Elven

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[OE. ælfen, lfen, repr. a WGer. type *alinnja fem., f. *ali-z ELF. Although the OE. word glosses plural ns. in the Latin, it is grammatically necessary to regard it as a fem. sing.]


1. Obs. Originally, a female elf, but in later use applied to both sexes.


a1100 Ags. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 189 Oreades, muntælfen. Dryades, wuduelfen. Moides, feldelfen. Hamadryades, wylde elfen. Naiades, sæelfen. Castalides, dunelfen. c1205 LAY 21998 Alfene [1275 aluene] hine dulfen. 1297 R. GLOUC. 130 er be in e eir an hey..wytes..at men clepu eluene. c1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 3862 A brond at was y-made in Eluene lond.


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2. Comb. (referring to a kind of imaginary being in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien). a. appositive, as elven-kin; b. attributive, as elven-king, -tongue; elven-wise adj.


1937 J. R. R. TOLKIEN Hobbit xvii. 285 But the Elvenking said: Long will I tarry. 1954 Fellowship of Ring I. iii. 88 It was singing in the fair Elven-tongue. Ibid. II. i. 248 Words unheard were spoken then of folk of Men and Elven-kin. 1955 Return of King 341 He was elven-wise.

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