A word for “a net” in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69, derived from the root √RAY “net, knit, contrive network or lace” (VT42/12). Tolkien briefly changed this word to raime “network, lace”, but then wrote “stet [let it stand]” indicating a restoration of the original form (VT42/28 note #24), giving raiwë for “lace” instead (see that entry for discussion). This word was also contrasted with rembë “net (for catching)” on the same page, so it seems raima applied to woven or crafted nets for any purpose, not just catching prey. The word raima “a net” also appeared in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as a derivative of √RAY “net, knit (contrive a network)”, but in that (probably earlier) document the root also meant “catch, involve (in a net)” (PE22/159).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. makse “net” based on the early root ᴱ√MAKA [ŊʷAKA] (QL/58).
A word in Quenya used in enumerating series from notes from the late 1960s (VT47/15-16), based on the extended root √ENET. Its original sense seems to be “one more beyond”, and it was used in enumerations where some actual numbers were omitted, except possibly the last such as 1, 2, nete, nete, 5 or 1, 2, (3), nete, nete, 10. As such, it also came to be seen as “the last before 10” and from this became the basis for neter > nertë “9”. In counts up to 5 it had the sense “one more beyond the middle”, associated with the fourth finger which in child games was used for the daughter. By association this finger was given the (technically unrelated) name nette “little girl, daughter” as a more affectionate variant of nésa (néþa) “sister”.