*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of elne

From Middle English elnen, from Old English elnian (“to emulate, endeavor to be equal, be zealous, strive with zeal after another, make strong, strengthen, comfort oneself, gain strength”), from Proto-West Germanic *allj

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To strengthen; hearten; comfort; encourage.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English elnen, from Old English elnian (“to emulate, endeavor to be equal, be zealous, strive with zeal after another, make strong, strengthen, comfort oneself, gain strength”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljanōn, from Proto-Germanic *aljanōną (“to strengthen, encourage”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“to grow, nourish”). Cognate with Old High German ellinōn (“to emulate, strive”), Icelandic elna (“to grow stronger”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌽 (aljanōn, “to emulate”). See ellen.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "elnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English elnen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "elnian",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to emulate, endeavor to be equal, be zealous, strive with zeal after another, make strong, strengthen, comfort oneself, gain strength"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English elnian (“to emulate, endeavor to be equal, be zealous, strive with zeal after another, make strong, strengthen, comfort oneself, gain strength”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*alljanōn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *alljanōn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*aljanōną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to strengthen, encourage"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *aljanōną (“to strengthen, encourage”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂el-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to grow, nourish"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“to grow, nourish”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "ellinōn",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to emulate, strive"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German ellinōn (“to emulate, strive”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "elna",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to grow stronger"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic elna (“to grow stronger”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌽",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to emulate"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌽 (aljanōn, “to emulate”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "elnen",
      "elnen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "elnian",
      "elnian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*alljanōn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/alljanōn"
    ],
    [
      "*aljanōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/aljanōną"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂el-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂el-"
    ],
    [
      "ellinōn",
      "ellinon#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "elna",
      "elna#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌽",
      "𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌽#Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "ellen",
      "ellen#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To strengthen; hearten; comfort; encourage."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "b46c0d0942cf6fc45547cf83848c0b52b0e33e288653c784cf2e98c4c4179e70",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3852193
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of ellen.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English elne, ellen, from Old English ellen (“zeal, strength, power, vigor, valor, courage, fortitude, strife, contention”). More at ellen.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionelneenm
  • Inherited-form mentionellenang
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "elne"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English elne"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ellen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "zeal, strength, power, vigor, valor, courage, fortitude, strife, contention"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ellen (“zeal, strength, power, vigor, valor, courage, fortitude, strife, contention”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "elne",
      "elne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ellen",
      "ellen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ellen",
      "ellen#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ellen",
      "ellen#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of ellen."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "3b739b1603417fc045ab07a17767d558e405526757ad3dd9485977c71133a0d8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8ab1616427d233a6045a848037483f7de7153cbebd1a7aa32500c8621365d76a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3852194
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for elne →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZWxuZQ