A noun for “foliage” derived from ✶gwa-lassa, effectively a combination of go- “together” and lass “leaf” (Let/282; PE17/84). Most notably, it is an element in the name Legolas (S. Laegolas).
Sindarin
golas
noun. foliage
golas
noun. foliage, collection of leaves
Cognates
- Q. olass(i)ë “foliage, collection of leaves” ✧ Let/282; PE17/084
Derivations
- ✶gwa-lassiē “foliage” ✧ Let/282; PE17/084
Element in
- S. Laegolas “Green-foliage” ✧ Let/282; PE17/084; PE17/159
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶gwa-lassa/gwa-lassiē > golas [gwolassa] > [gwolass] > [golass] > [golas] ✧ Let/282 ✶walass(s) > go-las [wolassa] > [gwolassa] > [gwolass] > [golass] > [golas] ✧ PE17/084 Variations
- go-lass ✧ Let/382
- go-las ✧ PE17/084
- golas(s) ✧ PE17/159
golass
noun. foliage, collection of leaves
golas(s)
noun. foliage
_ n. _foliage. >> legolas
las
leaf
pl1. lais** **_ n. _leaf. Only applied to certain kinds of leaves, esp. those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of hyacinth. It is thus possibly related to LAS 'listen', and S-LAS stem of Elvish words for 'ear'. Q. lasse, pl1. lassi.
las
noun. leaf
lass
noun. leaf
lass
leaf
lass
noun. leaf, leaf; [G.] petal
The basic Sindarin word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; PE22/166). It appeared as both lass and las, but I believe the latter is the suffixal form, the result of the Sindarin sound change whereby final ss shortened in polysyllables (LotR/1115). Its plural form was lais, which is of interest because normally consonant clusters prevent i-intrusion]]; compare nern and resg the plurals of narn and rasg. I am of the opinion that the ss was a particular “weak” cluster and allowed intrusion anyway; see the entry on Sindarin plural nouns for further discussion.
Conceptual Development: G. lass “a leaf” appeared all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but there Tolkien said it was sometimes used for “petal” = G. tethlas (GL/52). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. lhas “leaf” (PE13/148) and N. lhass “leaf” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶lassē under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). These 1920s-30s forms were due to the Noldorin sound change whereby initial l was unvoiced to lh. Tolkien abandoned this sound change in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so that lass “leaf” was restored.
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
- S. athelas “kingsfoil, a healing herb” ✧ PE17/049; PE22/166
- S. Eryn Lasgalen “Greenwood the Great, (lit.) Wood of Greenleaves”
- S. Finglas “Leaflock” ✧ RC/760
- S. Iorlas
- S. lais geledhion “leaves of trees” ✧ PE17/097
- S. Lasgalen “Green of Leaf”
- S. Mithrellas
- S. Nellas “?Three-leaf”
- ᴺS. parlas “parchment, document”
- ᴺS. suithlas “tea, *(lit.) drink of leaf”
- ᴺS. yllas “tea, *(lit.) drink of leaf”
- ᴺS. tuilas “petal, (lit.) bud-leaf”
Variations
- las(s) ✧ Let/282; RC/760
- las ✧ PE17/062; PE22/166
golas
foliage
golas (i **olas) (collection of leaves), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis**._.
golas
foliage
(i ’olas) (collection of leaves), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis.
golas
collection of leaves
(i ’olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis. ”
golas
collection of leaves
golas (i **olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis**.
golas
collection of leaves
golas (i **olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis**. ”
golas
collection of leaves
(i ’olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis.
lass
leaf
lass (pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).
lass
leaf
(pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).
lasbelin
leaf-withering
(no distinct pl. form).
_ n. _foliage. Q. walass(s), olassie. >> Legolas