Quenya 

línë

cobweb

línë noun "cobweb" (SLIG). Since Tolkien eventually decided that roots in sl- yield Quenya words in hl- (though this was pronounced l- in late Exilic Quenya), it may be that the spelling *hlínë is to be preferred.

liantë

spider

liantë (1) noun "spider" (SLIG), in earlier sources ascribed other meanings:(2)liantë "tendril" (LT1:271) and (3) "vine" (PE14:55, cf. liantassë elsewhere)

ungwë

noun. spider’s web, spider’s web; [ᴱQ.] spider; [ᴹQ.] gloom

A word for “spider’s web” appearing in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E, the name of tengwa #8 [x] (LotR/1122).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. ungwe was a word for “spider” under the early root ᴱ√GUŊU (QL/98). However, in The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ungwe was glossed “gloom” under the root ᴹ√UÑG (Ety/UÑG) in keeping with the 1930s translation of the name ᴹQ. Ungoliante = “Gloomweaver” (LR/230) where the second element ᴹQ. liante meant “spider” (Ety/SLIG). In notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1940s ungwe was also glossed “(spider) gloom” (PE22/51). In Tolkien’s later writings he said √ungu- was again the basis for “spider words” (PE22/160), which explains the new translation in The Lord of the Rings appendices.

Derivations

  • √UÑG “spider”

Variations

  • ungwe ✧ LotR/1122; PE17/104
Quenya [LotR/1122; PE17/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

natsë

web, net

natsë noun "web, net" (NAT)

Sindarin 

lhing

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

Sindarin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhingril

noun. spider

Sindarin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

him

adjective. cool

Sindarin [S/432] Group: SINDICT. Published by

him

adjective. cool

Element in

  • S. Himlad “Cool Plain; (lit.) ?Ever-plain” ✧ SA/him

Variations

  • him ✧ SA/him

ungol

noun. spider

Sindarin [Ety/366, WR/202, LotR, RC/490] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ungol

noun. spider

The Sindarin word for “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767), derived from √ungu- that was the basis for spider words (PE22/160).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish word for “spider” was initially G. gung in both the Qenya Lexicon and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√GUŊU (QL/98; GL/43), also appearing an element in G. Gungliont, the earliest name of Ungoliant (LT1/160). In the Gnomish Lexicon the word gung was crossed through, but may have become ging in G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” (GL/46). Regardless, Tolkien added G. ungwi “spider” in pencil to the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/75), which seems to indicate a change of the root from ᴱ√GUŊU to ᴱ√UŊU, consistent with the replacement name G. Ungoliont from the contemporaneous narratives (LT1/152).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, “spider” words were derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG); see N. thling for discussion. Tolkien soon restored Ung-, however, since N. ungol was translated as “spider” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (WR/202).

Cognates

  • ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”

Derivations

  • √UÑG “spider”

Element in

Variations

  • Ungol ✧ Let/180; RC/767
Sindarin [Let/180; RC/490; RC/767] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oel

adjective. cool

Element in

lhing

spider’s web

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain)  (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

cobweb

*lhing (?i thling or ?i ling the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider, spiders web), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

cobweb

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain)  (spider, spider’s web), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

spider’s web, cobweb

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (also used = ”spider”); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

spiders web

*lhing (?i thling or ?i ling the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

spiders web, cobweb

*lhing (?i thling or ?i ling the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (also used = ”spider”); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

noun. spider’s web, cobweb; spider

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

lhingril

noun. spider

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

lhingril

spider

(?i thlingril or ?i lingril – the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *thlingril**.*)

him

cool

him (lenited chim; no distinct pl. form). Note that homophones include both the adjective ”steadfast, abiding” and the adverb ”continually”.

him

cool

(lenited chim; no distinct pl. form). Note that homophones include both the adjective ”steadfast, abiding” and the adverb ”continually”.

lhê

spider filament

(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

ungol

spider

1) ungol (pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath; 2) *lhingril (?i thlingril or ?i lingril the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlingril.) 3) or

ungol

spider

(pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath

nath

web

(pl. naith).

gwî

web

1) gwî (i **wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî), 2) nath (pl. naith**).

gwî

web

(i ’wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî)

Primitive elvish

uñg

root. spider

This root and ones like it were tied to spider words for much of Tolkien’s life, most notably in the name S. Ungoliant and its precursors. The earliest iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√GUŊU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. ungwe/G. gung “spider” (QL/98); Tolkien marked the root with a “?” and given that the Qenya forms had no initial consonant, the actual root may have been ✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU. In The Lost Tales of the 1910s, Tolkien changed G. Gungliont to G. Ungoliont (LT1/156), and in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon the word for “spider” was G. ungwi (GL/75), so it seems Tolkien revised {✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU >>} ✱ᴱ√UŊU.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, unglossed ᴹ√UÑG had derivatives like ᴹQ. ungwe “gloom” and ᴹQ. ungo “cloud, dark shadow” (Ety/UÑG), and it was the second element ᴹQ. liante in ᴹQ. Ungoliante that meant “spider” (Ety/SLIG). However, in notes from 1969 Tolkien gave ✱ungu- as the basis for “spider” words (PE22/160), as reflected in Q. ungwë “spider’s web” (LotR/1122) and S. ungol “spider” in his later writings (Let/180; RC/490, 767).

Derivatives

  • ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”
  • Q. ungwë “spider’s web, spider’s web; [ᴱQ.] spider; [ᴹQ.] gloom”
  • S. ungol “spider”

Variations

  • ungu- ✧ PE22/160
Primitive elvish [PE22/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

thling

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

Noldorin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thling

noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb

A noun appearing as N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” in The Etymologies, derived from primitive ᴹ✶sliñgē under the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG).

Neo-Sindarin: Since initial sl- became lh- in Sindarin, most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhing, as suggested in HSD (HSD). This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings √ungu- was the basis for spider words (PE22/160). However, I think ᴹ√SLIG may be reinterpreted as having to do with threads, and as such I think ᴺS. lhing can be retained, though I would limit its use to “spider’s web, cobweb”.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. líne “cobweb, cobweb; [ᴱQ.] cotton, thread” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Derivations

  • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • ᴹ✶slignē “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” ✧ Ety/SLIG
    • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Element in

  • N. Delduthling “Ungoliant, *(lit.) Horror Night Spider” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/SLIG
  • N. thlingril “spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶sliñgē > thling[sliŋgē] > [sliŋge] > [θliŋge] > [θliŋg] > [θliŋ]✧ Ety/SLIG
Noldorin [Ety/DOƷ; Ety/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thlingril

noun. spider

Noldorin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thlingril

noun. spider

A noun appearing as N. thlingril “spider” in The Etymologies, probably a feminine form of N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” (Ety/SLIG). Christopher Tolkien said the r was uncertain.

Neo-Sindarin: Since initial sl- became lh- in Sindarin, most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhingril, as suggested in HSD (HSD). This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings √ungu- was the basis for spider words (PE22/160). I think ᴹ√SLIG may be reinterpreted as having to do with threads, and as such I think ᴺS. lhingril can be retained as originally meaning “(female) web spinner”. However, I recommend later S. ungol as the more common Sindarin word for “spider”.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. liante “spider, spider, [ᴱQ.] tendril, vine” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Noldorin [Ety/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ungol

noun. spider

Noldorin [Ety/366, WR/202, LotR, RC/490] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ungol

noun. spider

Element in

Variations

  • Ungol ✧ WR/202

nath

noun. web

Noldorin [Ety/375] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nath

noun. web

A noun for “web” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” with Quenya cognate ᴹQ. natse (Ety/NAT).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. natse “web, net” ✧ Ety/NAT

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” ✧ Ety/NAT

Element in

  • N. gonathra- “to entangle, enmesh” ✧ Ety/NAT
  • N. nathron “weaver, webster” ✧ Ety/NAT

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NAT > nath[natse] > [naθθe] > [naθθ] > [naθ]✧ Ety/NAT

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 

líne

noun. cobweb, cobweb; [ᴱQ.] cotton, thread

A noun for “cobweb” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶slignē under the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave ᴱQ. līnẹ “thread, cotton” under the early root ᴱ√LI+ya (QL/53).

Neo-Quenya: This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings, Tolkien derived spider words from √ungu-. However, I prefer to interpret ᴹ√(S)LIG as having to do with threads for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, and “cobweb” could be from a sense “collection of threads”. With this interpretation, I think it is also plausible to include the sense “cotton” from Early Qenya, though for “thread” I’d use other words like Q. ipsin or [ᴹQ.] lia. Helge Fauskanger suggested (QQ/líne) that this word should be ✱hlíne given primitive initial sl-, but there is another primitive form ᴹ✶ligā under the root, so perhaps the Quenya derivatives were (a) based from a variant root ᴹ√LIG or (b) reflect the Third Age Quenya pronunciation as voiced l (LotR/1114).

Cognates

  • N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶slignē “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” ✧ Ety/SLIG
    • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶slignē > líne[slignē] > [l̥ignē] > [l̥iŋnē] > [l̥īnē] > [līnē] > [līne]✧ Ety/SLIG

liante

noun. spider, spider, [ᴱQ.] tendril, vine

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “spider” derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG with various other derivatives having to do with webs and fine threads (Ety/SLIG). Most notably it was the second element in the name ᴹQ. Ungoliante “Gloomweaver” (LR/230). In the paradigm of The Etymologies, ᴹQ. ungo was “cloud, dark shadow” (Ety/UÑG), not “spider”.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, ᴱQ. liante was glossed “tendril” and was derived from the early root ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many in one” (QL/53, PME/53). In this period it was an element in the name ᴱQ. Ungweliante or Ungwe Lianti “the great spider who enmeshes” (LT1/152), where the intial element ᴱQ. ungwe meant “spider” (QL/98). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱQ. liante was translated “vine” (PE14/55), as opposed to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. liantasse was “vine” (QL/53).

Neo-Quenya: Tolkien gave no other Quenya words for “spider” in his later writings, but S. ungol was glossed “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767) and √ungu- was described as the basis for “spider words” (PE22/160), making it very likely that ✱ungol was “spider” in his later conception of the name Q. Ungoliantë. However, I think [ᴹQ.] liante might be reconceived of as a (feminine?) agental form originally meaning “weaver” or “webspinner”. Furthermore, I think [ᴺQ.] ungol might have come to be associated only with monstrous spiders, the descendants of Ungoliantë, so that [ᴹQ.] liante came to be used of ordinary spiders.

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√SLIG > liante[sligante] > [l̥igante] > [l̥iɣante] > [l̥iante] > [liante]✧ Ety/SLIG

filet

noun. cobweb

A word in in the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s glossed {“fern” >>} “cobweb” (PE21/33 and note #3). Its initial gloss was probably a later iteration of ᴱQ. filqe “fern” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/38), and in later writings filit (filik-) was a word for “small bird, sparrow” (Ety/PHILIK; PE21/56), so this was likely a transient form.

Changes

  • filet → filet “fern” ✧ PE21/33
Qenya [PE21/33; PE21/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

nass

noun. web

A Doriathrin noun for “web” (Ety/NAT). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. natse indicates a primitive form ✱✶natsē, where the [ts] became [ss] because [[ilk|medial voiceless stops became [s] before [s]]] in Ilkorin.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. natse “web, net” ✧ Ety/NAT

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” ✧ Ety/NAT

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NAT > nass[natsē] > [natse] > [nasse] > [nass]✧ Ety/NAT
Doriathrin [Ety/NAT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

slingē

noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb

Middle Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

slignē

noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb

Derivations

  • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. líne “cobweb, cobweb; [ᴱQ.] cotton, thread” ✧ Ety/SLIG
  • N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Variations

  • sliñgē ✧ Ety/SLIG
  • slingē ✧ EtyAC/SLIG
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SLIG; EtyAC/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

ging

noun. spider

gwidh-a-ging

noun. cobweb

A word for “cobweb” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/46). Its initial element seems to be G. gwidh- “weave”, and its final element might be a variant of G. gung “spider” (though this word was deleted).

Changes

  • gwindaging → gwidh-a-ging ✧ GL/46

Variations

  • gwindaging ✧ GL/46 (gwindaging)

gwaidhin

noun. web

A word for “web” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√gu̯iđ and related to G. gwidh- “weave” (GL/46). It had a deleted variant gwaith².

Changes

  • gwaith² → gwaidhin ✧ GL/46

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GWIÐI “*plait, weave” ✧ GL/46

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√gu̯iđ > gwaidhin[gʷīðin] > [gʷaiðin]✧ GL/46
ᴱ√gu̯iđ > gwaith²[gʷīð] > [gʷaið] > [gʷaiθ]✧ GL/46

Variations

  • gwaith² ✧ GL/46 (gwaith²)

gung

noun. spider

Cognates

  • Eq. ungwe “spider” ✧ GL/43; QL/098

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider” ✧ QL/098

Element in

  • G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” ✧ GL/46
  • G. Gungliont “The Spider of Night” ✧ GL/43 (Gungliont); QL/098

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√GUŊU > gung[ɣuŋg] > [guŋg]✧ QL/098

Variations

  • ging ✧ GL/46
Gnomish [GL/43; GL/46; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cing(win)

noun. spider

A noun for “spider” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variants cing and cingwin (GL/26). Tolkien indicated this word was related to G. cang “tangled” (GL/25), which was probably based on the early root ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine” (QL/45, 98). The i in cing indicates the primitive form was probably kŋ̣g-, since short syllabic nasals became in in Gnomish.

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine”

Variations

  • cing ✧ GL/25; GL/26
  • cingwin ✧ GL/26
Gnomish [GL/25; GL/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ungwi

noun. spider

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider”

Element in

Early Noldorin

lhing

adjective. cool

Early Noldorin [PE13/149] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

ungwe

noun. spider

Cognates

  • G. gung “spider” ✧ GL/43; QL/098
  • G. ungwi “spider”

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/098

Element in

  • Eq. Ungweliante “Great Spider Who Enmeshes” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; LT1I/Ungweliantë; QL/098
  • Eq. Ungwe Fuiva “the Spider of Night” ✧ PME/104

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√GUŊU > ungwe[ɣuŋwē] > [ɣuŋwe] > [uŋwe] > [uŋgwe]✧ QL/098

Variations

  • ung-we ✧ GL/43 (ung-we)
  • ungwë ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti
  • Ungwë ✧ LT1I/Ungweliantë
  • Ungwe ✧ PME/104
Early Quenya [GL/43; LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; LT1I/Ungweliantë; PE16/145; PME/104; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kangale

noun. web

A word for “web” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, based on the verb ᴱQ. kanga- “weave, spin” from the early root ᴱ√KANGA (QL/45), also appearing in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/45).

Early Quenya [PME/045; QL/045] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kangaris

noun. spider

A word for “spider” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, based on the verb ᴱQ. kanga- “weave, spin” from the early root ᴱ√KANGA (QL/45), also appearing in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/45).

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine” ✧ QL/045

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√KANGA > kangaris[kaŋgarist] > [kaŋgaris]✧ QL/045
Early Quenya [PME/045; QL/045] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kangawinda

noun. cobweb

A word for “cobweb” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), apparently a combination of the verb ᴱQ. kanga- “weave” and the noun ᴱQ. winda “woof”. It also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/45).

Early Quenya [PME/045; QL/045] Group: Eldamo. Published by