Sindarin 

alph

noun. swan

Sindarin [Ety/348, S/427, LotR/E, VT/42:6-7, X/PH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

alph

noun. swan

n. Zoo. swan.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:100] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

alph

noun. swan

The Sindarin noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK), where first the [[at|ancient [kw] became [p]]] and then the [[os|[lp] became [lf] (spelled lph)]].

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, this word appeared as {alcwi >>} alfa (GL/18), which is perhaps the moment that Tolkien decided that labialized velars became labials in the Sindarin branch of Elvish (though in Gnomish this sound change applied only medially). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying this document, the word became alf (PE13/109), and Tolkien stuck with this form thereafter, though eventually revising the spelling to alph once he decide that final [f] was spelled ph. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. alf “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).

Cognates

  • Q. alqua “swan” ✧ NM/378; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07

Derivations

  • alkwā “swan” ✧ NM/378; VT42/07
    • ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100
  • ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ SA/alqua
  • T. alpa “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • alkwā “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100

Element in

  • ᴺS. alfeg “cygnet, young swan”
  • ᴺS. alfuil “large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan”
  • S. Alphros
  • S. Elphir
  • S. Nîn-in-Eilph “Swanfleet, Waterlands of the Swans” ✧ NM/378; VT42/07

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
alkwā > alpa > alf[alkwā] > [alpā] > [alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ NM/378
T. alpa > alph[alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ UT/265
T. alpa > eilph[alpi] > [alpʰi] > [alɸi] > [alfi] > [elfi] > [eilf]✧ UT/265
alkwa > alf[alkwa] > [alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ VT42/07

Variations

  • alf ✧ NM/378; VT42/07
Sindarin [LotR/1114; NM/378; PE17/100; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alfuil

noun. large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan

Elements

WordGloss
alph“swan”
uil“seaweed”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

alph

swan

alph (pl. eilph)

alph

swan

(pl. eilph)