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elfin

Pronunciation: /ˈɛlfɪn/

The English word “elfin” has 5 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.
  2. A little urchin or child.
  3. Any of the butterflies in the subgenus Incisalia of the North American lycaenid genus Callophrys.

adjective

  1. Of or relating to elves.
  2. Resembling an elf or elves, especially in tiny size or features.

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”).

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