(i ’wenig, no distinct pl. form except with article: in gwenig). Also used (in children’s play) as a name of the little finger. (VT47:6, 16-17)
Quenya
lapsë
babe
Sindarin
laes
noun. babe
gwenig
little baby
laes
babe
laes (no distinct pl. form);
laes
noun. babe
laes
babe
(no distinct pl. form);
Noldorin
lhaes
noun. babe
A noun appearing as N. lhaes “babe” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√LAP (Ety/KEM).
Neo-Sindarin: This word is sometimes adapted to Neo-Sindarin as ᴺS. laes, for example in HSD (HSD). This updated form is the usual revision of the voiceless initial lh of Noldorin to voiced l in Sindarin. However, this is not the only phonological difficulty in this word. For example, there is some evidence that in Sindarin, the vocalization of spirantalized p is to u rather than i, suggesting ᴺS. ✱laus. There is also evidence that voiceless stops didn’t vocalize before s in Sindarin, but rather became simple spirants, as in ach “neck” < aks, suggesting instead ✱laph. In this case, I think it is best to avoid all these complexities and just use the 1968 word S. gwinig for “baby”.
Cognates
Derivations
- ᴹ√LAP “*babe” ✧ Ety/LAP
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√LAP > lhaes [lapse] > [lapsa] > [laɸsa] > [laisa] > [lais] > [l̥ais] > [l̥aes] ✧ Ety/LAP
lhaes
noun. babe
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!
Qenya
lapse
noun. babe
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “babe” derived from the root ᴹ√LAP (Ety/LAP). The root was unglossed in The Etymologies, but in notes both before and after the 1930s this root had glosses like “enfold” and “fold”, so perhaps lapse meant something like “✱swaddled one”; hat-tip to Lokyt for this suggestion.
Cognates
- N. lhaes “babe” ✧ Ety/LAP
Derivations
- ᴹ√LAP “*babe” ✧ Ety/LAP
Element in
- ᴺQ. lapselunga “pregnant, (lit.) baby-heavy”
- ᴺQ. lapsarwa “pregnant, (lit.) baby-having”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√LAP > lapse [lapse] ✧ Ety/LAP
Doriathrin
laf
noun. babe
A rejected Doriathrin noun for “babe” developed from the root ᴹ√LAP (EtyAC/LAP). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. lapse suggests a primitive form of ✱✶lapsē, but elsewhere a [[ilk|medial [ps] became [ss]]] in Ilkorin, as with tuss < ᴹ✶tupsē.
Cognates
- N. lhaes “babe” ✧ Ety/LAP
Derivations
- ᴹ√LAP “*babe” ✧ Ety/LAP
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√LAP > laf [lapse] > [laf] ✧ Ety/LAP
lapsë noun "babe" (LAP)