Quenya 

lassë

leaf

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.

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

  • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE17/062
  • Nan. las “leaf” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

  • lassē “leaf” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
    • LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
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
Quenya [Let/282; Let/382; LotR/0377; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/076; PE19/106; Plotz/11; Plotz/12; Plotz/13; Plotz/14; Plotz/15; Plotz/16; Plotz/17; Plotz/18; Plotz/19; Plotz/20; RGEO/58; VT39/09; WJ/407] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taniquelassë

leaf

taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"

lassëa

adjective. with leaves, leafy

Elements

WordGloss
lassë“leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal”

Sindarin 

lass

noun. leaf

Sindarin [Ety/367, Letters/282, TC/169, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lass

leaf

_n. _leaf. >> athelas, las

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:49] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lass

noun. leaf, leaf; [G.] petal

The basic Sindarin word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; PE22/166). It appeared as both lass and las, but I believe the latter is the suffixal form, the result of the Sindarin sound change whereby final ss shortened in polysyllables (LotR/1115). Its plural form was lais, which is of interest because normally consonant clusters prevent i-intrusion]]; compare nern and resg the plurals of narn and rasg. I am of the opinion that the ss was a particular “weak” cluster and allowed intrusion anyway; see the entry on Sindarin plural nouns for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: G. lass “a leaf” appeared all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but there Tolkien said it was sometimes used for “petal” = G. tethlas (GL/52). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. lhas “leaf” (PE13/148) and N. lhass “leaf” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶lassē under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). These 1920s-30s forms were due to the Noldorin sound change whereby initial l was unvoiced to lh. Tolkien abandoned this sound change in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so that lass “leaf” was restored.

Cognates

  • Nan. las “leaf”
  • Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE17/062

Derivations

  • lassē “leaf”
    • LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Element in

Variations

  • las(s) ✧ Let/282; RC/760
  • las ✧ PE17/062; PE22/166
Sindarin [Let/282; PE17/049; PE17/062; PE17/097; PE22/166; RC/760] Group: Eldamo. Published by

las

leaf

pl1. lais** **_ n. _leaf. Only applied to certain kinds of leaves, esp. those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of hyacinth. It is thus possibly related to LAS 'listen', and S-LAS stem of Elvish words for 'ear'. Q. lasse, pl1. lassi.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:62:77] < SLAS ear. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

las

noun. leaf

lass

leaf

lass (pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).

lass

leaf

(pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).

lasbelin

leaf-withering

(no distinct pl. form).

golas

collection of leaves

(i ’olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis. ”

Nandorin 

las

noun. leaf

Cognates

  • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”
  • Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

  • LAS “leaf”

Element in

  • Nan. Legolas “Greenleaf” ✧ Let/382

Variations

  • -las ✧ Let/382

Primitive elvish

lassē

noun. leaf

Derivations

  • LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Derivatives

  • Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
  • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”

Element in

Primitive elvish [Let/282; PE17/153; PE18/089; PE19/106; PE21/82; VT39/09] Group: Eldamo. Published by

las

root. leaf

This root was connected to leaves throughout Tolkien’s life. It did not appear directly in the Qenya or Gnomish lexicons of the 1910s, but ✱ᴱ√LASA “leaf” is implied by ᴱQ. lasse and G. lass “leaf” (QL/51; GL/52). ᴹ√LAS appeared directly in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives ᴹQ. lasse and N. lhass (Ety/LAS¹), and the root √LAS “leaf” was also mentioned in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/77; VT39/9).

Derivatives

  • Nan. las “leaf”
  • lassē “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09
    • Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
    • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”

Element in

  • Nan. Legolas “Greenleaf” ✧ PE17/153

Variations

  • las ✧ PE17/077; VT39/09
  • LAS ✧ PE17/153
Primitive elvish [PE17/077; PE17/153; VT39/09] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

lhass

noun. leaf

Noldorin [Ety/367, Letters/282, TC/169, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhass

noun. leaf

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶lassē “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹
    • ᴹ√LAS “*leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶lassē > lhass[lassē] > [lasse] > [lass] > [l̥ass]✧ Ety/LAS¹
Noldorin [Ety/LAS¹; PM/135] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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 

lasse

noun. leaf

Cognates

  • N. lhass “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶lassē “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹; PE21/09
    • ᴹ√LAS “*leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶lassē > lasse[lassē] > [lasse]✧ Ety/LAS¹
ᴹ✶lassē-ō > lasso[lassēo] > [lasso]✧ PE21/09
Qenya [Ety/LAS¹; PE21/06; PE21/07; PE21/09; PE21/47; PE21/48; PE21/53; PE21/54; PE22/011; VT28/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

lassē

noun. leaf

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LAS “*leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹; PE21/09
  • N. lhass “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Element in

Variations

  • lassē ✧ Ety/LAS¹
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/LAS¹; PE21/09] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

lhas

noun. leaf

Early Noldorin [PE13/148] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

lassea

adjective. with leaves, leafy

A word in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “with leaves, leafy”, an adjective form of ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” (QL/51).

Neo-Quenya: Since both lassë “leaf” and the adjective suffix -ëa survived in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain ᴺQ. lassëa “with leaves, leafy” for purposes of Neo-Quenya. It also appeared in Q. lillassëa “having mean leaves” from the 1960s (MC/223).

Element in

Early Quenya [QL/051; QL/067] Group: Eldamo. Published by