plural form of elf

In the Highlands of Scotland, new-born children are watched till the christening is over, lest they should be stolen or changed by some of these phantastical existences.”. Arthurian. A question surrounding a hard-working plural. (incorrect spelling, use elvesinstead) Elvesis the correct spelling for the plural form of the noun elf. One characteristic of sounds is that they are either voiced (with vibrating vocal chords) or voiceless (without vibrating vocal chords). Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” describes the visitor as “a right jolly old elf.” In 1850, Louisa May Alcott completed a manuscript entitled Christmas Elves, but it was never published. Over the rolling plains of Edelwilde walk giants, dwarfs, elves, fairies and many other creatures unknown to the rest of the world. Learn a new word every day. elf (elf ), n., pl. We speak of the leaves on the trees, a den of thieves, two halves making a whole. The Plural of Shelf The plural of shelf is shelves. Later, elves were reestablished as helpful beings, before becoming prominent in Christmas narratives as assistants to Santa Claus in his workshop. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Arthur. House impeaches Trump again, insurrection 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? ... What is the correct plural of 'quantum'? ... What is the correct plural of 'elf'? One of the best ways to understand a word is to learn where it came from. noun, plural elves [elvz]. testyourknowledge.club. And of course, Santa Claus relies on a workforce of these tiny individuals to make the toys he delivers to children every December. In 21st-century edited writing, it appears many times more often than elfs. That might have been due partly to popular perception of elves as distinctly belonging to past times, leading to a scarcity of the word’s occurrence in then-contemporary prose. Since these creatures usually work as a team (a necessity, given how relatively tiny they are), it’s important to know how to render the plural for their species. Find more words! ), the plural of which was *elfenna, -elfen, from Proto-Germanic *albinjo-. ), 10 May 2019, Santa will fly in with two of his elfs, and Santa’s chair will be propped up so children can see Santa. Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times. ), Old English had parallel form *elfen (fem. (noun) His work on The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies, left in MS. and incomplete (the remainder is in the Laing MSS., Edinburgh University library), was published (a hundred copies) in 1815 by Sir Walter Scott, and in the Bibliotheque de Carabas (Lang) there is a French translation. In Germanic folklore, the term elf referred to any of a variety of creatures, usually of small stature, not necessarily out to cause harm but always mischievous. They are not used in the singular, or they have a different meaning in the singular. You must get at … The second edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1777–84) calls the word elf “obsolete” but reports that belief in such creatures “still subsists in many parts of our own country. 1. a small imaginary person with magic powers. Declension Elf What is the plural form of "Elf"? The plural form of elf is elves . January 14, 2014 at 12:14 am. You must get at least 29/33 to ace this test. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! The noun elf adheres to the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English (shown in the table below). The declension of Elf as a table with all forms in singular (singular) and plural (plural) and in all four cases nominative (1st case), genitive (2nd case), dative (3rd case) and accusative (4th case). The plural form is used to mark more than one specific thing. a diminutive person, especially a child. Elves is the plural form of the noun elf, which refers to a fantasy creature. Tolkien, The Hobbit, 1937, In a foreword to The Hobbit, Tolkien acknowledged that dwarfs was the “only correct plural” of dwarf, but that he had opted for dwarves “only when speaking of the ancient people to whom Thorin Oakenshield and his companions belonged.”, inaugurate, inauguration 1.1.1. The two elves approached the last goblin, still stuck to the ground, from both sides. Modern use of the word elf almost always shows up in the plural as elves, with the spelling elfs turning up on infrequent occasions: Size doesn’t matter much in the world of elves. What is the plural of elf? The plural form of "elf" is "elves". Serf, for example, gets pluralized with a standard –s: serfs. Find more answers. (Terry Brooks) In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the elves are almost as small as insects. 1) Elfs 2) Elves. /ɛlvz/. Looking for something else? Correct! The History and Origin of the Word. It’s personal growth that makes all the difference, according to the highly entertaining production of “Elf – The Musical” now running at the Lyric Music Theater in South Portland. A selection of words from the chillier parts of t... Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! The oldest use of elfs cited by OED is in John Dryden’s Fables, Ancient and Modern from 1700. humpadumpa says . Elfs . How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know these earlier meanings of words? You must get at least 29/33 to ace this test. The latter form, moreover, is mostly shunned by English reference books and doesn’t pass spell check, … ), the plural of which was *elfenna, -elfen, from Proto-Germanic *albinjo-. Correct! What does elves mean? We can work on verb tenses, describing, prepositions, answering questions, and even the plural form of “elf!” This is a regular memory matching game so students will easily know what to do. (in folklore) one of a class of preternatural beings, especially from mountainous regions, with magical powers, given to capricious and often mischievous interference in human affairs, and usually imagined to be a diminutive being in human form; sprite; fairy. The appearance of elves in Christmas narratives became prominent in the United States in the 19th century. from mountainous regions, with magical powers, given to capricious and often mischievous … Chief, despite ending in the same three letters as thief, gets pluralized as chiefs. Download Grammarly's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words. Are You Good at Plurals? The noun shelf adheres to the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English (shown in the table below). Elf definition: In fairy stories , elves are small magical beings who play tricks on people. What is the correct plural of 'cactus'? Armed rioters storm Capitol building. ": elves elfe (plural elfen or elfene) 1. — The M.V. Wrong!- What is the correct plural of 'goose'? Elves were a ripe subject for poets ranging from Chaucer to Shakespeare to Dryden, though no consensus could seem to be reached on how to render the plural. 1) Elfs 2) Elves. Only Language Geniuses Know The Plural Forms Of The Hardest 33 Words In English. Inflections of 'elf' (n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. Looking for something else? You must get at … Later, elves were reestablished as helpful beings, before becoming prominent in Christmas narratives as assistants to Santa Claus in his workshop. Nouns ending in -a, -o, -i, -u, -ië or a consonant forms a plural with the ending -r.For example, the word Elda has the plural form Eldar; the word Ainu has the plural form Ainur etc. Elf, plural Elves, in Germanic folklore, originally, a spirit of any kind, later specialized into a diminutive creature, usually in tiny human form.In the Prose, or Younger, Edda, elves were classified as light elves (who were fair) and dark elves (who were darker than pitch); these classifications are roughly equivalent to the Scottish seelie court and unseelie court. New questions in English. Same with briefs, beliefs, roofs, and reliefs, as well as just about all words ending in double-f: tariffs, bailiffs, sheriffs, cliffs, mastiffs, bluffs, cuffs, earmuffs. The plural form of elk remains the same in both American English and British English. Both words survived into Middle English and were active there, the former as elf (with the vowel of the plural), plural elves, the latter as elven, West Midlands dialect alven (plural elvene). Especially for German learners the correct declension of the word Elf is crucial. . In addition to elf / ælf (masc. Both words survived into Middle English and were active there, the former as elf (with the vowel of the plural), plural elves, the latter as elven, West Midlands dialect alven (plural elvene). Tolkien, “The Hobbit Play” will feature 44 M.V. Illustrations usually depict Santa’s elves as short and smiling creatures wearing green. casiupper casiupper Answer: Elves. You must get at least 29/33 to ace this test. (Terry Brooks). . — J.R.R. This involves opening and closing the glottis, which is in the larynx. A word’s etymology can reveal a lot about the changes a word has gone through to get to where it is today in modern English. At various times, elves were believed to cause illness in humans or cattle; to cause people to have bad dreams by sitting upon them while they slept; or to swoop in and steal young children, replacing them with changelings. Although elfs may occasionally be found in print the accepted modern plural form of elf is elves. Elves have been part of Germanic folklore since medieval times, where they were usually depicted as having a similar appearance to humans. Such creatures also turn up in advertising, where they are known for, among other things, making cookies inside a tree. Instead, ''elf'' is one of those less common nouns that you have... See full answer below. However, the details of these beliefs have varied … Word Forms +-singular: elf: plural: elves: DEFINITIONS 1. Vocational rather than academic, "Grammar for Grown-ups" is packed with real-life examples and keeps you engaged with a wealth of great quotations from Homer the Greek to Homer the Simpson. We Added New Words to the Dictionary for January 2021, Study Up With Our Official SCRABBLE Dictionary. Charter School students … there will be singing dwarves, dancing hobbits, and elves, along with other characters—Gollum, trolls, goblins, and even a dragon. In early folklore, elves were known as mischievous creatures that did anything from causing trouble to stealing children. Quanta . . To pluralize ''elf'' you can't just add an ''s'' like you do with many other nouns. The voiceless \f\ sound that ends these words became a voiced \v\ simply by habit of speech when the word in question was pluralized. Elves is the standard plural form for elf according to the OED and it cites examples going back to Shakespear’s The Tempest from 1623 and Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan from 1651. This game also comes with “bonus” game cards which you can include in the game or leave out depending on your preference. testyourknowledge.club. The story now best known as “The Elves and the Shoemaker,” in which the creatures work during the night to help an indigent merchant, was published in the German Grimm’s Fairy Tales as “Die Wichtelmänner”; Margaret Hunt chose “The Elves” as the title when the story was translated into English in 1884. — The Portland Press Herald, 9 Dec. 2019, Based on the classic by J.R.R. Nouns ending in -ë forms the plural form by having the plural suffix -i replace the final vowel. The plural of elf is elves . In addition to elf / ælf (masc. (She was so fair and happy and seemed elegant, an elfefrom anothe… An elf can refer to a mystical being with magical powers from folklore, modern fantasy, or Santa’s helpers. This is because the word is first pluralized to parents with the addition of the letter -s and then cannot have another -s added to show possession, thus an apostrophe is added in front of the whole. Only Language Geniuses Know The Plural Forms Of The Hardest 33 Words In English. Note: this also works for the plural forms of both self and elf – as in, “Apply your-elves (apply yourselves),” and “Pull your-elves together.” Self*→ Elf*: As in, “An elf ish (selfish) person,” and “ Elf less (selfless) bravery,” and “I won’t stand for such elf ishness (selfishness).” Elf. An elf (plural: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore.In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves seem generally to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them. As plurals of elf, both elfs and elves have long histories in English, and there is plenty of precedent for both, but elves has always been the more common form by far, and it remains so to this day. In more modern folklore, elves tend to be regarded as industrious and helpful, rather than havoc-wreaking. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the elves are almost as small as insects. The appearance of elves in Christmas narratives became prominent in the United States in the 19th century. Most People Don\\\’t Know The Plural Form of These Words. The preferred plural of elf is elves, following the grammar of shelf and shelves or wolf and wolves. In the epic poem Beowulf, which dates to around the 10th century, elves (rendered as ylfe) are among a “woeful breed” of creatures descended from the biblical son Cain. Spelling, in this case, is determined by phonetics. Then there are those nouns that end in –fe: wife and knife become wives and knives. You must get at least 29/33 to ace this test. While both dwarfs and dwarves have demonstrated historical use for the noun (which, like elf, derives from Old English), the preference for dwarfs was perhaps encouraged by the title of Disney’s 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Delivered to your inbox! 5 minutes ago In what ways might it … A noun comparable to elf that went its own route when it came to establishing a plural is dwarf. What is the plural form of "Elf"? Elf derives from Old English. Biden sworn in as 46th President, impeach The preferred plural of elf is elves, following the grammar of shelf and shelves or wolf and wolves. Nouns like this include: trousers, jeans, glasses, savings, thanks, steps, stairs, customs, congratulations, tropics, … 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? The mischievous creature known as the elf seems to turn up in all kinds of narrative universes—from the Brothers Grimm to Middle Earth to Harry Potter. . Elves . ): npl plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors. This rule doesn’t apply to all such nouns, however. They often had supernatural powers, and were sometimes considered potentially dangerous, but aloof. Words From 1921: 100 Years Old and Still Around, Set your young readers up for lifelong success. Some nouns have a fixed plural form and take a plural verb. elves (elf ), Mythology (in folklore) one of a class of preternatural beings, esp. By then, use of elves as the preferred plural for the creature was well established in English, following the example set by many other nouns that end in an –f that converts to a v when the noun in pluralized: shelf becomes shelves; scarf (usually) becomes scarves; wolf and calf becomes wolves and calves. ), Old English had parallel form *elfen (fem. (Rita Ora) Shelves are normally made of strong materials such as wood, bamboo, or steel. Check out words from the year you were born and more! Scho was so faire & so fresche, as faucon hire semed, An elfe out of an-othire erde, or ellis an Aungell.— The Wars of Alexander, 1450 1.1.1. Times (Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Synonyms and related words +-Characters in stories. A world in which elves exist and magic works offers greater opportunities to digress and explore. For example, the … Explanation: I did the test and got it right. Straight talking and methodical, "Smashing Grammar" (Our Grammar Book, 2019), some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change, A world in which elves exist and magic works offers greater opportunities to digress and explore. Prev Article Next Article . Do you disagree with something on this page. This follows the common method of pluralizing nouns in English … But the popular fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien preferred the plural form dwarves in his works, possibly as a deliberate echo of elves: As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. A poem called “The Wonders of Santa Claus,” published by Harper’s Weekly in 1857, describes the legend: “In his house upon the top of a hill, / And almost out of sight, / He keeps a great many elves at work, / All working with all their might.” An American women’s magazine called Godey’s Lady’s Book is credited with one of the earliest depictions of elves as toy workers assisting Santa, with workshop illustrations adorning the cover of its 1873 Christmas issue. (obsolete) A female elf, a fairy, nymph 1.1. The album is never finished until it's on the shelves! — The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma), 14 Dec. 2018. Plural Form. Quantums . Parents’ is used in the plural form for both parents, so there is an apostrophe after the letter -s, as in parents’ house. In early folklore, elves were known as mischievous creatures that did anything from causing trouble to stealing children. A workforce of these beliefs have varied … What is the plural form of `` elf '' is of! 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