lassë noun "leaf"; pl. lassi is attested (Nam, RGEO:66, Letters:283, LAS1, LT1:254, VT39:9, Narqelion); gen. lassëo "of a leaf", gen. pl. lassion "of leaves" (earlier lassio) (WJ:407). The word lassë was only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees (PE17:62), perhaps particularly _ear-shaped _leaves (cf. the entry _LAS1 _in the Etymologies, where Tolkien comments on the pointed or leaf-shaped Elvish ears and suggests an etymological connection between words for "ear" and "leaf"); see also linquë #3. Compound lasselanta "leaf-fall", used (as was quellë) for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter (Appendix D, Letters:428); hence Lasselanta alternative name of October (PM:135). Cf. also lassemista "leaf-grey, grey-leaved" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:224, PE17:62), lassewinta a variant of lasselanta (PM:376). Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves" (PE17:56). See also lillassëa, lantalasselingëa.
Quenya
laicalassë
adjective. green-leaf, green as leaves
Elements
Word Gloss laica “green” lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” Variations
- laicalasse ✧ PE17/056
laica
green
laica
adjective. green
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
- Q. laicalassë “green-leaf, green as leaves”
- ᴺQ. laicelumir “malachite (lit.) green-flowing-jewel”
- Q. Laicolassë “Green-foliage” ✧ PE17/056
- ᴺQ. laimaril “emerald”
- Q. Laiquendi “Green-elves”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶laikā > laica [laikā] > [laika] ✧ Let/282 √LAY > laika [laikā] > [laika] ✧ PE17/159 Variations
- laikā ✧ PE17/084
- laika ✧ PE17/159
lassë
leaf
lassë
noun. leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal
The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).
Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
- Q. ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen “ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen “ah! leaves fall golden in [by means of] the wind” ✧ RGEO/58
- Q. laicalassë “green-leaf, green as leaves”
- ᴺQ. lassëa “with leaves, leafy”
- Q. lasselanta “(late) autumn, (lit.) leaf-fall, (late) autumn, (lit.) leaf-fall; [ᴹQ.] October” ✧ LotR/1107
- Q. Lassemista “Leaf-Grey”
- Q. lassewinta “leaf fall, autumn, *(lit.) leaf blowing”
- Q. lillassëa “having many leaves”
- ᴺQ. lótelas “petal, (lit.) flower-leaf”
- ᴺQ. nornolassëa “having oak-leaves”
- Q. olass(i)ë “foliage, collection of leaves”
- ᴺQ. parmalas(së) “page, (lit.) leaf of book”
- Q. táli lantalasselingië “*with feet like the music of falling leaves” ✧ PE16/096; PE16/096
- Q. taniquelassë “*high-white-leaf”
- ᴺQ. tyávelassë “spice, (lit.) taste-leaf”
- ᴺQ. yullas “tea”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶lassē > lasse [lassē] > [lasse] ✧ Let/282 ✶lassḗi > lássei > lassī [lassei] > [lassī] > [lassi] ✧ PE19/106 ✶lasséinen > lassēnen > lassī́nen [lasseinen] > [lassīnen] ✧ PE19/106 ✶lassē > lasse [lassē] > [lasse] ✧ VT39/09 Variations
- lasse ✧ Let/282; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/062; Plotz/11; VT39/09
taniquelassë
leaf
taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"
laiqua
green
laiqua ("q")adj. "green" (LÁYAK, LT1:267, MC:214), "Qenya" pl. laiquali ("q")(MC:216). Occurs in the phrase laiqua'ondoisen ("q") "green-rocks-upon" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"), Laiqualassë ("q") masc. name "Legolas" (Greenleaf) (LT1:267). Used as noun in the phrase mi laiqua of somebody clad "in green" (PE17:71). In later material, the word for "green" appears as laica, and the cognate of Legolas is said to be Laicolassë, q.v. (PE17:56)
laiqua
adjective. green
Changes
laiqua→ laikā “green” ✧ PE17/084Cognates
Derivations
- ✶laikwā ✧ PE17/153
Element in
- ᴺQ. laiquaril “emerald”
- Q. sanomë tarnë Olórin, Aracorno, Eomer, Imrahil, mi mísë, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninquë, mi luinë, ta Gimli mi lossëa “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, and in blue, and also Gimli in white” ✧ PE17/071
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶laiquā > laiqua [laikwā] > [laikwa] ✧ PE17/153
ezel(la)
adjective. green
ezel
green
ezel, ezella adj. "green" (in Vanyarin Quenya only). Adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399)
wenya
green, yellow-green, fresh
wenya adj. "green, yellow-green, fresh" (GWEN), apparently "fair, beautiful" ("probably originally "fresh, fair, unblemished especially of beauty of youth") in a later deleted note (PE17:191).
laica (1) adj. "green" (in older sources laiqua) (Letters:282, PE17:159). Laicolassë (laica + #olassë) "green-foliage" (PE17:46), Quenya cognate of Sindarin Laegolas (dialectal form Legolas); compare olassië. Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves", literally "green-leaf" (PE17:56).