Elves and Elfs: Why F Becomes V
Elves is the plural of elf. A group of English words change f to v in the plural, and there is a historical reason for it.
Elves is the plural of *elf*, a supernatural being of Germanic folklore. The f-to-v change is a fossil of Old English pronunciation: between two vowels, f was voiced and sounded like v, so *wulfas* came out as wulvas. The spelling later followed the sound in a fixed set of words — leaf, knife, wife, half, loaf, thief — while newer or borrowed words like *roof*, *chief* and *belief* were never in the set. Tolkien reintroduced *elven* in place of the earlier *elfin*.
- Plural of elf. *A band of elves.*
- Elf — the singular. *A woodland elf.*
- Elvish or elven — of elves. *Elven craft.*
- Elfin — small and delicate. *Elfin features.*
- Old English — *ælf*, a supernatural being. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | elf | One elf. |
| Plural | elves | Many elves. |
| Adjective | elvish | Elvish script. |
| Adjective | elfin | Elfin looks. |
| Old English | ælf | An elf. |
- The elves worked through the night.Plural.
- She has elfin features.Delicate.
- Roof keeps its f: roofs, not rooves.The contrast.
Which words change f to v
- They change: leaf, knife, wife, life, half, loaf, thief, elf, shelf, wolf
- They do not: roof, chief, belief, cliff, proof, chef
- Either is allowed: hoof, dwarf, scarf, wharf
- Tolkien preferred dwarves, though dwarfs is the older plural
- The rule is historical, not predictable from the word itself
Old English *ælf*, from a Germanic root. The plural reflects an Old English sound change that voiced f between vowels.
Is dwarves or dwarfs correct?
Both. Dwarfs is the older form; Tolkien popularised dwarves and it is now widely accepted.
Why is it roofs and not rooves?
Roof was never in the group of words that voiced f between vowels, so it takes a regular plural.