elver
English
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elver
- /ˈɛlvə(ɹ)/
Where it comes from
Variant of eelfare, originally "brood of young eels", from Middle English *elfare, *elvare, from el (“eel”) + fare (“group of journeyers”). Equivalent to eel + fare.
Liberman instead connects the second element of this word to a putative Old English suffix *-for(e), but there is no need to posit such a suffix when the traditional etymology suffices. Furthermore, such a suffix is not securely attested, and the spelling of the word's earliest attestation (as yele fare, ell vare) implies Middle English /aː/.
noun elvers
- A young eel. When these glass eels enter freshwater they transform again into elvers – miniature versions of the adult eels.
Translations
Talk about this word "elver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/elver. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. elver. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/elver "elver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/elver.Cite this
@misc{elver_2026,
title = {elver},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/elver},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
