elf German · revision 35966

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Monsee Fragments|origins=gem-pro *ainalif}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛlf/, [ʔɛlf]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''elf'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 19th century it was usually written ''eilf''.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|einlif]], later [[m|gmh|eilf]], [[inh|goh|einlif]], [[inh|gem-pro|*ainalif|t=eleven]], a compound of [[gem-pro|*ainaz|t=one]] and an element [[m|gem-pro|*-lif|t=left over]].^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌻𐌹𐍆|tr=ainlif]], [[non|ellifu]], [[ang|endleofan]], whence [[m|en|eleven]], [[osx|ellevan]] and [[nl|elf]].^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Kroonen 2013) The modern form with a simple vowel is of Central and Low German origin ([[gml|elf]]) and prevailed over the diphthong only in the second half of the 19th century.^(Wiktionary)^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+

+ Germanic forms only eleven and twelve ([[zwölf]]) in this way, which Kluge takes as a relic of a contrast between counting in tens and in twelves;^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Pfeifer 1993) Lithuanian forms all the numbers from 11 to 19 with -lika, as in [[lt|vienúolika|t=eleven]].^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Pfeifer 1993) The element means what is left over after counting to ten.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|231) It may belong with [[bleiben]] and [[ine-pro|*leyp-|t=to stick]], or, with the Lithuanian word, with [[ine-pro|*leykʷ-|t=to leave]] (see [[leihen]]); in the second case the labial of twelve would have spread to eleven.^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen points out that the two branches use different roots, so the formations arose separately, and suggests that this way of counting may come from a lost language of northern Europe.^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''einlif'' is first recorded in the Monsee Fragments at the end of the 8th century, then in Tatian and Otfrid.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|86) The Tatian (about 830) has ''einlif iungoron giengun in Galileam'', “the eleven disciples went into Galilee”, and Otfrid uses ''the einlifin'' for the eleven disciples.^(DWB2|7, 1229)^(AWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Forms with ⟨n⟩ are found until about the middle of the 16th century, and one-syllable forms from the first half of the 13th.^(DWB2|7, 1229) Goethe nearly always wrote ''eilf'', and the famous vintage of 1811 was called ''der Eilfer'';^(Paul 2002) Jacob Grimm described ''eilf'' as receding in 1859.^(Paul 2002) In sport the feminine noun ''Elf'' names a football or handball team of eleven players from 1903, and ''Elfmeter'' or ''Elfer'' a penalty kick from 1891.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''einlif'' appears in the Monsee Fragments.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 830 – The Old High German Tatian speaks of the eleven disciples.^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+ * First half of the 13th century – One-syllable forms such as ''eilf'' appear.^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+ * Mid-16th century – Forms with ⟨n⟩ go out of use.^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+ * 1811 – The vintage of that year is called ''der Eilfer''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Second half of the 19th century – ''elf'' prevails over ''eilf''.^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+ * 1891 – First record of ''Elfmeter''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1903 – ''Elf'' is used for a team of eleven players.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|eleven|alt=Eleven]], the cardinal number 11: ''Wir waren elf Leute am Tisch.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(elliptical)'' Eleven o'clock, or eleven years old: ''Der Zug kommt um elf.''^(Wiktionary DE)^(DWB2|7, 1229)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[elfte]]

+ * [[Elf]]

+ * [[Elfmeter]]

+ * [[Elfer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ein]]

+ * [[zwölf]]

+ * [[bleiben]]

+ * [[en|eleven]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Elf'' “elf, fairy” is a separate noun, borrowed from English in the 18th century.^(Kluge 2011|241)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}