Elaine
See also: elaine
English
Etymology
From Old French Elaine, a variant of Elene, cognate to Helen, ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἑλένη (Helénē). A Celtic origin has also been suggested since the name appears in Arthurian legend.
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Elaine
- A female given name from Ancient Greek.
- 1859 Alfred Tennyson: Lancelot and Elaine:
- Elaine the fair, Elaine the lovable,
- Elaine, the lily maid of Astolat,
- High in her chamber up a tower to the east
- Guarded the sacred shield of Lancelot;
- 1988 Margaret Atwood: Cat's Eye: page 278:
- My own mother named me after her best friend, as women did in those days. Elaine, which I once found too plaintive. I wanted something more definite, a monosyllable: Dot or Pat, like a foot set down. Nothing you could make a mistake about; nothing watery. But my name has solidified around me, with time. I think of it as tough but pliable now, like a well-worn glove.
- 1859 Alfred Tennyson: Lancelot and Elaine:
Anagrams
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/eɪn
- English lemmas
- English proper nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English given names
- English female given names
- English female given names from Ancient Greek