alqua

noun. swan

The Quenya noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK).

Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. alqa dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√ḶKḶ (QL/30), though it had a variant form alqe in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/18). Other than this one exception, Tolkien stuck with alqua throughout his life. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. alqa “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).

alqua

swan

alqua noun "swan" _(ÁLAK [there spelt _alqa, as in LT1:249/LT2:335], SA:alqua, UT:265, VT42:7). The alternative form alquë ("q") mentioned in early material (LT1:249) may or may not be valid in LotR-style Quenya.

alqua

noun. swan

swan

alqualondë

place name. Haven of the Swans

The chief city of the Teleri in Valinor (S/61). It is a compound of alqua “swan” and londë “haven” (SA/alqua, londë).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this city was called ᴱQ. Kópas Alqalunte(n) “Haven of the Swanships” (LT/164), but this was changed to ᴹQ. Alqalonde in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/265), which remained the city’s name in all later versions of the tales.

Alqualondë

swan-road, swan-haven

Alqualondë place-name "Swan-road, Swan-haven", capital of the Teleri _(ÁLAK, LOD, KHOP[there spelt Alqalonde], Silm)._

Alquarámë

swan-wing

Alquarámë ("q")noun "Swan-wing" (LT2:335)

Alqualondë

Alqualondë

Alqualondë means "Swanhaven" in Quenya (from alqua = "swan", londë = "harbor, haven").

londë

land-locked haven

londë noun "land-locked haven" (cf. #lóndië "harbourage"), "gulf" (TI:423). In Alqualondë "Swan-haven" (SA), "Haven of Swan" (VT45:28), Hirilondë ship-name "Haven-finder" (UT:192). In the Etymologies, londë is glossed "road (in sea), entrance to harbour" (LOD) and also "fairway" (VT45:28), i.e. a navigable channel for ships. In VT42:10, where the stem is given as LON rather than LOD, the gloss is simply "haven".

ráma

wing

ráma noun "wing", pl. rámar (RAM, Nam, RGEO:66, LT2:335); Markirya has both nominative pl. rámar "wings" and instrumental pl. rámainen *"with wings" (translated "on wings" by Tolkien); rámali "wings" in MC:213 would be a partitive pl. in LotR-style Quenya. Variant rámë in the names Eärrámë, Alquarámë, q.v.

ráma

noun. wing, wing; [ᴱQ.] arm

The Quenya word for “wing”, derived from the root ᴹ√RAM (PE17/63; Ety/RAM).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. ráma “wing” was derived from the early root ᴱ√RAHA “stretch forward” (QL/78). The word appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writings with the gloss “wing”, though at one point in the 1920s it was glossed both “arm, wing” (PE16/137), and in the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s it was given as the Qenya word meaning “arm”, but this was revised to ᴱQ. ranko (PE15/79). The use of ráma for “arm” was a brief and rejected idea, and in The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ráma “wing” was transferred to a new root ᴹ√RAM, while ᴹQ. ranko “arm” remained under ᴹ√RAK “stretch out” (Ety/RAK, RAM).

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).

alph

noun. swan

alph

noun. swan

n. Zoo. swan.

rafn

noun. wing (horn), extended point at side, etc.

raw

wing

n. wing. Q. ráma, pl1. rámar. >> Landroval, rov-, roval

raw

noun. wing

The Sindarin word for “wing” (PE17/63) based on the root ᴹ√RAM (Ety/RAM). Its Quenya cognate ráma indicates its ancient vowel ā was long, and this long ā became au (aw) in Sindarin. Meanwhile, the ancient m became v, which then vanished after the diphthong aw: ✱rāmā > raum(a) > rau(v) > raw.

Conceptual Development: The word G. ram “wing, pinion” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s was similarly derived (GL/64), but in Gnomish m did not become v.

rov-

wing

pref. wing. >> Landroval, raw, roval

roval

wing

n. wing. >> Landroval, raw, rov-

alph

swan

alph (pl. eilph)

alph

swan

(pl. eilph)

rafn

wing

(horn, extended point at the side), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

roval

wing

1) roval (pinion, great wing [of eagle]), pl. rovail (idh rovail). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” rhoval_ _pl. rhovel. 2) rafn (horn, extended point at the side), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

roval

wing

(pinion, great wing [of eagle]), pl. rovail (idh rovail). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *rhoval* pl. *rhovel*.

alkwā

noun. swan

alpa

noun. swan

alf

noun. swan

alf

noun. swan

rhafn

noun. wing (horn), extended point at side, etc.

ealc

noun. swan

Primitive form given as alk-wâ, derived from a stem ÁLAK "rushing" (LR:348); alk-wâ would seem to be an adjectival formation (ending -wâ), so the primitive word probably had the same meaning as the stem: "rushing", later used as a noun "rushing (one)" and applied to an animal. According to Tolkien's later conception, kw should probably have come out as p rather than c in Nandorin; see cwenda.

Primitive a becoming ea is a strange shift with no direct parallels even where it might have been expected, but compare eo from i in meord (and from e in beorn), as well as ie from a in sciella. Perhaps we are to understand that the liquids l, r trigger such changes in a preceeding vowel, but then we might expect for instance *ealm instead of alm as the word for "elm-tree".