alalmë

elm, elm-tree

alalmë (2) noun "elm, elm-tree" (ÁLAM, LÁLAM, LT1:249). Cf. alvë in a post-LotR source.

alalmino

elm

alalmino noun? "Elm"-something? (Narqelion)

albë

noun. elm

alvë

elm

alvë noun "elm" (PE17:146), also pronounced albë. In an earlier source, the word for "elm" is given as alalmë, lalmë.

alvë

noun. elm

A word appearing as alve or albe “elm” in notes from 1959, derived from the root √ALAB of similar meaning (PE17/146, 153).

Conceptual Development: This word was ᴱQ. alalme (alalmi-) “elm (tree)” in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29; PME/29). It was ᴱQ. alalme “elm” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/140), and ᴹQ. alalme or lalme “elm-tree” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the roots ᴹ√ALAM or ᴹ√LALAM (Ety/ÁLAM, LÁLAM). The change to alve/albe was fairly late, as noted above.

Cognates

• S. alaf “elm” ✧ PE17/153

Derivations

• √ALAB “elm” ✧ PE17/146; PE17/153

Element in

• Q. alalvëa “having many elms” ✧ PE17/146
• Q. Alalvinórë “Land of Many Elms” ✧ PE17/153

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ALAB > albe > alve	[galbe] > [ɣalbe] > [ɣalβe] > [alβe] > [alve]	✧ PE17/146
√ALAB > albe	[galbe] > [ɣalbe] > [ɣalβe] > [alβe] > [albe]	✧ PE17/153

Variations

• alve ✧ PE17/146
• albe ✧ PE17/153

lalorn

noun. elm-tree

alaf

noun. elm

_ n. Bot. _elm. Q. albe.

alaf

noun. elm

The Sindarin word for “elm” appearing in notes from 1959, derived from the root √ALAB of similar meaning (PE17/153).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien used similar “elm” words for much of his life. The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. lalm or larm “an elm, elm-wood” along with a more elaborate form G. {lalmin >>} lalmir “an elm tree” (GL/52). These were clearly cognates to ᴱQ. alalme “elm (tree)” under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had an unrelated form ᴱN. {aulin >>} ólin “elm” (PE13/151). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien reverted to N. lalf or N. lalven “elm-tree” under the root ᴹ√ÁLAM of the same meaning (Ety/ÁLAM). This root had a variant ᴹ√LÁLAM, under which Tolkien had N. lhalwen or lhalorn “elm-tree” (Ety/LÁLAM).

Neo-Sindarin: In theory the 1930s “elm” words might be used with some adaptations like ᴺS. lalorn for N. lhalorn, but I’d simply stick to the 1959 “elm” word alaf for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

Cognates

• Q. alvë “elm” ✧ PE17/153

Derivations

• √ALAB “elm” ✧ PE17/153

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ALAB > alaf	[alab] > [alav]	✧ PE17/153

galan

elm

pl1. gelain _ n. Bot. _elm. . This gloss was rejected.

lalwen

noun. elm-tree

galam

root. elm

Changes

• GALAM → ALAB “elm” ✧ PE17/153

Derivatives

• ✶galmā “flower”
  • Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153

Element in

• Q. Alalvinórë “Land of Many Elms” ✧ PE17/153 (alalmi-nóre)

alab

root. elm

A root for “elm” in etymological notes probably written around 1959-1960 (PE17/146, 153). It seems to be a replacement for the root ᴹ√(L)ALAM from The Etymologies of the 1930s. This earlier root was connected to √AL(A) “blessed”, and the later variant may have had the same relationship. Tolkien made a point that the later version of this root was not related to √GAL “grow” or the words for “tree” after rejecting alternate roots √GALAB (?“flower”) and √GALAM for “elm” (PE17/146). The derivation ✶galmā > Q. alma “flower” was allowed to stand, so perhaps √GALAM remained valid with the alternate sense “flower”.

Derivatives

• Q. alvë “elm” ✧ PE17/146; PE17/153
• S. alaf “elm” ✧ PE17/153

lhalorn

noun. elm-tree

lalf

noun. elm-tree

lalven

noun. elm-tree

lhalwen

noun. elm-tree