dunielf

Old English

Alternative forms

• dūnælf, dūnylf

Etymology

From dūn (“mountain”) +‎ ielf (“elf”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈduːnˌi͜ylf/, [ˈduːnˌi͜yɫf]

Noun

dūnielf f

1. 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

Declension

Strong ō-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	dūnielf	dūnielfa, dūnielfe
accusative	dūnielfe	dūnielfa, dūnielfe
genitive	dūnielfe	dūnielfa
dative	dūnielfe	dūnielfum

See also

• Old English: dūnielfen