ilwë
sky, heavens
inquë
pronoun. thou-and-I (emphatic)
Derivations
- ✶nki “*thou-and-I” ✧ VT49/51
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶n-ke > inke > inque [iŋkwe] ✧ VT49/51 Variations
- ñe ✧ PE17/014
- inke ✧ PE17/075; VT49/48
- inque ✧ VT49/51
- ilwe ✧ VT49/51
hellë
sky
hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)
Menel
noun. sky, high heaven, firmament, the region of the stars
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
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
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
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
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
ilwi(n)
noun. sky, heavens
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)
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
luithon
noun. sky
A word for “sky” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an elaboration of G. lui “blueness” (GL/55).
telum
noun. sky, sky; [G.] roof
ilwe
noun. sky, heavens
A noun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s described as “sky, heavens, the blue air that is about the stars, the middle layers”, derived from the root ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars” (QL/42). Hence it was above the lower airs (where people breathed) and below the upper airs (outer space); this arrangement of lower, middle, upper airs is one that Tolkien eventually abandoned in his later writings.
Cognates
- G. ilwint “sky, heavens; (lit.) face of god” ✧ GL/50; LT1A/Ilwë
Derivations
- ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars” ✧ QL/042
Element in
- Eq. ilweran(ta) “bridge of heaven, rainbow” ✧ LT1A/Ilwë; QL/042
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√ILU > ilwe [iluē] > [ilue] > [ilwe] ✧ QL/042 Variations
- Ilwë ✧ LBI/Ilwë; LT1/085; LT1I/Ilwë; LT2I/Ilwë; SMI/Ilwë
- ilwë ✧ LT1/127; LT1A/Ilwë; LT1A/Vilna
ilu
noun. ether
Cognates
- G. Ilon “Ilúvatar, God” ✧ LT1A/Ilwë; LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon
Derivations
- ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars” ✧ QL/042
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√ILU > ILU [ilū] > [ilu] ✧ QL/042 Variations
- Ilu ✧ LT1A/Ilwë; LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon; PME/042
- ilwe ✧ PE15/68 (
ilwe)- ILU ✧ QL/042
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
tea
noun. sky
ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.