Quenya 

lin

musical sound

lin, lind- noun "a musical sound" (Letters:308), "melody" (LT1:258). Compare lindë.

lin-

sing

[lin- (2) vb. "sing" (GLIN, struck out)]

linda

fair, beautiful

linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.

lindë

air, tune, singing, song

lindë noun "air, tune, singing, song" (SA:gond, (LIN2, [GLIN]); lindelorendor "music-dream-land"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... _(LotR2:III ch. 4, cf. Letters:308). _Also compare lindi- in lindimaitar, q.v. (but the other compounds here cited do not give a lindë a stem-form lindi-).

lindë

noun. singing, song, musical sound, singing, song, musical sound; [ᴹQ.] air, tune

Cognates

  • S. lind “song, chant, singing; singer, song, chant, singing, [N.] air, tune; [N. and S.] singer”

Derivations

  • LIN “sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle”

Element in

Quenya [Let/308; NM/351; PE17/080; PE17/163; SA/gond] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lingë

musical sound

lingë noun "musical sound" (PE16:96)

lingë

noun. musical sound

Derivations

  • LIN “sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle”

Element in

  • Q. lingëa “with a musical sound” ✧ PE16/096

Variations

  • linge ✧ PE16/096

linya

pool

linya noun "pool" (LIN1)

lindë-

sing

lindë- vb. ?"sing" (LT1:258; in LotR-style Quenya lir- or #linda-)

alima

fair, good

alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)

hlón

sound

hlón noun "sound", "a noise" (VT48:29). Also hlóna. The stem of hlón is apparently hlon- if hloni "sounds" in WJ:394 is its plural form.

lanya

thread

#lanya (3) noun "thread", isolated from hísilanya "mist thread" (PE17:60)

lóna

pool, mere

lóna (1) noun "pool, mere" (VT42:10). Variant of lón, lónë above?

-ima

fair

-ima adjectival suffix. Sometimes it is used to derive simple adjectives, like vanima "fair" or calima "bright"; it can also take on the meaning "-able" (PE17:68), as in mátima "edible" (mat- "eat"), nótima "countable" (not- "count") and (with a negative prefix) úquétima "unspeakable" (from quet- "speak"). Note that the stem-vowel is normally lengthened in the derivatives where -ima means "-able", though this fails to occur in cenima "visible" (q.v., but contrast hraicénima, q.v.) and also before a consonant cluster as in úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176). "X-ima" may mean "apt to X" (when the ending is added to an intransitive verbal stem), as in Fírimar "mortals", literally "those apt to die" (WJ:387). The adj. úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176) also appears as úfantuma (PE17:180), indicating the existence of a variant ending -uma (possibly used to derive adjectives with a "bad" meaning; compare the ending *-unqua next to -inqua, q.v.)

-lya

thy, your

-lya 2nd person sg. formal/polite pronominal suffix "thy, your" (VT49:16, 38, 48). In tielyanna "upon your path" (UT:22 cf. 51), caritalya(s) "your doing (it)" (VT41:17), esselya "thy name" (VT43:14), onnalya "your child" (VT49:41, 42), parma-restalyanna *"upon your book-fair" (VT49:38), and, in Tolkien's Quenya Lord's Prayer, in the various translations of "thy kingdom": aranielya in the final version, earlier turinastalya, túrinastalya, turindielya, túrindielya (VT43:15). Also in indómelya (changed from mendelya) "thy will" (VT43:15-16)

alya

fair, good

alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)

ango

snake

ango noun "snake"; stem angu- as in angulócë (q.v.); pl. angwi (ANGWA/ANGU)

nendë

pool

nendë (1) noun "pool" (NEN), "lake" (PE17:52)

vanya

fair

vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.

vanë

fair

vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)

vanë

adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely

Derivations

  • BAN “beauty (due to lack of fault or blemish); fair, beautiful” ✧ PE17/056

Element in

  • Q. úvanë(a) “without beauty”
  • Q. vanessë “beauty” ✧ PE17/056
  • Q. vanië “beauty” ✧ PE17/056
  • Q. vanima “beautiful, fair, beautiful, fair, *handsome; [ᴱQ.] proper, right, as it should be, fair” ✧ PE17/056

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
BAN > vane[bani] > [bane] > [βane] > [vane]✧ PE17/056

Variations

  • vane ✧ PE17/056

lamma

sound

lamma noun "sound" (LAM)

leuca

snake

leuca (1) noun "snake" (Appendix E)

leuca

noun. snake

The best known Quenya word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160).

Cognates

  • S. lŷg “snake” ✧ LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160

Derivations

  • LEWEK “worm” ✧ PE17/160

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
LEWEK > leuka[leuka]✧ PE17/160

Variations

  • leuka ✧ PE17/160
Quenya [LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

láma

noun. sound, sound; [ᴹQ.] ringing sound, echo

Cognates

  • ᴺS. law “sound”

Derivations

  • LAM “(inarticulate voiced) sound” ✧ VT39/20

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
lam > láma[lāma]✧ VT39/20

Variations

  • Láma ✧ PE18/082; PE18/090
Quenya [PE18/082; PE18/090; VT39/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

láma#

noun. sound

sound

Quenya [PE 18:30, 40 PE 18:8, 70] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

vilwa

air, lower air

[vilwa < wilwa] noun "air, lower air" (distinct from the 'upper' air of the stars, or the 'outer') (WIL; in one place vilwa was not struck out, VT46:21) According to VT46:21, Tolkien considered vilda < wilda as a replacement form, but rejected it.

vilya

air, sky

vilya noun "air, sky", also name of tengwa #24. Older wilya. (Appendix E). Early "Qenya" has Vilya (changed from Vilna) "lower air" (LT1:273); also vilya "air" (MC:215)

wilma

air, lower air

wilma noun "air, lower air" (distinct from the 'upper' air of the stars, or the 'outer') (WIL)

hlócë

snake, serpent

hlócë ("k")noun "snake, serpent", later lócë ("k")(SA:lok-)

Sindarin 

lin

adjective. thy (reverential)

Sindarin [VT/44:21,24] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lain

noun. thread

Sindarin [hithlain LotR/II:VIII, LotR/Index] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lind

adjective. fair

Derivations

  • LIN “sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle”

Element in

  • S. Linhir “Fair Stream” ✧ RC/587

Variations

  • lin ✧ RC/587 (lin)

lind

noun. air, tune

Sindarin [Ety/369, X/LH, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lín

adjective. thy (reverential)

Sindarin [VT/44:21,24] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lín

pronoun. *thy

Changes

  • linlín ✧ VT44/24

Element in

Variations

  • lin ✧ VT44/22 (lin); VT44/24
Sindarin [VT44/22; VT44/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lîn

noun. pool

Sindarin [Ety/369, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lîn

noun. pool, mere

A word for “pool” or “lake”, appearing as an element in the name Linaewen “Lake of Birds” (S/119; UT/401). As an independent word it is probably ✱lîn, and it is probably a derivative of the root √LIN of similar meaning (PE17/145, 160).

Conceptual Development: The earliest obvious precursor to this word is ᴱN. lhuin “pool” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/149). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as N. lhîn “pool”, a derivative of the root ᴹ√LIN “pool” and cognate to ᴹQ. linya (Ety/LIN¹). Remnants of the ancient y can be seen in its (lenited) class plural liniath in the name N. Hithliniath “Pools of Mist” (Ety/KHIS; LR/262). It cannot be a direct cognate of its Quenya form, however, at it has no signs of a-affection. Christopher Tolkien mentioned the name element lin “pool, mere” in The Silmarillion appendix (SA/lin), though whether it was intended to be a primitive form or a Sindarin word isn’t clear.

Neo-Sindarin: I think it is best to simply adapt the Noldorin form into (Neo) Sindarin as lîn, perhaps derived from primitive ✱linyē and hence with class plural liniath.

Derivations

  • LIN “pool, mere, lake”

Element in

  • S. Linaewen “Lake of Birds” ✧ SA/lin¹
  • S. Taeglin “*Boundary Singer” ✧ SA/lin¹

Variations

  • lin ✧ SA/lin¹
Sindarin [SA/lin¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linna-

verb. to sing

Sindarin [linnathon LotR/II:I] Group: SINDICT. Published by

linna-

verb. sing

Sindarin [PE 22:167] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

linnon

verb. I sing

Sindarin [LB/354] Group: SINDICT. Published by

bain

fair

_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:150] < BAN beauty, with implication that it is due to _lack of fault_ or _blemish_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

gwain

adjective. fair

adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:140] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

linnathon

verb. I will sing, I will chant

Sindarin [LotR/II:I, RGEO/72] Group: SINDICT. Published by

rim

noun. cold pool or lake (in mountains)

Sindarin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

bân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:150] < BAN beauty, with implication that it is due to _lack of fault_ or _blemish_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

fael

adjective. fair minded, just, generous

Sindarin [PM/352] Etym. "having a good fëa". Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwana

noun/adjective. fair

Changes

  • gwaingwana “fair, general word for Elves” ✧ PE17/140

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
wanasō > gwana[wanasō] > [wanaso] > [wanaho] > [gwanaho] > [gwanah] > [gwana]✧ PE17/140

Variations

  • gwain ✧ PE17/140 (gwain)
Sindarin [PE17/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, pale.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:165] < _gwan_ < GWAN pale, fair. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

loeg

noun. pool

Sindarin [S/407, UT/450, LotR/Map] Group: SINDICT. Published by

loeg

noun. pool

lýg

noun. snake

_ n. Zoo. _snake. Q. leuka.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:121:160] < LEWEK worm. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

gwelu

noun. air (as substance)

Sindarin [Ety/398, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

leweg

noun. snake

_ n. _snake.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:160] < LEWEK worm. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lhê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

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

lŷg

noun. snake

Sindarin [LotR/E] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lŷg

noun. snake

The best known Sindarin word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160), likely from ✱leukā where the ancient eu became ȳ as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).

Cognates

  • Q. leuca “snake” ✧ LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160

Derivations

  • LEWEK “worm” ✧ PE17/160

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
LEWEK > lýg[leukā] > [leuka] > [liuka] > [lȳka] > [lȳk] > [lȳg]✧ PE17/160

Variations

  • lýg ✧ PE17/160
Sindarin [LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lhûg

noun. snake, serpent

Sindarin [Ety/370, S/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

noun. loud-sound, trumpet-sound

Sindarin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

romru

noun. sound of horns

Sindarin [Ety/384, X/RH] rom+rû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

lain

thread

(noun) lain; no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”free, freed”.

lain

thread

; no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”free, freed”.

lind

air

3) (of music) lind (song, tune; singer, in the latter sense also used of rivers), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. linnath (WJ.309)

lind

air

(song, tune; singer, in the latter sense also used of rivers), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. linnath (WJ.309)

lín

thy

lín

lín

thy

linna

sing

(i linna, i linnar) (chant)

lîn

pool

lîn (lake), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. #**liniath (isolated from Hithliniath**, WJ:194). 3)

lîn

pool

(lake), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. #*liniath*** (isolated from Hithliniath**, WJ:194). 3)

bain

fair

bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

fair

(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

glir

sing

1) glir- (i **lîr, in glirir) (recite poem), 2) linna- (i linna, i linnar**) (chant)

glir

sing

(i ’lîr, in glirir) (recite poem)

lhûn

making sound

lenited ?thlûn or ?lûn (the lenition product of lh is uncertain), pl. lhuin. Verb

gwelwen

air

1) (as a region) gwelwen (i **welwen), pl. gwelwin (in gwelwin), also gwilith (i **wilith), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwilith)

gwelwen

air

(i ’welwen), pl. gwelwin (in gwelwin), also gwilith (i ’wilith), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwilith)

ael

pool

1) ael (aelin-, pl. aelin) (lake, mere). In ”Noldorin” oel, pl. oelin. 2)

ael

pool

(aelin-, pl. aelin) (lake, mere). In ”Noldorin” oel, pl. oelin.

gwelu

air

2) (as substance) gwelu (i **welu), analogical pl. gwely (in gwely) if there is a pl. The attested form is archaic gwelw** (LR:398 s.v. WIL). Hence the coll. pl. is likely *gwelwath, if there is a coll. pl..

gwelu

air

(i ’welu), analogical pl. gwely (in gwely) if there is a pl. The attested form is archaic gwelw (LR:398 s.v. WIL). Hence the coll. pl. is likely ✱gwelwath, if there is a coll. pl..

law

noun. sound

Cognates

  • Q. láma “sound, sound; [ᴹQ.] ringing sound, echo”

Derivations

  • LAM “(inarticulate voiced) sound”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

loeg

pool

loeg (no distinct pl. form: loeg is also atttested with plural meaning) (VT45:29). 4) nên (water, lake, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn.

loeg

pool

(no distinct pl. form: loeg is also atttested with plural meaning) (VT45:29). 4) nên (water, lake, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn.

lŷg

snake

1) lŷg (constuct lyg), no distinct pl. form. 2) lhûg (construct lhug, with article ?i thlûg or ?i lûg the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (dragon, serpent), pl. lhuig (?i luig). See SERPENT.

lammad

sound of voices

pl. lemmaid. May also be spelt with a single m.

nellad

sound of bells

(pl. nellaid);

both

small pool

(i moth, construct both) (puddle), pl. byth (i mbyth). David Salo would lengthen the vowel and read ✱bôth in Sindarin.

romru

sound of horns

pl. remry (idh remry) for archaic römry;

Nandorin 

loeg

noun. pool

@@@ as suggested by Lokyt, possibly a plural form of unattested log, since it is glossed in the plural in the source material: “pools”

Derivations

  • LOG “wet (and soft), soaked, swampy”

Element in

  • Nan. Loeg Ningloron “Gladden Fields, (lit.) Pools of the Golden Water-flowers”

Primitive elvish

lin

root. pool, mere, lake

A root for “pool, mere, lake” appearing in etymological notes from 1957 (PE17/145, 160), and also appearing as ᴹ√LIN “pool” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/LIN¹). In both instances it was the second element in Q. ailin “(large) lake”, and so connected to S. ael “lake” (N. oel) as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (SA/lin¹). In the 1957 notes Tolkien said the root √LIN had a “Sindarin differentiation > glin-” (PE17/160), but I can find no indication of this in any attested words.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was connected to ᴹ√LINKWI with derivatives ᴹQ. linqe/N. lhimp “wet” and N. lhimmid “moisten” (Ety/LINKWI; EtyAC/LINKWI). This is turn was probably a later iteration of the early root ᴱ√LIQI “flow, water; clear, transparent” with derivatives like ᴱQ. linqe “water”, ᴱQ. liqin(a) “wet” and ᴱQ. liqis(tea) “transparence (transparent)” (QL/54). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume the “wetness” senses were transferred to ᴹ√LINKWI, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Eldarin root ✱ᴺ√LIKWIS “clear, transparent” to preserve words associated with tranparency.

This root may be associated with √LIN “make a musical sound”; see that entry for details.

Derivatives

  • S. lîn “pool, mere”

Element in

  • Q. ailin “a large lake, (large) lake, [ᴹQ.] pool” ✧ PE17/160
  • Q. Lórellin “*Dream Pool”
  • ᴺQ. tiquilin “thaw, melting snow, slush”
  • S. ael “lake, pool”
  • ᴺS. saerlin “urine”

Variations

  • LĬNĬ ✧ PE17/145; PE17/160
Primitive elvish [PE17/145; PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lin

root. sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle

This root was conceptually intermingled with √LIR “sing”, both of which had to do with music. The earliest iteration of this root was ᴱ√LINI “gentle” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. linda “gentle, kind; soft” and ᴱQ. linta- “soothe” (QL/54). According to Tolkien this early root was confused with ᴱ√LIŘI “sing” (PME/54), which itself was the earliest precursor to √LIR; this early root √LIŘI [LIÐI] had derivatives like ᴱQ. liri- “to sing” and ᴱQ. lindele “song, music” (QL/54). The picture in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is more muddled, with words like G. lin- “sound” (as well as lintha- “ring bell, play an instrument”) and G. lir- “sing” hinting at two distinct musical roots ✱ᴱ√LINI and ✱ᴱ√LIRI.

Indeed, in The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien reorganized the two roots into ᴹ√LIN “sing” and ᴹ√LIR “sing, trill”, the former taking on music words beginning with lind- and the latter musical words beginning with lir- (Ety/LIN², LIR¹). Both these had strengthened forms ᴹ√GLIN and ᴹ√GLIR used in Noldorin words like N. glinn “song, poem, lay” and N. glaer “long lay, narrative poem”, but entry for the root ᴹ√GLIN was struck through and its Noldorin words adapted to unstrengthened ᴹ√LIN, as in N. lhinn “air, tune” (Ety/GLIN, GLIR). The Etymologies also had another strengthened root ᴹ√LINDĀ “fair (especially of voice)”, with a line indicating it was derived from ᴹ√LIN (Ety/LIND; EtyAC/LIND); this strengthened root in turn was blended with ᴹ√SLIN, unglossed but apparently meaning something like “✱fine, delicate” (Ety/SLIN).

Both root √LIN “sing” (PE17/27, UT/253) and √LIR “sing, warble” (PE17/27, 67) continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings, along with derivatives like Q. lindalë “music” and Q. lírë “song”. Tolkien discussed the root √LIN at length in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, where he said:

> The name ✱Lindā is therefore clearly a derivative of the primitive stem ✱LIN (showing reinforcement of the medial N and adjectival ). This stem was possibly one of the contributions of the Nelyar [Teleri] to Primitive Quendian, for it reflects their predilections and associations, and produces more derivatives in Lindarin [Telerin] tongues than in others. Its primary reference was to melodious or pleasing sound, but it also refers (especially in Lindarin) to water, the motions of which were always by the Lindar associated with vocal (Elvish) sound. The reinforcements, either medial lind- or initial glin-, glind-, were however almost solely used of musical, especially vocal, sounds produced with intent to please (WJ/382).

Tolkien’s statement that it “also refers (especially in Lindarin) to water” is probably an allusion to √LIN “pool, mere, lake” (Ety/LIN¹; PE17/160). In a footnote in Quendi and Eldar essay Tolkien added: “Though this clan-name [S. Glinnel] has ✱glind- in Sindarin, the g- does not appear in Amanya Telerin, nor in Nandorin, so that in this case it may be an addition in Sindarin, which favoured and much increased initial groups of this kind” (WJ/411 note #13). Despite this statement, Sindarin had several derivatives from the base root √LIN(D)-, such as S. linna- “sing, chant” (LotR/238; RGEO/64; PE17/27). The sense “gentle” from the 1910s root ᴱ√LINI also seems to have survived in Tolkien’s later writings, since the adjective Q. linda “soft, gentle, light” appears in notes associated with the 1955 version of the poem Nieninquë (PE16/96).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume √LIN referred to melodious sounds, as well as pools of water (√LIN) by way of the pleasant sounds that water makes, and gentleness (Q. linda) by way of the affect such sounds have on one’s mood. However, I think √LIR more directly referred to vocal music (song) and other rhythmic vocal sounds (chanting) such as poetry, as in Q. [ᴹQ] laire/S. glaer “poem”.

Derivatives

  • linde “singer, singing”
    • S. lind “song, chant, singing; singer, song, chant, singing, [N.] air, tune; [N. and S.] singer” ✧ WJ/309
  • Q. Linda “Singer” ✧ SA/lin²
  • ᴺQ. linda- “to make music”
  • Q. lindë “singing, song, musical sound, singing, song, musical sound; [ᴹQ.] air, tune”
  • Q. lingë “musical sound”
  • ᴺQ. linta- “to soothe”
  • S. lind “song, chant, singing; singer, song, chant, singing, [N.] air, tune; [N. and S.] singer” ✧ PE17/027
  • S. lind “fair”

Element in

  • lindā “*sweet sounding” ✧ WJ/382
  • Q. Ainulindalë “Music of the Ainur” ✧ SA/lin²
  • ᴺQ. airelinna “hymn, (lit.) holy song”
  • Q. Laurelin “Song of Gold, Singing Gold” ✧ SA/lin²
  • Q. Laurelindórenan “(Land of the) Valley of Singing Gold” ✧ UT/253
  • Q. lirulin “lark”
  • Q. lómelindë “nightingale, (lit.) dusk-singer” ✧ SA/lin²
  • S. Lindon “Land of Music” ✧ SA/lin²

Variations

  • LIN ✧ PE17/027; PE17/160; WJ/382
  • lin- ✧ SA/lin²; UT/253
  • lind- ✧ WJ/382
  • glin- ✧ WJ/382
  • glind- ✧ WJ/382; WJ/411
Primitive elvish [PE17/027; PE17/160; SA/lin²; UT/253; WJ/382; WJ/411] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lind

root. sing

glin(d)

root. sing

bani

adjective. fair

Element in

  • Q. vanië “beauty” ✧ PE17/057
  • Q. vanima “beautiful, fair, beautiful, fair, *handsome; [ᴱQ.] proper, right, as it should be, fair” ✧ PE17/057

Variations

  • vanĭ ✧ PE17/057
Primitive elvish [PE17/057] Group: Eldamo. Published by

wanyā

adjective. fair

Derivations

  • (G)WAN “pale, fair” ✧ WJ/383

Derivatives

  • Q. Vanya “Fair Elves, the Fair” ✧ WJ/380; WJ/383
    • T. Vania “Vanya” ✧ WJ/383

Variations

  • wanjā ✧ WJ/380; WJ/383
Primitive elvish [WJ/380; WJ/383] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

lhind

noun. air, tune

Noldorin [Ety/369, X/LH, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhinn

noun. air, tune

Noldorin [Ety/369, X/LH, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhinn

noun. air, tune

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. linde “air, tune” ✧ Ety/LIN²

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶lindē “*singing”
    • ᴹ√LIN “sing”
  • ᴹ√LIN “sing” ✧ Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN

Element in

  • N. dúlin(n) “nightingale” ✧ Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN
  • N. Glewellin “Song of Gold”
  • N. tuilinn “swallow, (lit.) spring-singer”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LIN² > lhind > lhinn[lindē] > [linde] > [lind] > [l̥ind] > [l̥inn]✧ Ety/LIN²
Noldorin [Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lhîn

noun. pool

Noldorin [Ety/369, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhîn

noun. pool

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. linya “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LIN “pool” ✧ Ety/KHIS; Ety/LIN¹

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LIN¹ > lhîn[linje] > [linie] > [lini] > [lin] > [l̥in] > [l̥īn]✧ Ety/LIN¹
Noldorin [Ety/KHIS; Ety/LIN¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

liniath

noun. pools

Noldorin [Hithliniath WJ/194] Group: SINDICT. Published by

glir-

verb. to sing, trill, to recite a poem

The form glin in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/45:15

Noldorin [Ety/359, Ety/369, VT/45:15] Group: SINDICT. Published by

liria-

verb. to sing

Noldorin [VT/45:28] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwelwen

noun. air, lower air (distinct from the upper air of the stars, or the outer)

Noldorin [Ety/398] gwelu+men. Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwilith

noun. air (as a region)

Noldorin [Ety/398] Group: SINDICT. Published by

rhim

noun. cold pool or lake (in mountains)

Noldorin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

am-

prefix. snake

A prefix for “snake” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√ANGWA of the same meaning, most notably an element in N. amlug “dragon” (Ety/ANGWA).

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ANGWA “snake” ✧ Ety/ANGWA

Element in

  • N. amlug “dragon” ✧ Ety/ANGWA

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ANGWA > am-[aŋgwa] > [amba] > [amb] > [amm] > [am]✧ Ety/ANGWA
Noldorin [Ety/ANGWA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwelw

noun. air (as substance)

Noldorin [Ety/398, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

rhimb

noun. cold pool or lake (in mountains)

Noldorin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhûg

noun. snake, serpent

Noldorin [Ety/370, S/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nella-

verb. to sound (of bells)

Noldorin [Ety/379, VT/46:7] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thlê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

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

rhû

noun. loud-sound, trumpet-sound

Noldorin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

rhomru

noun. sound of horns

Noldorin [Ety/384, X/RH] rom+rû. Group: SINDICT. 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!

Valarin 

šebeth

noun. air

Qenya 

linde

noun. pool

Element in

linde

noun. air, tune

Cognates

  • N. glinn “song, poem, lay” ✧ Ety/GLIN
  • N. lhinn “air, tune” ✧ Ety/LIN²

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶lindē “*singing”
    • ᴹ√LIN “sing”
  • ᴹ√LIN “sing” ✧ Ety/GLIN; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GLIN > linde[glinde] > [ɣlinde] > [linde]✧ Ety/GLIN
ᴹ√LIN² > linde[linde]✧ Ety/LIN²

Variations

  • linde ✧ Ety/GLIN (linde); Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN (linde)
Qenya [Ety/GLIN; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linya

noun. pool

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “pool” derived from the root ᴹ√LIN of the same meaning (Ety/LIN¹).

Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴹQ. linde “pool” appears in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/10), but this word is probably best avoided, as it clashes with Q. lindë “singing, song” (PE17/80).

Cognates

  • N. lhîn “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹
  • Ilk. line “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LIN “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LIN¹ > linya[linja]✧ Ety/LIN¹

vista

place name. Air

Name for the region of Air in Silmarillion notes from the 1930s (SM/236). It is simply vista “air as substance” used as a name.

Elements

WordGloss
vista“air as substance”
Qenya [LRI/Vista; SM/236; SM/240; SM/241; SMI/Vista; SMI/Wilwa] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nende

noun. pool

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NEN “*water” ✧ Ety/NEN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NEN > nende[nende]✧ Ety/NEN

vanima

adjective. fair

Derivations

  • ᴹ√BAN “*beauty” ✧ Ety/BAN

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Vanimo “The Beautiful; Fair Folk” ✧ Ety/BAN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√BAN > vanima[banima] > [βanima] > [vanima]✧ Ety/BAN

lamma

noun. sound

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LAM “*sound” ✧ Ety/LAM

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LAM > lamma[lamma]✧ Ety/LAM

Doriathrin

line

noun. pool

A noun for “pool” derived from the root ᴹ√LIN (Ety/LIN¹). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. linya suggests its primitive form was ✱✶linyā [linjā]. If so, it is an example of how, after [[ilk|final [a] was lost]], the [[ilk|final [j] became [i]]] and then became [e], as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Ilkorin/line).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. linya “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LIN “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Element in

  • Ilk. Taiglin “Deep-pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LIN¹ > line[linjā] > [linja] > [linj] > [lini] > [line]✧ Ety/LIN¹
Doriathrin [Ety/LIN¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

moth

noun. pool

A Doriathrin noun for “pool”, derived from root ᴹ√MBOTH (Ety/MBOTH). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. motto suggests a primitive form of ✱✶mbottʰō. As pointed out by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/moth), the primitive [mb-] might be expected to have become [b-], since initial nasals usually vanished before stops in Ilkorin, as for example Ilk. bril < MBIRÍL.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. motto “blot” ✧ Ety/MBOTH

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MBOTH “*pool” ✧ Ety/MBOTH

Element in

  • Ilk. umboth “large pool” ✧ Ety/MBOTH

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MBOTH > moth[mbottʰō] > [mbottʰo] > [mboθθo] > [mboθo] > [mboθ] > [moθ]✧ Ety/MBOTH
Doriathrin [Ety/MBOTH] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

lin

root. sing

Changes

  • GLINLIN² “sing” ✧ Ety/GLIN
  • GLINLIN² ✧ Ety/LIN²

Derivatives

  • Ilk. lind “tuneful, sweet; *singing” ✧ Ety/TIN
  • ᴹ✶lindā “sweet sounding” ✧ EtyAC/LIND
    • Ilk. lind “tuneful, sweet; *singing” ✧ Ety/LIND
    • ᴹQ. linda “fair, beautiful (of sound)” ✧ Ety/LIND
    • N. lhend “tuneful, sweet” ✧ Ety/LIND
  • ᴹ✶lindē “*singing”
    • ᴹQ. linde “air, tune”
    • N. lhinn “air, tune”
  • ᴹ✶lindō “singer” ✧ Ety/TUY
    • ᴹQ. lindo “singer, singing bird”
  • ᴹQ. lindale “music” ✧ Ety/LIN²
  • ᴹQ. linde “air, tune” ✧ Ety/GLIN; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN
  • ᴹQ. lindo “singer, singing bird” ✧ Ety/LIN²
  • ᴹQ. linwe “short lay”
  • ᴹQ. lin- “to sing” ✧ Ety/GLIN
  • N. glin- “to sing” ✧ Ety/GLIN
  • N. glinn “song, poem, lay” ✧ Ety/GLIN
  • N. lhinn “air, tune” ✧ Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN

Element in

  • ᴹ✶Lindān-d “musical land” ✧ Ety/LIN²
  • ᴹQ. Laurelin “Song of Gold” ✧ Ety/GLIN (Laurelin); Ety/LIN²
  • N. tuilinn “swallow, (lit.) spring-singer” ✧ Ety/LIN²

Variations

  • GLIN ✧ Ety/GLIN (GLIN); Ety/LIN² (GLIN); EtyAC/GLIR
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/GLIN; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN; Ety/TUY; EtyAC/GLIR; EtyAC/LIND] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lin

root. pool

Derivatives

  • Ilk. line “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹
  • ᴹ√LINKWI “*wet” ✧ Ety/LIN¹
    • ᴹQ. linqe “wet, wet, [ᴱQ.] flowing; water, stream” ✧ Ety/LINKWI
    • N. lhimmid(a)- “to moisten” ✧ Ety/LINKWI
    • N. lhimp “wet” ✧ Ety/LINKWI
  • ᴹQ. linya “pool” ✧ Ety/LIN¹
  • N. lhîn “pool” ✧ Ety/KHIS; Ety/LIN¹

Element in

  • ᴹ✶ailin “pool, lake” ✧ Ety/AY
  • ᴹQ. ailin “pool, lake” ✧ Ety/LIN¹
  • N. Oelinuial “Pools of Twilight” ✧ Ety/KHIS
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/AY; Ety/KHIS; Ety/LIN¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

wis

root. air

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. vista “air as substance” ✧ Ety/WIS
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/WIS; EtyAC/SWES] Group: Eldamo. Published by

angwa

root. snake

The root √ANGWA “snake” with variant √ANGU appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as the basis for the words ᴹQ. ango “snake” (Ety/ANGWA) and angulóke “dragon” (Ety/LOK). The Noldorin equivalent am- seems to have survived only as a prefix (Ety/ANGWA), and is a good example of how [[on|[ŋgw] > [mb]]] in that language. There are a variety of other words for “snake” in Tolkien’s later writings, so whether this root remained valid is unclear.

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. ango “snake, dragon” ✧ Ety/ANGWA
  • N. am- “snake” ✧ Ety/ANGWA

Element in

Variations

  • ANGU ✧ Ety/ANGWA
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ANGWA; Ety/LOK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

lin

noun. sound

Gnomish [LT1A/Lindelos] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eilin

noun. pool

lingos

noun. snake

Cognates

nîn

noun. pool

An archaic noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “pool” (GL/60), almost certainly derived from the early root ᴱ√NENE (QL/65).

Cognates

  • Eq. nénu “yellow water lily”

Derivations

  • ᴱ√NENE “flow”

Element in

  • G. ninion “water lily” ✧ GL/60

gwail

noun. air

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GWILI “*fly” ✧ GL/45

Element in

  • G. gwailtha- “to air; expose to air” ✧ GL/45

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√gu̯il > gwail[gʷīl] > [gʷail]✧ GL/45

fent

noun. snake

A word for “snake” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, along with a deleted variant fenlug (fenlog-) (GL/34), the latter probably a combination with G. lûg “snake”. It was clearly a cognate of ᴱQ. fent “serpent” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/38).

Cognates

  • Eq. fent “serpent, dragon”

Derivations

Element in

  • G. Fenthur “King of Serpents” ✧ GL/34

fenlug

noun. snake

Variations

  • fenlog ✧ GL/34 (fenlog)

lûg

noun. snake

Cognates

  • Eq. lóke “snake, dragon” ✧ LT2A/Foalókë; PE15/28; PE13/105

Element in

  • G. fenlug “snake” ✧ GL/34 (fenlug)

Variations

  • lug ✧ GL/34 (lug)
  • Lûg ✧ LT2A/Foalókë; PE15/28
  • Lug ✧ PE13/105
Gnomish [GL/34; LT2A/Foalókë; PE13/105; PE15/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thas

pronoun. thy

Variations

  • thath ✧ GG/13 (thath)

Early Noldorin

lhuin

noun. pool

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

Early Primitive Elvish

liði

root. sing

Changes

  • ’LIŘILIŘI ✧ PME/054

Derivatives

  • Eq. lirit(ta) “poem, lay, written poem” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054
  • Eq. lindele “music, song” ✧ PME/054
  • Eq. lin “melody, air, tune, musical voice” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054
  • Eq. lindo “singer”
  • Eq. liri- “to sing” ✧ QL/054
  • Eq. lirilla “lay, song” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054
  • Eq. Lirillo ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054
  • G. (g)lairin “*poem”
  • G. glin “sound, voice, utterance”
  • G. lir- “to sing” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos
  • G. glîr “song, poem” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos
  • G. lin- “to sound (intr.)”
  • G. gling “music”
  • G. lintha- “to sound (tr.), strike or ring bell, play an instrument”
  • G. Liriluith

Element in

Variations

  • LIRI ✧ LT1A/Lindelos
  • LIŘI ✧ PME/054; QL/054
  • ’LIŘI ✧ PME/054 (’LIŘI)
Early Primitive Elvish [LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054] Group: Eldamo. Published by

liři

root. sing

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

liŋi Reconstructed

root. snake

Derivatives

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

lin

noun. snake

A word for “snake” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with a stem form of {linge- >>} ling- (QL/54).

Cognates

  • G. ling “small snake”

Derivations

Element in

Variations

  • lin ✧ QL/043
  • Lin² ✧ QL/054
Early Quenya [QL/043; QL/054] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lin

noun. melody, air, tune, musical voice

Cognates

  • G. glin “sound, voice, utterance” ✧ PE15/25; LT1A/Lindelos

Derivations

  • ᴱ√LIÐI “sing” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054; QL/054

Element in

  • Eq. Laurelin “Singing-gold” ✧ PE15/25
  • Eq. Lindelokte “Singing Cluster” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; LT1A/Lindelos; PE15/25
  • Eq. Lindelóte
  • Eq. linda “singing”
  • Eq. lindele “music, song” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; QL/054
  • Eq. lindea “singing, *musical” ✧ QL/054
  • Eq. lindelin “melody, tune” ✧ QL/054
  • Eq. lindelokte “laburnum, (lit.) singing cluster” ✧ QL/054
  • Eq. lindórea “singing at dawn (esp. of birds)” ✧ QL/054

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√LIŘI > lin[linðǝ] > [linð] > [lind] > [lin]✧ PME/054
ᴱ√LIŘI > lin¹[linðǝ] > [linð] > [lind] > [lin]✧ QL/054

Variations

  • lin ✧ LT1A/Lindelos; PME/054
  • linde ✧ PE15/25
Early Quenya [LT1A/Lindelos; PE15/25; PME/054; QL/054] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linda

adjective. singing

Element in

  • Eq. Ondolinda “Singing Stone” ✧ LT1A/Gondolin

Elements

WordGloss
lin“melody, air, tune, musical voice”

Variations

  • linda ✧ LT1A/Gondolin (linda)
Early Quenya [LT1A/Gondolin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lingo

noun. snake

ilma

noun. air

A word for “air” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/142), probably based on the early root ᴱ√ILU “ether”. Later ᴹQ. Ilma was used for “Starlight” (Ety/GIL; LR/205).

Elements

WordGloss
ILU“ether, the slender airs among the stars”
Early Quenya [PE16/142] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oqi

noun. snake

Derivations

  • ᴱ√OQO “curve, bend” ✧ QL/070

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√OQO > oqi[okʷī] > [okʷi]✧ QL/070
Early Quenya [PME/070; QL/070] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nemba

noun. thread

A noun for “thread” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s derived from the early root ᴱ√NEME having to do with sewing (QL/65).

Derivations

  • ᴱ√NEME “*sew” ✧ QL/065

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√NEME > nemba[nembā] > [nemba]✧ QL/065
Early Quenya [PME/065; QL/065] Group: Eldamo. Published by