*algiz

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁ólḱ-is ~ *h₁élḱ-is , an inherited i-stem animal name ultimately belonging to the Indo-European family of words for deer conventionally associated with *h₁el- (Kroonen 2013: s.v. *algi-; Mallory & Adams 1997: s.v. elk (American moose)). The Proto-Germanic form reflects PIE **ḱ > PGmc h, but North Germanic g beside West Germanic h points to secondary remodeling or dialectal variation in the Germanic paradigm; accordingly, PGmc *algiz and *elhaz can be regarded as related but separate Germanic formations. Compare Old Norse elgr beside Old English eolhand Old High German elaho. Latin alcēs is an early borrowing from Germanic, probably from a variant **alhi-; Ancient Greek ἄλκη (álkē) was probably subsequently borrowed from Latin (Rübekeil 2025: 63–66; Vijūnas 2005: 214–30).

The wider Indo-European comparison includes Lithuanian elnias, Russian оле́нь (olénʹ), Russian лось (losʹ), Old Armenian եղն (ełn), Vedic Sanskrit ऋश्य (ṛ́śya), and Ancient Greek ἔλαφος (élaphos), all from the PIE root *h₁el- (Kroonen 2013: s.v. *algi-; Mallory & Adams 1997: s.v. elk (American moose)).

The traditional name *algiz for the Elder Futhark rune ᛉ, representing /z/, is reconstructed rather than directly attested. It rests principally on comparison with the later Anglo-Saxon rune name eolh and the PGmc word for 'elk' (Page 1999: 71–72). Since initial z did not occur in Proto-Germanic, an ordinary acrophonic name beginning in the rune's phonemic value was impossible, which helps explain the uncertainty surrounding its original name.

Tacitus' Alcis, the name of two youthful brother-gods worshipped by the Nahanarvali, has likewise sometimes been connected with *algiz/*elhaz, yielding approximately ‘the Elks’; the identification is attractive but uncertain and competes with other interpretations (Ahlqvist 1972: 10–12). Tacitus himself gives no animal association, stating only that the gods were worshipped as brothers and young men. The mythological comparison supports identification of the Alcis with the Indo-European Divine Twins but does not establish the etymology of their name.