Quenya 

li(n)-

prefix. many

Derivations

  • LI “many”

Element in

  • Q. lillassëa “having many leaves”
  • ᴺQ. lillumë “many times, often”
  • Q. lilómëa “very dark, full of darkness” ✧ PE17/081
  • Q. lilótëa “having many flowers” ✧ VT42/18
  • ᴺQ. lincantëa “diverse, (lit.) many shaped”
  • ᴺQ. lindóra “millions of, many millions”
  • ᴺQ. linima “of many kinds, manifold”
  • ᴺQ. linitë “plural”
  • ᴺQ. linquilea “having many colours”
  • ᴺQ. linvainëa “onion, (lit.) many-sheathed”
  • Q. liyúmë “host” ✧ VT48/32

Variations

  • li- ✧ PE17/081 (li-); VT42/18 (li-); VT48/32 (li-)
Quenya [PE17/081; VT42/18; VT48/32] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lin-

many

lin- (1) (prefix) "many" (LI), seen in lindornëa, lintyulussëa; assimilated lil- in lillassëa.

limbë

many

limbë (2) adj. "many", probably obsoleted by #1 above (LT2:342)

lina

adjective. many

A neologism for the adjective “many” derived from the root √LI, typically appearing in its plural form linë. Like English, it has the sense “many but not all, a majority (of)”: compare with nótima which can be used with the “some”. Early versions of this lexicon recommended using ᴱQ. lia, but that word’s plural form collides with Q. lië “people”.

Derivations

  • LI “many”
Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

Primitive elvish

li

root. many

This root was connected to words for “many” throughout Tolkien’s life. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s it appeared as ᴱ√, with variant ᴱ√ILI “many” and extended form ᴱ√LIYA (LI + ya) “unite many as one” with derivatives like ᴱQ. lia- “entwine” and ᴱQ. liante “tendril” (QL/42, 53). In later writings there is no sign of the inversion √IL “many” (later √IL meant “all”), whereas ᴱ√LIYA seems to have shifted to unrelated ᴹ√SLIG with derivatives like ᴹQ. lia “fine thread, spider filament” and ᴹQ. liante “spider” (Ety/SLIG).

The base root ᴹ√LI “many” did reappear in The Etymologies of the 1930s, however (Ety/LI), and √LI “many” appeared again in etymological notes from the late 1960s (VT48/25). The long-standing connection between this root and the Quenya (partitive) plural suffixes indicates its stability in Tolkien’s mind.

Derivatives

  • Q. -li “partitive plural (suffix); many, some, a lot of”
  • Q. lië “people, folk”
  • Q. li(n)- “many”
  • ᴺQ. lina “many”
  • ᴺQ. lio “much”
  • S. “people (of one kind or origin), people (of one kind or origin), [G.] folk, many people, crowd of folk”

Element in

  • ᴺQ. lita- “to multiply”
Primitive elvish [VT48/25] 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 

lin-

prefix. many

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LI “many; large people” ✧ Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI; Ety/YEN

Element in

  • ᴹQ. lilótime “*many-flowered”
  • ᴹQ. lindornea “having many oaks” ✧ Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI
  • ᴹQ. lintyulussea “having many poplars” ✧ Ety/LI
  • ᴹQ. linyenwa “old, having many years” ✧ Ety/YEN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LI > lin-[lin-]✧ Ety/DÓRON
ᴹ√LI > lin-[lin-]✧ Ety/LI

Variations

  • lin- ✧ Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI; Ety/YEN (lin-)
Qenya [Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI; Ety/YEN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

-lin

suffix. many

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LI “many; large people” ✧ Ety/LI

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LI > -lin[-lin]✧ Ety/LI
Old Noldorin [Ety/LI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

lim

adjective. many

Cognates

  • Eq. limbe “a number” ✧ GG/15; GL/54
  • Eq. limba “many”

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ “*many”

Element in

Variations

  • lim ✧ GG/15; GL/17
Gnomish [GG/15; GL/17; GL/54] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-lim

suffix. many

Cognates

  • Eq. -li “many, multiplicative suffix” ✧ GG/15
  • Eq. limbe “a number” ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim

Element in

  • G. Goldothrim “People of the Gnomes” ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim
  • G. Gondothlim “Folk of Stone, Dwellers in Stone” ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim; LT2A/Gondothlim; PE15/26
  • G. Lothlim “People of the Flower” ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim
  • G. Rodothlim

Variations

  • lim ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim
  • -rim ✧ LT2A/Gondothlim
Gnomish [GG/15; LT2A/Balcmeg; LT2A/Gondothlim; PE15/26; QL/053] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

ili

root. many

Derivatives

  • Eq. ille “throng, crowd” ✧ QL/042
  • Eq. li(n)- “many” ✧ QL/042

Variations

  • ILI ✧ QL/053
  • ili ✧ QL/053
Early Primitive Elvish [QL/042; QL/053] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

li(n)-

prefix. many

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ILI “many” ✧ QL/042
  • ᴱ√ “*many” ✧ QL/053

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√ > li-[li-]✧ QL/053

Variations

  • li- ✧ LT1A/Tinwë Linto; QL/053
  • lin- ✧ LT1A/Tinwë Linto; PE16/077; PE16/077; QL/042; QL/053; QL/069
  • LĪ- ✧ QL/042
Early Quenya [LT1A/Tinwë Linto; PE16/077; QL/042; QL/053; QL/069] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lia(r)

adjective. many

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ “*many” ✧ QL/053

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√ > lia(r)[liar]✧ QL/053
Early Quenya [QL/053] Group: Eldamo. Published by

olli-

prefix. many

ola-

prefix. many

olli

adjective. many

Derivations

  • ᴱ√OLO “*increase, more” ✧ QL/069

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√OLO² > olli[ollī] > [olli]✧ QL/069
Early Quenya [QL/069] Group: Eldamo. Published by

limba

adjective. many

Cognates

  • G. lim “many”

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ “*many” ✧ QL/053

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√ > limba[limbā] > [limba]✧ QL/053
Early Quenya [QL/053] Group: Eldamo. Published by