Meanings
noundark elf (plural dark elves)
plural dark elves
- Norsehuman sciencesA member of the race of Dǫkkálfar or Dark Alfs, creatures who live underground.
Nidavellir, which is sometimes called Svartalfheim, where the dwarfs (who are also known as dark elves) live beneath the mountains and build their remarkable creations.
2017, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 20 - fantasyA member of a race of elves that is evil, has a dark (often greyish or bluish) skin and/or lives in dark places.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Old Norsedǫkkalfar
- Englishdark elf
Back-formation from dark elves, a calque of Old Norse dǫkkalfar.
More words from Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan elf fosc
- elf fosca Dǫkkálfar
Czech temný elf
- temný elfa member of a race of elves that is evil
French elfe noir
- elfe noira member of a race of elves that is evil
German Dunkelelb, Dunkelelb
- Dunkelelba Dǫkkálfar
- Dunkelelba member of a race of elves that is evil
Italian elfo oscuro
- elfo oscuroa member of a race of elves that is evil
Japanese ダークエルフ
- ダークエルフa member of a race of elves that is evil
Portuguese elfo escuro, elfo negro
- elfo escuroa member of a race of elves that is evil
- elfo negroa member of a race of elves that is evil
Spanish elfo oscuro
- elfo oscuroa member of a race of elves that is evil
Swedish mörkalv, svartalv
- mörkalva Dǫkkálfar
- svartalva Dǫkkálfar
- mörkalva member of a race of elves that is evil
- svartalva member of a race of elves that is evil
Cite this entry
APA
dark elf. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20elf
MLA
“dark elf.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20elf. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dark elf,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20elf.
Source: dark elf on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.