heleg

noun. ice

This was the word for “ice” in Sindarin and its precursors. It appeared with the gloss “ice” in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/139). N. heleg “ice” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KHELEK of the same meaning (Ety/KHELEK). G. heleg “ice” also appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s along with a variant helc, both under primitive χele-k (GL/48). This is clearly related to the early root ᴱ√HELE as first suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Helkar; QL/39).

In CEA from 1969, Tolkien somewhat cryptically translated its plural form i·chelig as “ice-pinnacle”. Since “ice” is mass noun, it would not ordinarily have a plural form, so perhaps Tolkien meant that when used in the plural it referred to peak(s) of or covered by ice: “the ices”.

helluin

noun. pale, #blue ice

hel (from heleg “ice”) + luin (Dor. “pale”)

forochel

place name. *Northern Ice

Frozen region north of Eriador (LotR/1086), a combination of forod “north” and a derivation of the root √KHEL “ice” (PE17/116).

aeglos

noun. icicle (a pendent spear of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water)

heleg

ice

1. heleg (i cheleg, o cheleg), pl. helig (i chelig), 2) (a mass of ice) gochel (i **ochel), pl. gechil (i ngechil = i ñechil), coll. pl. gochellath**. Archaic pl. *göchil.

gochel

ice

(i ’ochel), pl. gechil (i ngechil = i ñechil), coll. pl. gochellath. Archaic pl. ✱göchil.

heleg

ice

(i cheleg, o cheleg), pl. helig (i chelig)

gochel

mass of ice

gochel (i **ochel), pl. gechil (i ngechil = i ñechil), coll. pl. gochellath**. Archaic pl. *göchil.

gochel

mass of ice

(i ’ochel), pl. gechil (i ngechil = i ñechil), coll. pl. gochellath. Archaic pl. ✱göchil.

helluin

Helluin

The second element in Helluin is said to be the Elvish luin ("blue"). It's possible that the first element refers to Elvish for "ice" (see: Helcar) in which case the name means "ice-blue".

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.

aeglos

noun. snowthorn, a plant like furze (gorse), but larger and with white flowers

gwinig

noun. "litte baby"

gwinig

noun. little finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

hell

9j¸$ noun. frost

helcë

ice

helcë ("k") noun "ice" (KHELEK, LT1:254)

helcaraxë

place name. Grinding Ice

The ice-filled strait between Araman and Middle-earth (S/80). Its name was translated in a speech by Angrod (S/129): “Wherefore should we that endured the Grinding Ice bear the name of kinslayers and traitors?” It is a compound of helca “icy, ice-cold” (SA/helca) and caraxë “jagged hedge of spikes” (Ety/KARAK).

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as ᴱQ. Helkarakse in the earliest Lost Tales, though at this early stage it was glossed “Icefang” (LT1/167), and Christopher Tolkien suggested its second element might be aksa “waterfall” (LT1A/Helkaraksë). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the translation of ᴹQ. Helkarakse was changed to “Grinding Ice” (SM/95, LR/125). The name also appeared in this form in The Etymologies (Ety/KARAK), where the derivation noted above is found. It was changed to Helcaraxë (Helkaraxë) in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s after Tolkien changed the orthographic representation of Quenya to be more like Latin (MR/194).

niquessë

noun. frost-patterns; snowflake, ice-flake; (lit.) chill feather

A noun literally meaning “chill feather”, but variously used for “frost-patterns” (WJ/417) or “snowflake, ice-flake” (PE17/168). It originated as a variant of niquis (niquiss-) where the second element was modified by association with quessë “feather”.

niquis

noun. snowflake, ice-flake; petal (loose) of a white flower; frost-patterns, snowflake, ice-flake; petal (loose) of a white flower; frost-patterns, [ᴱQ.] snow

A noun in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 glossed “frost-patterns” (WJ/417). It also appeared in some etymological notes from around 1959 with the stem forms niquiss- or niquits-, where it was derived from the root √NIK(W) (PE17/168). In those 1959 notes it was glossed “ice-flake or snowflake - also petal (loose) of a white flower”. In both documents, it had a variant form niquessë of similar meaning, where the second element was modified by association with quessë “feather”, thus literally “chill feather” (WJ/417; PE17/168).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. niqis (niqiss-) “snow” under the early root ᴱ√NIQI “white” (QL/66).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d mostly use niquis(s-) for “snowflake” or “ice-flake”, and metaphorically for the loose petal of a white flower. I’d use the variant niquessë for “frost pattern” and more loosely for “snowflake”. For “frost” itself I’d use nixë. This is mainly to help differentiate these otherwise very similar words.

nixë

noun. frost; ice-flake or snow-flake

A noun in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 glossed “frost” (WJ/417). It also appeared in some etymological notes from around 1959 as a variant of niquis “ice-flake or snowflake” under the root √NIK(W) (PE17/168).

Conceptual Development: The word for “frost” was ᴹQ. helor in the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s and ᴹQ. helle in The Etymologies of the mid-to-late 1930s, both based on the short root ᴹ√KHEL “freeze” (Ety/KHEL). In The Etymologies Tolkien deleted this short root and its derivatives, retaining only longer ᴹ√KHELEK, and in later writings Tolkien seems to have decided “frost” was based on √NIK(W) instead.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d limit nixë to “frost” and use niquis for “snowflake” to help differentiate the two words.

helca

icy, ice-cold

helca ("k")adj. "icy, ice-cold" (misprint "helk" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry KHELEK; both the Silmarillion Appendix and LT1:254 have helka, and VT45:21 finally confirmed that there is a final -a in Tolkien's Etymologies manuscript as well). In Helcar, the Inland Sea in the north-east of Middle-earth, and Helcaraxë, the Grinding Ice between Araman and Middle-earth_ (SA; spelt "Helkarakse" in the Etymologies, stem KARAK)_

helcelimbë

ice-drop

helcelimbë ("k") noun *"ice-drop"? (LIB1, cf. KHELEK)

helluin

proper name. ?Ice or Sky Blue

The name of the blue star Sirius (S/64, SI/Helluin). Its final element is almost certainly luinë “blue” (SA/luin), but the meaning of its initial element is unclear. It may be a derivation of the root √KHEL “ice”. Alternately, it might be related to ᴹQ. helle “sky” as suggested by Elaran in a private Discord chat on 2019-02-19.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, Sirius was named ᴱQ. Nierninwa Blue-bee” (QL/65), while in the earliest Lost Tales it was called ᴱQ. Nielluin “Bee of Azure” (LT1/182) or “Blue Bee” (LT1/200), a name that also appeared in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/65).

niquis

frost-patterns; ice-flake or snowflake also petal (loose) of a white flower

niquis noun "frost-patterns; ice-flake or snowflake also petal (loose) of a white flower" (stem niquits- or niquiss-), also niquessë by association with quessë "feather" (WJ:417, PE17:168). In early "Qenya", the gloss was simply "snow" (LT1:266).

helca

adjective. icy, ice-cold

helcehtyar

noun. narwhal, (lit.) ice-spearman

A neologism coined by Valerie posted on 2024-06-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of [ᴹQ.] helke “ice” and ehtyar “spearman”.

helquir

noun. ice cream

A neologism for “ice cream” attributed to Christopher Gilson and recorded on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord server (VLDS) on 2022-08-18 as a combination of [ᴹQ.] helcë “ice” with [ᴱQ.] quirmë “cream”.

helquirmië

noun. ice cream shop

A neologism for “ice cream shop” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-05-25 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), based on helquir(m-) “ice cream”.

nixë

frost

nixë noun "frost" (WJ:417); previously described as a synonym of niquis "ice-flake or snowflake", q.v. (PE17:168)

winicë

baby

winicë (also wincë), noun "baby", also used in children's play for "little finger" or "little toe" (VT48:6). Synonyms winë, winimo. In Exilic Quenya, this word would appear as *vinicë*, vincë; compare the related word winya > vinya "young, new". Since the diminutive ending -icë descends from -iki(VT48:16), winicë may have the stem-form winici**-.

hinyë

noun. baby

A word for a “baby” in rough notes on Elvish finger names (VT47/27), probably some kind of diminutive formation from √KHIN “child”. It had a variant hintil that is clearly specific to fingers only: = √KHIN + √TIL “✱baby finger, (lit.) child tip”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, it is probably better to use one of the baby words from the more finished versions of these notes, such as vinimo.

wine

noun. baby, child not yet fully grown

winë (stem *wini-, given the primitive form ¤wini) noun "baby, child not yet fully grown", "little-one", also used in children's play for "little finger" or "little toe" (VT46:10, 26, VT48:6, 16). Synonyms win(i)cë, winimo. In Exilic Quenya, this word would appear as *vinë; compare the related word winya > vinya "young, new".

winimo

baby

winimo noun "baby", "little-one", used in children's play for "little finger" or "little toe" (VT47:10, VT48:6, 16). Synonyms winë, win(i)cë. In Exilic Quenya, this word would appear as *vinimo; compare the related word winya > vinya "young, new".

heleg

noun. ice

heleg

noun. ice

helch

adjective. bitter cold, bitter cold, [G.] ice-cold, icy, cold

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.

khelek

root. ice

khel

root. ice, [ᴹ√] freeze

This root was the basis for “ice” words all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱ√HELE appeared with variant ᴱ√HḶKḶ as the basis for words like ᴱQ. helke “ice”, ᴱQ. helka “ice-cold”, ᴱQ. halkin “frozen”, and ᴱQ. hilk- “freeze” (QL/39). The root was given as {hele-k >>} χele-k in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon with derivatives like G. hel- “freeze”, G. heleg “ice” and G. helc “ice-cold, icy, cold” (GL/48). The Gnomish forms do not show the kinds of vowel-variations that would indicate the presence of ancient syllabic Ḷ, so perhaps Tolkien had abandoned ᴱ√HḶKḶ by that point.

The root reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√KHEL “freeze” and extended root ᴹ√KHELEK “ice”, with the reappearance of many derived forms as well such as ᴹQ. helke/N. heleg “ice” and ᴹQ. helka/N. helch “ice-cold” (Ety/KHEL). Tolkien’s continued use of words like Q. Helcaraxë “Grinding Ice” indicate the ongoing validity of the extended root √KHELEK (S/134), and the shorter root √KHEL “ice” appeared in later notes of the origin of S. Forochel (PE17/116).