"elfin" meaning in English

See elfin in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈɛlfɪn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav [Southern-England] Forms: more elfin [comparative], most elfin [superlative]
Rhymes: -ɛlfɪn Etymology: Partly from attributive use of Etymology 1, but reanalysed by Spenser as if equivalent to elf + -in. Compare elven (adj), elvan. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|elf|in}} elf + -in, {{m|en|elven|pos=adj}} elven (adj), {{m|en|elvan}} elvan Head templates: {{en-adj}} elfin (comparative more elfin, superlative most elfin)
  1. Relating to or resembling an elf or elves, especially in its tiny size or features. Synonyms: list in elven Derived forms: elfin saddle, elfin safety, elfin wood, Williams elfin facies syndrome
    Sense id: en-elfin-en-adj-0Lx6ElqU
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Noun

IPA: /ˈɛlfɪn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav [Southern-England] Forms: elfins [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛlfɪn Etymology: From Middle English elven, from Old English elfen, ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”), feminine of elf, ælf (“elf”), equivalent to elf + -in. Cognate with Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|elven}} Middle English elven, {{inh|en|ang|elfen}} Old English elfen, {{m|ang|ælfen||nymph, spirit, fairy}} ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”), {{m|ang|elf}} elf, {{m|ang|ælf||elf}} ælf (“elf”), {{suffix|en|elf|in}} elf + -in, {{cog|gmh|elbinne||a fairy, nymph}} Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} elfin (plural elfins)
  1. An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.
    Sense id: en-elfin-en-noun-A~dXv5C-
  2. A little urchin or child.
    Sense id: en-elfin-en-noun-Z~HgUhWs
  3. Any of the butterflies in the subgenus Incisalia of the North American lycaenid genus Callophrys. Categories (lifeform): Gossamer-winged butterflies
    Sense id: en-elfin-en-noun-m9RfaWca Disambiguation of Gossamer-winged butterflies: 8 15 4 74 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms suffixed with -in Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 34 9 44 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 10 12 10 69 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -in: 20 11 11 58
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for elfin meaning in English (5.1kB)

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "elven"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English elven",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "elfen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English elfen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ælfen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "nymph, spirit, fairy"
      },
      "expansion": "ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "elf"
      },
      "expansion": "elf",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ælf",
        "3": "",
        "4": "elf"
      },
      "expansion": "ælf (“elf”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elf",
        "3": "in"
      },
      "expansion": "elf + -in",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "elbinne",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a fairy, nymph"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English elven, from Old English elfen, ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”), feminine of elf, ælf (“elf”), equivalent to elf + -in. Cognate with Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "elfins",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfin (plural elfins)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfin-en-noun-A~dXv5C-",
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A little urchin or child."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfin-en-noun-Z~HgUhWs",
      "links": [
        [
          "urchin",
          "urchin"
        ],
        [
          "child",
          "child"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 34 9 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 12 10 69",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 11 11 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -in",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 15 4 74",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Gossamer-winged butterflies",
          "orig": "en:Gossamer-winged butterflies",
          "parents": [
            "Butterflies",
            "Insects",
            "Arthropods",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of the butterflies in the subgenus Incisalia of the North American lycaenid genus Callophrys."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfin-en-noun-m9RfaWca",
      "links": [
        [
          "butterflies",
          "butterfly"
        ],
        [
          "subgenus",
          "subgenus"
        ],
        [
          "lycaenid",
          "lycaenid"
        ],
        [
          "genus",
          "genus"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪn/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlfɪn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfin"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elf",
        "3": "in"
      },
      "expansion": "elf + -in",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elven",
        "pos": "adj"
      },
      "expansion": "elven (adj)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elvan"
      },
      "expansion": "elvan",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Partly from attributive use of Etymology 1, but reanalysed by Spenser as if equivalent to elf + -in. Compare elven (adj), elvan.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more elfin",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most elfin",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfin (comparative more elfin, superlative most elfin)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "elfin saddle"
        },
        {
          "word": "elfin safety"
        },
        {
          "word": "elfin wood"
        },
        {
          "word": "Williams elfin facies syndrome"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club",
          "text": "He’s forced to travel back to 1969 to prevent an evil alien (a shockingly effective, nearly unrecognizable Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords, playing sort of a psychotic extraterrestrial-biker serial killer) from destroying the world by killing Brolin. Smith is aided in his quest by an elfin, time-jumping alien with psychic powers played by another Coen brothers veteran, A Serious Man star Michael Stuhlbarg.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Relating to or resembling an elf or elves, especially in its tiny size or features."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfin-en-adj-0Lx6ElqU",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "list in elven"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪn/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlfɪn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfin"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms suffixed with -in",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlfɪn",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlfɪn/2 syllables",
    "en:Gossamer-winged butterflies"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "elven"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English elven",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "elfen"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English elfen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ælfen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "nymph, spirit, fairy"
      },
      "expansion": "ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "elf"
      },
      "expansion": "elf",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ælf",
        "3": "",
        "4": "elf"
      },
      "expansion": "ælf (“elf”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elf",
        "3": "in"
      },
      "expansion": "elf + -in",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "elbinne",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a fairy, nymph"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English elven, from Old English elfen, ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”), feminine of elf, ælf (“elf”), equivalent to elf + -in. Cognate with Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "elfins",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfin (plural elfins)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A little urchin or child."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "urchin",
          "urchin"
        ],
        [
          "child",
          "child"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (genus)",
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (subgenus)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of the butterflies in the subgenus Incisalia of the North American lycaenid genus Callophrys."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "butterflies",
          "butterfly"
        ],
        [
          "subgenus",
          "subgenus"
        ],
        [
          "lycaenid",
          "lycaenid"
        ],
        [
          "genus",
          "genus"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪn/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlfɪn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfin"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms suffixed with -in",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlfɪn",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛlfɪn/2 syllables",
    "en:Gossamer-winged butterflies"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "elfin saddle"
    },
    {
      "word": "elfin safety"
    },
    {
      "word": "elfin wood"
    },
    {
      "word": "Williams elfin facies syndrome"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elf",
        "3": "in"
      },
      "expansion": "elf + -in",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elven",
        "pos": "adj"
      },
      "expansion": "elven (adj)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "elvan"
      },
      "expansion": "elvan",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Partly from attributive use of Etymology 1, but reanalysed by Spenser as if equivalent to elf + -in. Compare elven (adj), elvan.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more elfin",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most elfin",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfin (comparative more elfin, superlative most elfin)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club",
          "text": "He’s forced to travel back to 1969 to prevent an evil alien (a shockingly effective, nearly unrecognizable Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords, playing sort of a psychotic extraterrestrial-biker serial killer) from destroying the world by killing Brolin. Smith is aided in his quest by an elfin, time-jumping alien with psychic powers played by another Coen brothers veteran, A Serious Man star Michael Stuhlbarg.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Relating to or resembling an elf or elves, especially in its tiny size or features."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪn/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛlfɪn"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-elfin.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-elfin.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "list in elven"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfin"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (1d5a7d1 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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