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Glite Dictionary
Elvish

Elvish

3 9.7
A language used by elves in fantasy stories, for example in Tolkien's books
  • noun
  • /ˈɛlvɪʃ/
  • Literature
: élfico
  • She's Elvish, like her husband.
  • speak Elvish

Examples

  • "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery," he declared.

    Blog text (2)

  • The scrolls all have writing printed on them in Bilbo's handwriting or Elvish.

    Blog text (10)

  • And that looks like some elvish writing right on it.

  • It's some form of Elvish.

    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

  • The blade is of Elvish make...

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

  • There is no such thing as conversational Elvish.

    Bandslam (2009)

  • I don't speak Elvish.

    Bright (2017)

  • In the story, the characters communicate in Elvish, showcasing the rich vocabulary of this fantasy language.

  • Many fans enjoy learning Elvish to fully appreciate Tolkien's Middle-earth novels.

  • The inscription was written in Elvish, featuring unique letters that represent the language of the Elves.

Surface Forms

Elvish singular
Elvishes plural

Morphology

Elvish = elf (transparent) = elf + ish

The meaning is directly and predictably formed from 'elf' + the productive suffix '-ish' meaning 'related to' (hence 'language/thing of elves').

Etymology

Elvish comes from elf 'a small magical being' plus the ending -ish 'of or like'. So Elvish means 'of or like elves' and is used for the made-up languages that elves speak in fantasy stories, especially those invented by J.R.R. Tolkien.