous magical influence; in later Norse sources, sometimes divided into benevolent light elves (inhabiting Álfheimr) and malevolent dark elves.

  3. A very diminutive person; a dwarf.

More examples

In context

  • Fantasy elves have human shapes. They're thin. They're tall. They're beautiful. They're blond. They have pointy ears.

  • Every elf, and fairy sprite, / Hop as light as bird from brier.

  • This Juno heard; And ſhall ſuch Elfs, ſhe cry’d, / Diſpute my Juſtice, or my Pow’r deride?

Synonyms

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Origin

noun

From Middle English elf, from Old English ielf, ælf, from Proto-West Germanic *albi, from Proto-Germanic *albiz. Ultimately probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰós (“white”). Doublet of alf, awf, and oaf. The modern fantasy literature sense was popularised by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.