lempë

cardinal. five

lempë cardinal "five" (LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK, GL:53, VT42:24, VT47:10, 24); lempëa ordinal "fifth", an analogical formation replacing older lemenya, in turn altered from the historically "correct" form lepenya because of analogy with the cardinal lempë "five" (VT42:25; Vanyarin Quenya maintained lepenya, VT42:26)

lempë

cardinal. five

Cognates

• S. leben “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06
• T. lepen “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/06

Derivations

• √LEPEN “five” ✧ PE17/095
• ✶lepene “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
  • √LEPEN “five” ✧ VT47/24

Element in

• Q. lempëa “fifth” ✧ VT42/26
• ᴺQ. lepenquain “fifty”
• ᴺQ. lepenquëan “fifty”
• Q. lepenquë “*fifteen”
• Q. lepesta “one fifth”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√LEPEN > lepne > lempe	[lepne] > [lenpe] > [lempe]	✧ PE17/095
✶lepen > lempe	[lepne] > [lenpe] > [lempe]	✧ PE17/095
✶lepene > lepne > lempe	[lepene] > [lepne] > [lenpe] > [lempe]	✧ VT42/24
✶lepene > lepne > lempe	[lepene] > [lepne] > [lenpe] > [lempe]	✧ VT47/10
✶lepenē̆ > lepnē > lempe	[lepenē] > [lepnē] > [lenpē] > [lempē] > [lempe]	✧ VT47/24

Variations

• lempe ✧ PE17/095; PE17/095; VT42/24; VT42/25; VT42/26; VT47/10; VT47/24
• lemne ✧ PE17/095
• lemen ✧ VT48/06

lemen

cardinal. five

lemen, alternative cardinal "five" (VT48:6, 20); the word normally appears as lempë, but compare lemenya below.

lemen

cardinal. five

lemnë

cardinal. five

lepenya

lepenya

lepenya, see lempë

perta

one half

perta fraction "one half" (1/2), also peresta (VT48:11)

perta

fraction. one half

peresta

one half

peresta fraction "one half" (1/2), also perta (VT48:11)

peresta

fraction. one half

Elements

Word	Gloss
per-	“half, half, [ᴹQ.] semi”
asta	“month; division, part (esp. one of other equal parts)”

Variations

• perta ✧ VT48/11

cainen

cardinal. ten

[cainen] ("k") cardinal "ten" (KAYAN/KAYAR). According to VT48:12, Tolkien eventually rejected this word (cainen would only mean "I lay", sc. the pa.t. cainë with the ending -n "I"). See quain, quëan.

cainen

cardinal. ten

cëa

cardinal. ten

[cëa, cëan ("k") cardinal "ten", forms Tolkien later abandoned in favour of quain or quëan. An adjectival form caina ("k") was also listed, but must likewise be considered obsolete. (VT48:12-13, VT49:54)]

cëa(n)

cardinal. ten

Cognates

• S. caen “ten” ✧ PE17/095

Derivations

• √KAYAN “ten” ✧ VT48/12

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√kayan > kea(n)	[kajan] > [kean]	✧ VT48/12

Variations

• këa ✧ PE17/095
• kainen ✧ PE17/095
• kea(n) ✧ VT48/12

quain

cardinal. ten

quain cardinal "ten" (also quëan); quainëa ordinal "tenth" (VT48:6, 20; VT42:25). Quain or quëan replaced the form cainen in Tolkiens conception.

quain

cardinal. ten

Element in

• ᴺQ. quaista “one tenth”

quëan

cardinal. ten

quëan cardinal "ten", also quain (VT48:6, 12, 20). Quain or quëan replaced the form cainen in Tolkiens conception.

quëan

cardinal. ten

Cognates

• S. pae “ten” ✧ VT48/06
• T. pai(n) “ten” ✧ VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶kwayam “10”
  • √KWAY “ten” ✧ VT42/24

Element in

• ᴺQ. canquain “forty”
• ᴺQ. canaquain “forty”
• ᴺQ. canaquëan “forty”
• ᴺQ. enenquain “sixty”
• ᴺQ. enenquëan “sixty”
• ᴺQ. lepenquain “fifty”
• ᴺQ. lepenquëan “fifty”
• ᴺQ. nelquain “thirty”
• ᴺQ. nelequain “thirty”
• ᴺQ. nelequëan “thirty”
• ᴺQ. neterquain “ninety”
• ᴺQ. neterquëan “ninety”
• ᴺQ. otoquain “seventy”
• ᴺQ. otoquëan “seventy”
• ᴺQ. quaihúmë “ten thousand, myriad”
• Q. quainëa “tenth”
• ᴺQ. quëallumë “ten times”
• ᴺQ. tolquain “eighty”
• ᴺQ. toloquain “eighty”
• ᴺQ. toloquëan “eighty”
• ᴺQ. yuquain “twenty”
• ᴺQ. yúquëan “twenty”

Variations

• quean ✧ VT48/06; VT48/20
• quain ✧ VT48/06; VT48/20

leben

cardinal. five

leben

cardinal. five

Cognates

• Q. lempë “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06
• T. lepen “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24

Derivations

• ✶lepene “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
  • √LEPEN “five” ✧ VT47/24

Element in

• S. Lebennin “Five Rivers” ✧ PE17/095
• ᴺS. lephaen “fifty”
• S. levnui “fifth” ✧ VT42/25
• ᴺS. paeleben “fifteen”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶lepen > leb(en	[lepene] > [lepen] > [leben]	✧ PE17/095
✶lepene > leben	[lepene] > [lepen] > [leben]	✧ VT42/24
✶lepene > leben	[lepene] > [lepen] > [leben]	✧ VT47/10
✶lepenē̆ > leben	[lepene] > [lepen] > [leben]	✧ VT47/24

Variations

• leb(en ✧ PE17/095

pae

cardinal. ten

pae

cardinal. ten

Cognates

• Q. quëan “ten” ✧ VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶kwayam “10”
  • √KWAY “ten” ✧ VT42/24

Element in

• ᴺS. caphaen “forty”
• ᴺS. enephaen “sixty”
• ᴺS. lephaen “fifty”
• ᴺS. nederphaen “ninety”
• ᴺS. nelphaen “thirty”
• ᴺS. odophaen “seventy”
• ᴺS. odobaen “seventy”
• ᴺS. paedolodh “eighteen”
• ᴺS. paegan “fourteen”
• ᴺS. paeleben “fifteen”
• ᴺS. paeneder “nineteen”
• ᴺS. paeneg “sixteen”
• ᴺS. paenel “thirteen”
• ᴺS. paenodog “seventeen”
• S. paenui “tenth” ✧ VT42/25
• ᴺS. taphaen “twenty”
• ᴺS. tolophaen “eighty”

Variations

• pae(an) ✧ VT48/21

paean

cardinal. ten

cae

cardinal. ten

caen

cardinal. ten

Cognates

• Q. cëa(n) “ten” ✧ PE17/095

Element in

• S. nelchaenen “*thirtieth”
• S. caenui “tenth”

Variations

• caen-/cae ✧ PE17/095

caen-

cardinal. ten

leben

cardinal. five

leben;

leben

five

;

pae

cardinal. ten

pae (the ”Noldorin” form caer listed in the Etymologies was apparently abandoned by Tolkien).

pae

ten

(the ”Noldorin” form caer listed in the Etymologies was apparently abandoned by Tolkien).

gamp

crook

gamp (i **amp) (hook, claw), pl. ?gaimp or ?gemp (i ngaimp = i ñaimp or i ngemp = i ñemp), coll. pl. gammath**

gamp

crook

(i ’amp) (hook, claw), pl. ?gaimp or ?gemp (i ngaimp =  i ñaimp or i ngemp = i ñemp), coll. pl. gammath

paenui

tenth

.

lepen

cardinal. five

Cognates

• Q. lempë “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/06
• S. leben “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24

Derivations

• ✶lepene “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
  • √LEPEN “five” ✧ VT47/24

Element in

• T. lepenya “fifth” ✧ VT42/25

pai(n)

cardinal. ten

Changes

• paya(n) → pai(n) ✧ VT48/21

Cognates

• Q. quëan “ten” ✧ VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶kwayam “10”
  • √KWAY “ten” ✧ VT42/24

Variations

• paya(n) ✧ VT48/21 (paya(n))

lepem

root. five

lepen

root. five

√LEPEN was the most common root for “five” in Tolkien’s writings, but he explored a variety of other options. Its earliest iteration appeared in the Qenya and Gnomish lexicons as ᴱ√LEH (QL/52) or ᴱ√LEF “half” (GL/53), so I think the actual early form was ✱ᴱ√LEǶE [lexʷe]. At this early stage it had derivatives with the meanings “five”, “ten”, and “half”, but in later writings “ten” became ᴹ√KAYAN >> √KWAY(AM) and “half” became √PER.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√LEPEN “five” with variant ᴹ√LEPEK, but ᴹ√LEPEK had no derivatives (Ety/LEP). √LEPEN appeared again in a list of numbers from the late 1950s or early 1960s beside a variant √LENEP; again the variant had no clear derivatives (PE17/95). √LEPEN reappeared in numeric discussions from the late 1960s (VT42/24; VT47/10). In these late discussions Tolkien said that “five” most likely originally from ✱lepem as an ancient plural of √LEP, but it seems this became √LEPEN already in Common Eldarin (CE), given that the Sindarin word for “five” remained S. leben; Tolkien gave varying explanations for this CE sound change, either as dissimilation from p (VT47/26 note 2) or with final -m > -n being the regular phonetic development (VT47/24).

Derivatives

• ✶lepene “five” ✧ VT47/24
  • Q. lempë “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
  • S. leben “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
  • T. lepen “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
• Q. lempë “five” ✧ PE17/095
• ᴺS. lebem “fifteen”

Element in

• ✶lepenya “5th” ✧ VT42/26

Variations

• LENEP ✧ PE17/095; PE17/159; PE17/160
• lepen ✧ VT42/24; VT42/26; VT42/26
• lepem ✧ VT42/26 (lepem); VT47/16; VT47/24 (lepem); VT47/27

lepene

noun. five

Derivations

• √LEPEN “five” ✧ VT47/24

Derivatives

• Q. lempë “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
• S. leben “five” ✧ PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24
• T. lepen “five” ✧ VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24

Element in

• ᴺQ. lempellumë “five times”
• ᴺQ. lependórë “quintillion”

Variations

• lepen ✧ PE17/095
• lepenē̆ ✧ VT47/24

lenep

root. five

kayan

root. ten

Derivatives

• Q. quainëa “tenth” ✧ VT48/12
• Q. cëa(n) “ten” ✧ VT48/12

Element in

• Q. caista “one tenth”

Variations

• kayan ✧ VT48/12

kway

root. ten

A root Tolkien introduced in the late 1960s as the basis for his latest Elvish word for “ten”: Q. quëan/quain, S. pae, T. pai(n) (VT42/24; VT48/6). It was an extension of √KWA “complete” as in “a complete set of (10) fingers”. Prior this late change, the usual word for “ten” was ᴹQ. kainen (along with other variants beginning with kai- or kea-) from the root ᴹ√KAYAN or ᴹ√KAYAR as it appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAYAN). This basis for “ten” dates back to the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49, PE14/82). Tolkien was still considering √KAYAN for “10” in the late 1960s before replacing it with √KWAY(AM) (VT48/12).

Derivatives

• ✶kwayam “10” ✧ VT42/24
  • Q. quëan “ten”
  • S. pae “ten”
  • T. pai(n) “ten”

Variations

• kwaya ✧ VT42/24; VT42/24

lheben

cardinal. five

lheben

cardinal. five

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lempe “five” ✧ Ety/LEP

Derivations

• ᴹ√LEPEN “five” ✧ Ety/LEP

Element in

• N. Lebennin “Seven Streams”
• N. Lhefneg “Fifth”
• N. lheben teil brann i annon ar neledh neledhi gar godrebh “five foot high the door and three may walk abreast” ✧ TAI/150

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√LEPEN > lheben	[lepene] > [lepen] > [l̥epen] > [l̥eben]	✧ Ety/LEP

caer

cardinal. ten

caer

cardinal. ten

Cognates

• ᴹQ. kainen “ten” ✧ Ety/KAYAN

Derivations

• ᴹ√KAYAN “ten” ✧ Ety/KAYAN

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√KAYAR > caer	[kajra] > [kaira] > [kair] > [kaer]	✧ Ety/KAYAN

Variations

• caer ✧ Ety/KAYAN; EtyAC/KAYAN