Etymology

Quotations

• 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.