Primitive elvish
lay
root. *be alive, flourish, [ᴱ√] be alive, flourish
Derivatives
- ✶laikā “green” ✧ Let/282
- ✶lairē “*summer” ✧ PE18/097
- Q. lairë “summer”
- Q. laica “green” ✧ PE17/159
- Q. laima “plant” ✧ PE17/159
- Q. lairë “summer” ✧ Let/282; PE17/159
- Q. laita- “to praise, bless”
- S. glae “grass”
- ᴺS. laeda- “to refresh, revive”
- S. laeg “fresh and green, viridis, green (of leaves/herbiage), green, viridis, green (of leaves/herbiage), fresh” ✧ PE17/159
- S. laer “summer”
- S. laew “fresh” ✧ PE17/159
Element in
- ᴺQ. lailinquë “beryllium, (lit.) fresh-liquid light”
- Q. laiquë “herb” ✧ PE17/159
- ᴺQ. laivelyávë “(water)melon”
- S. Laewen
Variations
- LAY- ✧ PE17/145
This root was primarily used as the basis for Elvish words for summer and, via its extended root √LAYAK, freshness and greenness. Its earliest appearance was as ᴱ√LAẎA “be alive, flourish” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/52) where the Ẏ indicated an ancient palatal spirant, [c] or [ɟ]. In this period it had derivatives like ᴱQ. laiqa/G. laib “green” and ᴱQ. laire/G. glair “meadow” (QL/52; GL/39, 52).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LAYA was unglossed with a single derivative ᴹQ. laire “summer”, appearing in a marginal note next to more detailed ᴹ√LAYAK (EtyAC/LAYA). In this document, Tolkien gave the derivatives of ᴹ√LAYAK as ᴹQ. laiqa “green” vs. N. lhoeb “fresh” (Ety/LAYAK). The Ilkorin form laig “fresh, lively; keen, sharp” was said to be blended with ᴹ√LAIK “keen, sharp, acute” (Ety/LAIK), so “✱fresh” was probably the original meaning of ᴹ√LAYAK.
The root √LAY appeared quite regularly in Tolkien’s later writings, but was never glossed. It was mentioned in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from around 1950 as an example of a bi-consonantal root (PE18/97). It appeared in 1957 etymological notes as the basis for “summer” and “green”: the former still Q. lairë but the latter now Q. laika (PE17/145, 159). It was mentioned again in a 1958 letter to Rhona Beare as the basis for “summer” and ”green”, with the Sindarin form S. laeg having largely been replaced by S. calen “green” (Let/282).
Most likely this root retained the same basic sense as it had in the Qenya Lexicon, connected as it was to words having to do with freshness and liveliness.