ielfen

Old English

Etymology

Feminine of ielf, equivalent to ielf +‎ -en. Cognate with or a parallel formation to Middle High German elbinne.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈi͜yl.fen/, [ˈi͜yɫ.ven]

Noun

ielfen f

  1. female elf
    • manuscript early 9th century, Leiden, Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit Voccius Lat. 4o 106, f. 10r
      Nimphae . aelfinni eadem . & muse | Nymphae: "female elves"; also musae.
      Oreades duun . aelfinni . | Oreades: "female mountain-elf."
      Driades . uudu . aelfinne | Dryades: "female wood-elf."
      Amadriades ua&er . aelfinñ | Hamadryades: "female water-elf."
      Maides feld . aelfinne | Maiades: "female field-elf."
      Naides sáe . aelfinne | Naiades: "female sea-elf."
    • manuscript c. 930s, First Cleopatra Glossary
      Amadriades: feldælbinne ł elfenne; Maides: sæælfenne; Nymfæ: wæterælfenne; Naides: sæælfenne; Oreades: wuduælfenne
      Hamadryades: "female field-elves or [spelling variant]"; maides: "female sea elves"; nymphae: "female water-elves"; naiades: female sea-elves"; oreades: "female wood-elves."
    • manuscript earlier eleventh century, Antwerp-London Glossary, f. 21r
      Oriades . muntælfen . Driades . wuduelfen . Moides . feldelfen . Amadriades . wylde elfen . Naides . sæelfen . Castalidas . dunelfen
      Oreades: "female mountain-elves"; dryades: "female wood-elves"; maides: "female field-elves"; hamadryades: "female water-elves"; naiades: "female sea elves"; Castalidas: "female mountain-elves." (Note that in this manuscript, the Latin terms are plural, while the Old English glosses are either singular[1] or have been transferred to the weak declension.[2])

Usage notes
  • Ielfen is only attested in textually-related glosses to Isidore of Seville's Etymologiae, I 8.11.97, where it answers Latin nympha. This does not imply ielfen meant "nymph," exactly, only that Old English had no precise word for nymphs, and the glossators thought female elves would make a useful approximation.
  • This tradition of glossing nympha with ielfen appears to have originated in the seventh or eighth century, though the surviving manuscripts are later.

Declension
Declension of ielfen (strong ō-stem)
Case Singular Plural
nominative ielfen ielfenna, ielfenne
accusative ielfenne ielfenna, ielfenne
genitive ielfenne ielfenna
dative ielfenne ielfennum

Derived terms

Descendants
  • Middle English: elve, elven

References
  1. Dictionary of Old English (Toronto: DOE project, 1986-), s.v. ælfen.
  2. Alaric Hall, 'Glosses, Gaps and Gender: The Rise of Female Elves in Anglo-Saxon Culture', in Change in Meaning and the Meaning of Change: Studies in Semantics and Grammar from Old to Present-Day English, ed. by Matti Rissanen, Marianna Hintikka, Leena Kahlas-Tarkka and Rod McConchie, Mémoires de la Société Néophilologique de Helsinki, 72 (Helsinki: Société Néophilologique, 2007), pp. 139-70 (pp. 158-60).
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