"elfish" meaning in English

See elfish in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈɛlfɪʃ/ Forms: more elfish [comparative], most elfish [superlative], elvish [alternative]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *albʰósder. Proto-Germanic *albiz Proto-West Germanic *albi Old English ielf Middle English elf English elf Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English elfish From elf + -ish. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|elf|-ish|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *albʰósder. Proto-Germanic *albiz Proto-West Germanic *albi Old English ielf Middle English elf English elf Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Old English -isċ Middle English -ish English -ish English elfish [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "white", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*albʰós", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*albiz", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*albi", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "ielf", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "elf", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "elf", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjective", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ish", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjective", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "pertaining to", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "pertaining to", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-iskos", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-iskaz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-isk", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-isċ", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-ish", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ish", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "elfish", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="elfish"> From elf + -ish. Head templates: {{en-adj}} elfish (comparative more elfish, superlative most elfish)
  1. Characteristic of an elf; elfin, elven.
    Sense id: en-elfish-en-adj-R0UOTouv Categories (other): English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ish, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 100 0 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 100 0 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 76 24 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ish: 70 30 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 100 0 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 100 0 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 100 0 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 100 0
  2. Mischievous.
    Sense id: en-elfish-en-adj-xwrBg8G3
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: list in elven Derived forms: elfishly, elfishness
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "elfishly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "elfishness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "elf",
        "4": "-ish",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *albʰósder.\nProto-Germanic *albiz\nProto-West Germanic *albi\nOld English ielf\nMiddle English elf\nEnglish elf\nProto-Indo-European *-iskos\nProto-Germanic *-iskaz\nProto-West Germanic *-isk\nOld English -isċ\nMiddle English -ish\nEnglish -ish\nEnglish elfish\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"white\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*albʰós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*albiz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*albi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ielf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"elf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"elf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ish\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"pertaining to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"pertaining to\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-iskos\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-iskaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-isk\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-isċ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ish\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ish\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"elfish\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"elfish\">\nFrom elf + -ish.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *albʰósder.\nProto-Germanic *albiz\nProto-West Germanic *albi\nOld English ielf\nMiddle English elf\nEnglish elf\nProto-Indo-European *-iskos\nProto-Germanic *-iskaz\nProto-West Germanic *-isk\nOld English -isċ\nMiddle English -ish\nEnglish -ish\nEnglish elfish\nFrom elf + -ish.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more elfish",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most elfish",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "elvish",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfish (comparative more elfish, superlative most elfish)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ish",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              11
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1992 May 8, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 12:",
          "text": "GWM, elfish, thin fem wants bad white street boy, black-haired, thick together eye brows, long chin, long boned, wide/long nose, hight ^([sic]) skin.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characteristic of an elf; elfin, elven."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfish-en-adj-R0UOTouv",
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf"
        ],
        [
          "elfin",
          "elfin"
        ],
        [
          "elven",
          "elven"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Mischievous."
      ],
      "id": "en-elfish-en-adj-xwrBg8G3",
      "links": [
        [
          "Mischievous",
          "mischievous"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪʃ/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "list in elven"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfish"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *albʰós",
    "English terms suffixed with -ish",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "elfishly"
    },
    {
      "word": "elfishness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "elf",
        "4": "-ish",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *albʰósder.\nProto-Germanic *albiz\nProto-West Germanic *albi\nOld English ielf\nMiddle English elf\nEnglish elf\nProto-Indo-European *-iskos\nProto-Germanic *-iskaz\nProto-West Germanic *-isk\nOld English -isċ\nMiddle English -ish\nEnglish -ish\nEnglish elfish\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"white\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*albʰós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*albiz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*albi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ielf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"elf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"elf\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ish\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"pertaining to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"pertaining to\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-iskos\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-iskaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-isk\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-isċ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ish\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ish\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"elfish\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"elfish\">\nFrom elf + -ish.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *albʰósder.\nProto-Germanic *albiz\nProto-West Germanic *albi\nOld English ielf\nMiddle English elf\nEnglish elf\nProto-Indo-European *-iskos\nProto-Germanic *-iskaz\nProto-West Germanic *-isk\nOld English -isċ\nMiddle English -ish\nEnglish -ish\nEnglish elfish\nFrom elf + -ish.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more elfish",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most elfish",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "elvish",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "elfish (comparative more elfish, superlative most elfish)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              11
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1992 May 8, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 12:",
          "text": "GWM, elfish, thin fem wants bad white street boy, black-haired, thick together eye brows, long chin, long boned, wide/long nose, hight ^([sic]) skin.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characteristic of an elf; elfin, elven."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "elf",
          "elf"
        ],
        [
          "elfin",
          "elfin"
        ],
        [
          "elven",
          "elven"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Mischievous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Mischievous",
          "mischievous"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɛlfɪʃ/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "list in elven"
    }
  ],
  "word": "elfish"
}

Download raw JSONL data for elfish meaning in English (4.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (03da280 and 7f4db16). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.