dunielf
Old English
Alternative forms
- dūnælf, dūnylf
Etymology
From dūn (“mountain”) + ielf (“elf”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈduːnˌi͜ylf/, [ˈduːnˌi͜yɫf]
Noun
dūnielf f
- nymph associated with the Castalian Spring at the foot of Mount Helicon, mountain elf
- manuscript c. 930s, Third Cleopatra Glossary, glossing Aldhelm's Carmen de Virginitate lines 23-25: Non rogo ruricolas versus et commata Musas / Nec peto Castalidas metrorum cantica nimphas / Quas dicunt Elicona iugum servare supernum ('I do not ask country-dwelling Muses for verses and parts of lines, / nor do I seek songs in metre from the Castalian nymphs / who, they say, guard Helicon's celestial brow')
- Castalidas nymphas: dunælfa; Elicona: swa hatte sio dun
- Castalidas nymphas: mountain-elves; Elicona: that is the name of the mountain
- c. 1000, Byrhtferth's Enchiridion
- ic hate gewitan fram me ... þa Castalidas nymphas (þæt synt dunylfa), þa þe wunedon on Elicona þære dune
- I command to depart from me ... those Castalidas nymphas (that is, mountain-elves), those who dwelled on the mountain Helicon
- manuscript c. 930s, Third Cleopatra Glossary, glossing Aldhelm's Carmen de Virginitate lines 23-25: Non rogo ruricolas versus et commata Musas / Nec peto Castalidas metrorum cantica nimphas / Quas dicunt Elicona iugum servare supernum ('I do not ask country-dwelling Muses for verses and parts of lines, / nor do I seek songs in metre from the Castalian nymphs / who, they say, guard Helicon's celestial brow')
Declension
Declension of dunielf (strong ō-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | dūnielf | dūnielfa/dūnielfe |
| accusative | dūnielfe | dūnielfa/dūnielfe |
| genitive | dūnielfe | dūnielfa |
| dative | dūnielfe | dūnielfum |
See also
- Old English: dūnielfen