hellë
sky
ilwë
sky, heavens
ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.
nixë
frost
nixë noun "frost" (WJ:417); previously described as a synonym of niquis "ice-flake or snowflake", q.v. (PE17:168)
Menel
noun. sky, high heaven, firmament, the region of the stars
hell
9j¸$ noun. frost
nich
noun. frost
A neologism for “frost”, cognate of Q. nixë of the same meaning (WJ/417), that assumes a phonetic development similar to that of S. ach vs. Q. akse (axë) “neck” (PE17/92); see the entry on how [[os|[p], [t], [k] spirantalized before [s]]] in (Old) Sindarin.
Cognates
- Q. nixë “frost; ice-flake or snow-flake”
Derivations
- √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white”
hell
noun. frost
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “frost” derived from the root ᴹ√KHEL “freeze”, but Tolkien deleted this short root and its derivatives, keeping only the longer form ᴹ√KHELEK (Ety/KHEL).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had a number of similar “frost” related words: G. heloth “frost”, G. hîl {“ice-cold, icy” >>} “frost” as well as G. helfileg “frost on panes, etc.” (GL/48-49), all based on the early root ᴱ√HELE “freeze”, the last with the added element G. fileg “fern”.
Neo-Sindarin: Tolkien probably deleted N. hell “frost” because he abandoned the short root ᴹ√KHEL, but short √KHEL did reappear in later writings (PE17/116), so it is tempting to restore hell “frost” as well. However, this conflicts with other attested words like N. hell “naked”, so I think it is better to use a neologism like ᴺS. nich for “frost”; see that entry for discussion.
Cognates
- ᴹQ.
helle“frost” ✧ Ety/KHELDerivations
- ᴹ√KHEL “freeze” ✧ Ety/KHEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√KHEL > hell [kʰelle] > [xelle] > [xell] > [hell] ✧ Ety/KHEL Variations
hell✧ Ety/KHEL (hell)
ell
noun. sky
An element meaning “sky” in several names from The Etymologies of the 1930s: N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” (Ety/SPAR) and N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” (Ety/THOR). It was derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” which had an Old Noldorin form: ON. elle (Ety/ƷEL). However, Tolkien said “In Noldorin and Telerin this is confused with EL star”, implying that the word was not used in modern language; an earlier but rejected version of this entry had archaic N. †ell, el “sky” (EtyAC/ƷEL).
Neo-Sindarin: Despite the above statements, ell is probably the best attested option for “sky” in Neo-Sindarin, and I would use it as such, since it is in fact distinct from S. êl “star”, a word that is itself archaic/poetic versus more common S. gil.
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources On. elle > ell > el [elle] > [ell] > [el] ✧ Ety/ƷEL Variations
- el ✧ Ety/SPAR (el); Ety/THOR (el); EtyAC/ƷEL (
el)
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!
helle
noun. sky
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky” derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL of the same meaning (Ety/ƷEL).
Cognates
Derivations
- ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Element in
- ᴹQ. helyanwe “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge, rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge, *sky-joining” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√ƷEL > helle [ɣelle] > [helle] ✧ Ety/ƷEL Variations
- helle ✧ Ety/ƷEL
helle
noun. frost
Cognates
- N.
hell“frost” ✧ Ety/KHELDerivations
- ᴹ√KHEL “freeze” ✧ Ety/KHEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√KHEL > helle [kʰelle] > [xelle] > [helle] ✧ Ety/KHEL Variations
helle✧ Ety/KHEL (helle)
helor
noun. frost
Derivations
- ᴹ√KHEL “freeze”
gell
noun. sky
A Doriathrin noun for “sky” derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL (Ety/ƷEL), probably from a primitive form ✱✶ʒellē [ɣellē] based on its cognates. It is a clear example of how [[ilk|initial [ɣ] became [g]]] in Ilkorin.
Cognates
- ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Derivations
- ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√ƷEL > gell [ɣellē] > [ɣelle] > [gelle] > [gell] ✧ Ety/ƷEL
elle
noun. sky
Cognates
- ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Derivations
- ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Derivatives
- N. ell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√ƷEL > elle [ɣelle] > [elle] ✧ Ety/ƷEL
el
noun. sky
Derivations
- ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Element in
- On. elyanme “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√ƷEL > el [ɣel] > [el] ✧ Ety/ƷEL
ʒel
root. sky
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. helle/N. ell “sky” and ᴹQ. helwa/N. elw “(pale) blue” (Ety/ƷEL). It was the basis for the initial elements of the names N. Elrond, N. Elwing and ᴹQ. Elwe, but elsewhere Tolkien connected these names to √EL “star”. It was also an element in the word N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge”, later given as S. ninniach. On the basis of these changes, I think it is likely Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√ƷEL, but some of its derived words are still popular in Neo-Eldarin.
Derivatives
- Ilk. gell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- Ilk. gelu “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- ᴹ✶
Helwe“Elwe” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- N. Elwe “Elwe” ✧ EtyAC/ƷEL
- ᴺQ. helin “pansy”
- ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- ᴹQ. helwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- ᴹT. Elu
- On. el “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- On. elle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- N. ell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- On. elwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
- N. elw “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Element in
heloth
noun. frost
hîl
noun. frost
Changes
hîl→ hîl “ice-cold, icy” ✧ GL/49Derivations
- ᴱ√HELE “*freeze” ✧ GL/48
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√χele-k > hîl [xēl] > [xīl] > [hīl] ✧ GL/48
ilon
noun. sky
A word for “sky” in an early name list from the 1910s and appearing in a couple early names: G. Thlim Quing Ilon “✱Folk of the Heavenly Arc” and G. Cris o Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” (PE13/101, 104), the latter revised to G. Cris Ilbranteloth (LT2/202). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, however, G. Ilon was the name of Ilúvatar (GL/50).
Derivations
- ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars”
Element in
- G. Cris a Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” ✧ LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon
- G. Ilon “Ilúvatar, God” ✧ LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon
- G. Thlim Quing Ilon “*Folk of the Heavenly Arc” ✧ PE13/104
Variations
- Ilon ✧ LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon; PE13/104; PE13/104; PE15/27 (
Ilon)
luithon
noun. sky
A word for “sky” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an elaboration of G. lui “blueness” (GL/55).
dai
noun. sky
Cognates
- Eq. taime “sky” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
Derivations
- ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
Element in
- G. daimoth “heaven” ✧ GL/29; LT1A/Telimektar
- G. Dor-na-Dhaideloth “[Land of] Heaven Roof” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
- G. Ladwen-na-Dhaideloth “Heath of the Sky-roof” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
- G. Daimord “Shepherd of the Sky” ✧ GL/29; LT1A/Telimektar; PE13/112
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√TAHA > dai [daxa] > [dax] > [dai] ✧ LT1A/Telimektar Variations
- dai ✧ LT1A/Telimektar; PE13/112
telum
noun. sky, sky; [G.] roof
tea
noun. sky
taime
noun. sky
A word for “the sky” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with variants Taime and Taimie from the early root ᴱ√TAHA [DAHA] (QL/87). ᴱQ. tea “sky” from Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s is probably related, as suggested by Patrick Wynne and Christopher Gilson (PE16/142).
Cognates
Derivations
- ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar; QL/087
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√TAHA > Taime [taximē] > [taxime] > [taɣime] > [taime] ✧ QL/087 Variations
- Taimë ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
- Taimië ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
- tea ✧ PE16/142
- Taime ✧ QL/088
- Taimie ✧ QL/088
taimie
noun. sky
hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)