lia

fine thread, spider filament

lia noun "fine thread, spider filament" (SLIG).

lia-

verb. twine

lia- vb. "twine" (LT1:271)

lina

adjective. many

A neologism for “many” derived from the root √LI. I’ve deprecated this word in favor of attested ᴹQ. lia.

lia-

verb. to entwine

Ipsin

fine thread

Ipsin noun "fine thread" (PE17:17)

ipsin

noun. fine thread

A word for “fine thread” derived from the root √SPIN- in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/17).

li(n)-

prefix. many

A Quenya prefix for “many” appearing regularly in Tolkien’s writings throughout his life, dating all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s. It was derived from the root √LI that was also the basis for the partitive plural suffix Q. -li. In Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948, Tolkien specified that li(n)- referred to an indefinite quantity bigger than a few: “a number, a good many, not a few” (PE23/101 note #36).

> Indefinite, expressing “mere plurality” (more than two at least); “some” with the plural, “(not) a few,” “several.” This is expressed by the stems lī̆-, and lĭn(i). In C. Eldarin the stem meant “many,” often a great number, but in Quenya except in a few older derivatives, especially the prefix lin-, lilin-, it is used always as expressing a lesser or vaguer number than the next (PE23/100).

This was then contrasted with ᴹQ. sem(p)- “few” and ᴹQ. hrim- “a great number, very many” [>> *rim-***].

limbë

many

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

lin-

many

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

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√LĪ, 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.

-lī

suffix. many

thlê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

A noun appearing as N. thlê “fine thread, spider filament” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶(s)ligā under the root ᴹ√SLIG having to do with spider words (Ety/SLIG).

Conceptual Development: A possible precursor is G. lind “twine” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), apparently based on the early root ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many as one” (QL/53).

Neo-Sindarin: In Tolkien’s later writings, √ungu- became the basis for spider words, but I retain ᴹ√SLIG assuming it has to do with threads and twining to salvage words from the 1910s and 30s. Most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhê “fine thread, spider filament”, for example as suggested by HSD (HSD), because in (Old) Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s initial sl- became lh-, as opposed to (Old) Noldorin of the 1930s where it became thl-.

laew

many

laew (frequent); no distinct pl. form.

laew

many

(frequent); no distinct pl. form.

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê. -THREAD, see MIST.

lhê

noun. fine thread, spider filament