nen echui

place name. Water of Awakening

Lake by which the Elves first awoke, a combination of nen “water” and echui “awakening”, corresponding to its more commonly used Quenya name Q. Cuiviénen (SA/cuivië).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, this lake was first named G. Nenin a Gwivros (GL/29), but appeared as ᴱN. Cuinlimfin in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/23). In notes associated with the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it became N. Nen Echui (LR/406), a name that also appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/KUY). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Tolkien considered using Nenechui or Echuinen as an Elvish name of Mirrormere (TI/184), but later gave that lake the Sindarin name Nen Cenedril (RS/466).

Cognates

• Q. Cuiviénen “Water of Awakening” ✧ SA/cuivië

Elements

Word	Gloss
nen	“water; lake, pool; (lesser) river, water; lake, pool; (lesser) river, [ᴱN.] stream”
echui	“awakening”