Well, these are three adjectives for "something from the elves". But I'm Spanish and in my language there's only one adjective for these (élfico), and I can't understand what the difference is.
Learn English – When to use “Elven”, “Elvish” and “Elfic”
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Best Answer
Okay, here goes: Etymonline's comments on elf reveal usage from the 1550s and stemming from the words elf, ælf, ylf. The plural mentioned there is "elves" which would match the traditional pluralization of
lf: shelves; wolves. Unfortunately, there is no word for wolven so that doesn't help us much.The same site does have an entries for elven:
And elfin:
And elfish:
Tolkien's usage of elven strongly implies that this is the appropriate term for his elves. The c.1200 usage of elfish seems appropriate for mythological or physical references to elves (his ears are elfish; their attitude is elfish).
(Edit per Martha's comment): That being said, Elvish is also the Tolkien proper term for their group of languages with the prime examples being Quenya and Sindarin.
As far as non-Tolkien usage, Wowpedia consistently uses elven in their article on Elves. Dungeons and Dragons appear to use elven for the language and adjective. Other fictional universes could easily vary. It would be best to check with their experts.
The summary: Elvish for physical attributes or mythological references; elven for Tolkien and most other fictional universes. Elfic is unused in English and not advisable.