Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Doriathrin

egla

noun. Star-folk, Elf

A Doriathrin word for “Elf” (Ety/ELED), also attested in its class plural form Eglath which was marked as both Doriathrin (Ety/ELED) and Ilkorin (Ety/GAT(H), LED). This word developed from the inverted primitive form ᴹ✶edel[a] of the root ᴹ√ELED (Ety/ELED). First the middle [e] was lost because of the Ilkorin syncope, after which the resulting [[ilk|[dl] became [gl]]].

This word was a frequent element in Ilkorin names. As noted by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/Eglador), ordinarily the [[ilk|primitive final [a] would be lost]] in Ilkorin. Perhaps it was preserved in Ilk. Egla by analogy with the various names where it appeared, or perhaps Egla was actually the genitival form (of unattested ✱Egol as Ilk. legol) with the suffix -a(n).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, G. Egla was the Gnomish word for “Elf”. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien first wrote Ilk. Eld for “Elf”, derived from the uninverted form of the root. This was rejected in favor of Ilk. Egla, perhaps an attempt to preserve the earlier Gnomish form.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Elda “Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶edel- “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED
    • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED

Element in

  • Ilk. Eglador “Land of the Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED; Ety/GAT(H)
  • Ilk. Eglamar “Elvenhome” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • Ilk. Eglor “Elf-river” ✧ Ety/ELED

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶edel- > Egla[edela] > [edla] > [egla]✧ Ety/ELED
Doriathrin [Ety/ELED; Ety/GAT(H); Ety/LED] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eld

noun. Star-folk, Elf

A rejected Doriathrin word for “Elf”, a derivation of the root ᴹ√ELED and a direct cognate of ᴹQ. Elda, also appearing in its plural form Eldin (Ety/ELED). It was replaced by Ilk. Egla derived from the inverted form of the root: ᴹ✶edel[a].

Changes

  • EldEgla “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Elda “Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÉLED > Eld[elda] > [eld]✧ Ety/ELED
Doriathrin [Ety/ELED] Group: Eldamo. Published by