Probably originated at the time of the Great Journey, some three ages before the first rising of the Moon and Sun

The Wood-elves originally settled around Amon Lanc in the south of the Forest, but at the end of the Third Age, the Woodland Realm occupied the far northeast of Mirkwood

Derived from the Nandor who abandoned the Great Journey and became the Silvan Elves

Silvan Elves ruled by Sindar

Elves of Mirkwood, Elves of Thranduil, Elves of the Wood, Folk of the Wood

While the term 'Wood-elves' might be taken as a synonym for 'Silvan Elves', and in fact has the same derivation, it seems in practice to be used by Tolkien almost exclusively of the Elves of Mirkwood; for this reason, this entry concentrates on that culture: for more details of the Silvan people in general, refer to the entry for Silvan Elves