nettë

girl, daughter

nettë (stem *netti-, given the primitive form listed in VT47:17) noun "girl, daughter" (but also "sister", see below), also used as a play-name of the "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" (VT47:10, VT48:6), in two-hand play also used for the numeral "nine" (nettë is conceived as being related to nertë, q.v.) Nettë is also defined as "sister" or "girl approaching the adult" (VT47:16, VT49:25), "girl/daughter" (VT47:15-16); it may be that "sister" was Tolkien's final decision on the meaning (VT48:4, 22) - The related word nésa seems like a less ambiguous translation of "sister".

nengwë

nose

nengwë (stem *nengwi-, given the primitive form ¤neñ-wi) noun "nose", pl. nengwi given (NEÑ-WI)

nessa

young

nessa adj. "young" (NETH), alsoNessa as name of a Valië, the spouse of Tulkas (adopted and adapted from Valarin, or an archaic Elvish formation: WJ:404 vs. 416). Also called Indis, "bride" (NETH, NI1). The fem. name Nessanië (UT:210) would seem to incorporate Nessa's name; the second element could mean "tear" (nië), but since Nessa is not normally associated with sorrow, this #nië is perhaps rather a variant of ní "female" (compare Tintanië as a variant of Tintallë).

nésa

sister

nésa (Þ) noun "sister" (VT47:14); this form from a late source possibly replaces earlier seler and onórë, q.v.

nésa

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning (VT47/12, 14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant nettë used as a play name for the fourth finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6), but I prefer to mainly use nettë for “(little) girl” in Neo-Quenya (VT47/10, 15, 33).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. seler “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. heresse “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

Cognates

• S. nîth “sister” ✧ VT47/14
• T. néþa “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Derivations

• ✶nēthā “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nēthā > néþa > nésa	[nētʰā] > [nēθā] > [nēθa] > [nēsa]	✧ VT47/14

onórë

sister

onórë noun "sister" (of blood-kin) (THEL/THELES, NŌ; both of these entries in the Etymologies as reproduced in LR have the reading "onóne", but the "Old Noldorin" cognate wanúre listed in the entry THEL/THELES seems to indicate that the Quenya word should be onórë; the letters n and r are easily confused in Tolkien's handwriting. There is no clear evidence for a feminine ending -në in Quenya, but -rë is relatively well attested; cf. for instance ontarë.) A later source gives the word for "sister" as nésa instead.

seler

sister

seler (þ) (sell-, as in pl. selli) noun "sister" (THEL/THELES). In a later source, the word nésa (q.v.) appears instead, leaving the conceptual status of seler uncertain.

vinya

young

vinya (1) adj. "young" (VT46:22, VT47:26, PE17:191) or "new" (cf. compounds Vinyamar, Vinyarië below; cf. also winya "new, fresh, young" in a deleted entry in the Etymologies, VT45:16; there the word was first written as vinya.) Vinya "the Young", original name of the isle of Númenor among its own people (SD:332).

osellë

sister, [female] associate

osellë (þ) noun "sister, [female] associate" (THEL/THELES, WŌ). Cf. otorno.

nessa

Nessa

Nessa ([ˈnesːa]) is a Quenya name meaning "young".

neth

noun. sister

neth

noun. girl (in her teens, approaching the adult)

neth

noun. (little) girl; sister (diminutive)

A word appearing in several sets of notes from the late 1960s having to do with Hands, Fingers and Numerals. It was related to the finger name of the fourth finger (representing the sister). Tolkien gave it a variety of glosses: “girl” (VT47/33), “little girl” (VT47/33), or as an archaic diminutive for “sister” (VT47/14; VT48/6), where it was replaced by nethig in modern speech. He also gave it several different derivations, from √NET “trim, pretty, dainty” (VT47/33) or the root √NETH which itself was given a variety of meanings: “sister” (VT47/12, 26, 34), “(young) woman” (VT47/15, 32, 39) or “fresh, lively, merry” (VT47/32).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I think the meaning “(little) girl” is the most useful. For “sister” I would use †nîth or nethel, with nethig as the diminutive form.

Cognates

• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/14; VT47/33; VT48/06

Derivations

• √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12
• ✶netthi “girl approaching the adult, sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/33
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/15; VT47/39
• √NET “trim, pretty, dainty” ✧ VT47/33

Element in

• S. nethig “sister, girl (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/14; VT47/33

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NETH > neth	[nettʰi] > [nettʰe] > [neθθe] > [neθθ] > [neθ]	✧ VT47/12
✶netthi > neth	[nettʰi] > [nettʰe] > [neθθe] > [neθθ] > [neθ]	✧ VT47/33
√net > neth	[netti] > [nette] > [nettʰe] > [neθθe] > [neθθ] > [neθ]	✧ VT47/33

nethel

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †nîth (VT47/12, 14). The diminutive/affectionate form nethig “[little] sister” was used as a play name for the fourth finger (VT48/6); Tolkien considered an alternate diminutive netheg (VT47/14, 32) and also considered giving this diminutive an alternate meaning “little girl” (VT47/15, 33); see S. neth for discussion.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thêl “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethir “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

nethig

noun. "litte sister"

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nethig

noun. ring finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nîth

noun. sister

nîth

noun. sister

Cognates

• Q. nésa “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Derivations

• ✶nēthā “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12

Element in

• S. nethel “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nēthā > nîth	[nētʰā] > [nētʰa] > [nēθa] > [nīθa] > [nīθ]	✧ VT47/14

gwein

adjective. young

adj. young. Q. vinya. >> gwîn

gwein

adjective. young

neth

sister

1) neth (also used = ”girl”). (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6), pl. nith. Notice the homophone neth ”young”. Also nîth (no distinct pl. form though the plural article with show pluarlity when the noun is definite: in nîth) (VT47:14). 2) gwathel (i **wathel), pl. gwethil (in gwethil). 3) muinthel (i vuinthel), pl. muinthil (i muinthil), more usual than the shorter form thêl (stem thele-), pl. theli. In “Noldorin”, the pl. was thelei** (LR:392 s.v. THEL).

neth

young

neth (pl. nith). A homophone is the noun ”sister, girl”.

neth

young

(pl. nith). A homophone is the noun ”sister, girl”.

neth

nessa

Neth, also called Díneth ”the young bride” (na Nineth)

neth

nessa

also called Díneth ”the young bride” (na Nineth)

neth

girl

(also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. – The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.

nem

nose

1) nem (pl. nim; coll. pl. nemmath), 2) bund (i mund, o mbund, construct mun) (snout, cape [of land]), pl. bynd (i mbynd)

nem

nose

(pl. nim; coll. pl. nemmath)

bund

nose

(i mund, o mbund, construct mun) (snout, cape [of land]), pl. bynd (i mbynd)

dess

young woman

(i ness, o ndess, constuct des), pl. diss (i ndiss)

iell

girl

1) iell (-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill; 2) sell (i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath. 3) (girl in her teens, approaching the adult) neth (also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.

iell

girl

(-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill

sell

girl

(i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath.

néþa

noun. sister

Cognates

• Q. nésa “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Derivations

• ✶nēthā “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12

Variations

• nēþa ✧ VT47/14

nettë

noun. sister (diminutive)

Cognates

• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/11; VT47/14; VT47/15; VT48/06

Derivations

• √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12
• ✶netthi “girl approaching the adult, sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/16; VT47/33
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/15; VT47/39

Element in

• T. netticë “sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/14; VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/33

Variations

• nette ✧ VT47/14; VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/33; VT48/06

netticë

noun. sister (diminutive)

Changes

• nettica → nettice ✧ VT47/14
• nettica → nettice ✧ VT47/32

Cognates

• S. nethig “sister, girl (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/32; VT47/32
• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT48/06

Variations

• nettice ✧ VT47/14; VT47/14; VT47/14; VT47/32; VT47/33
• nettica ✧ VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/32 (nettica)
• nettike ✧ VT48/06

nithil

noun. girl

A noun translated “girl” and fully declined as an example of a feminine Strong I noun (SD/430). It is also used as an example of feminine nouns that use the suffix -i in their objective inflection as opposed to the usual -u: nithli (SD/431). Though not explicitly stated, nithli is also an example of the variant objective-with-syncope syntax discussed on SD/435. Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/21) it may be related to the Elvish root √NETH “young”.

Derivations

• √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young”

neth

root. (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young

This root had a variety of meanings over Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴹ√NETH “young” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with various Quenya and Noldorin derivatives of similar meaning, the most notable being the name ᴹQ. Nessa (Ety/NETH). In rough notes probably from around 1959, Tolkien redefined √NETH or √NES to mean “feminity apart from sex”, contrasted with √WEG or √WEƷ for masculinity, but he abandoned this line of reasoning deciding that √WĒ simply meant “person” independent of gender (PE17/189-190).

In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, Tolkien again redefined √NETH, this time as the basis for Elvish “sister” words, either specifically meaning “sister” (VT47/12, 26, 34), meaning “(young) woman” (VT47/15, 32, 39) or perhaps “fresh, lively, merry” (VT47/32), the last of these probably a callback to its 1930s meaning “young”. In notes from 1959-60, however, the name Q. Nessa was disconnected from the root √NETH, derived instead from ✶Neresā meaning “she that has manlike valour or strength” (WJ/416).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best for √NETH to retain its essential 1930s meaning “young, fresh, lively”, but with an association to young women as described in Tolkien’s notes from the 1960s, and thus by extension “sister” as named from the perspective of the parents.

Derivatives

• Ad. nithil “girl”
• ✶nesī/nese “a person of female nature” ✧ PE17/190
• ✶nēthā “sister” ✧ VT47/12
  • Q. nésa “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/14
  • S. nîth “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • T. néþa “sister” ✧ VT47/14
• ✶nethē “young woman, girl” ✧ VT47/32
• ✶nēthā “gay, lively, girlish” ✧ VT47/32
  • T. nétha “gay, lively, girlish” ✧ VT47/32
• ✶netthi “girl approaching the adult, sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/15; VT47/39
  • Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/16; VT47/33; VT47/39
  • S. neth “(little) girl; sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/33
  • T. nettë “sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/16; VT47/33
• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/12; VT47/26; VT47/32; VT47/34
• S. neth “(little) girl; sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/12
• T. nettë “sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/12

Variations

• NES ✧ PE17/167; PE17/190 (NES)
• neth ✧ VT47/26; VT47/34

nēthā

noun. sister

Derivations

• √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12

Derivatives

• Q. nésa “sister” ✧ VT47/14
• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT47/14
• S. nîth “sister” ✧ VT47/14
• T. néþa “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Element in

• ✶netthi “girl approaching the adult, sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/14

Variations

• nēthā ✧ VT47/14

win

root. young, young, [ᴹ√] new, fresh

Tolkien used a similar set of Elvish roots for “youth” and “freshness” for many years. The earliest of these was primitive guı̯u̯ or gu̯iu̯ [ᴱ√GWIWI] in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like G. gui “just, just now, only just, already”, G. guin “recent, fresh”, and G. gwioth “youth” (GL/42). This root reappeared as ᴹ√WIR “new, fresh, young” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with variants ᴹ√WĪ and ᴹ√WIN and derivatives ᴹQ. vírie “youth” and ᴹQ. virya “fresh” (EtyAC/WIR). The ᴹ√WIN variant had derivatives ᴹQ. vinya/N. gwîn “young”. Tolkien considered, but rejected, deriving these from strengthened ᴹ√GWIN instead, producing (also rejected) ᴹQ. winya/N. bîn (EtyAC/GWIN).

Q. vinya appeared in quite a few later names with the gloss “young” or “new”, but the Sindarin form became S. gwain as in S. Narwain “January, ✱(lit.) New Fire” (LotR/1110) and S. Iarwain “Old-young” (LotR/1114; RC/128). In Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, both were given as derivatives of √WIN “young” along with Q. víne/S. gwîn “youth”, though the Sindarin word for “young” was given as (archaic?) gwein (PE17/191). Also related are various words for “baby” from 1968 notes such Q. †wine/S. gwinig “little-one, baby” (VT48/6). In these notes primitive wini was glossed “little” but this was deleted (VT47/26), making it likely that the earlier senses “young, new” were restored for √WIN.

As for the 1930s root ᴹ√WIR, it might have survived as an element in the month names Q. Víressë/S. Gwirith “April” (LotR/1110), perhaps meaning “✱freshness”.

Derivatives

• ✶wini “child not yet full grown” ✧ VT47/26
  • Q. winë “baby, little-one, child not yet full grown” ✧ VT47/26
• ᴺQ. vin “just, just now, only just, already”
• Q. vínë “youth, youth, *childhood” ✧ PE17/191; VT47/26
• Q. vinya “young, new” ✧ PE17/191; VT47/26
• Q. Víressë “April, *Freshness”
• S. gwain “young, *new” ✧ PE17/191
• ᴺS. gwí “just, just now, only just, already”
• S. gwîn “youth” ✧ PE17/191

Element in

• S. gwinig “little-one, baby”
• S. Gwirith “April, *Freshness”
• T. winicë “little-one, baby”

Variations

• wini ✧ VT47/26 (wini)
• win ✧ VT47/26

neth

adjective. young

neth

adjective. young

irregular, compare: tathor @@@

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nessa “young” ✧ Ety/NETH

Derivations

• ᴹ✶nethrā “young” ✧ Ety/NETH
  • ᴹ√NETH “young” ✧ Ety/NETH
• ᴹ√NETH “young” ✧ Ety/NĪ¹; EtyAC/NIS

Element in

• N. dineth “bride” ✧ Ety/NĪ¹; EtyAC/NIS
• N. Neth “Nessa” ✧ Ety/NETH
• N. Nethwelein “Younger Gods”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶nethra > neth	[netʰra] > [neθra] > [neθr] > [neθ]	✧ Ety/NETH

neth

feminine name. Nessa

Noldorin equivalent of ᴹQ. Nessa appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, derived from the same primitive root ᴹ√NETH (Ety/NETH, NĪ¹). Given its Quenya form, the primitive form of this name might have been ✱✶netthā.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Nessa “*Young” ✧ Ety/NETH; Ety/NĪ¹

Derivations

• ᴹ√NETH “young” ✧ Ety/NĪ¹

Element in

• N. Dineth “Nessa” ✧ Ety/NETH

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NETH > Neth	[nettʰā] > [nettʰa] > [neθθa] > [neθθ] > [neθ]	✧ Ety/NĪ¹

dineth

feminine name. Nessa

A Noldorin name for Nessa appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, it is simply dineth “bride” used as a name (Ety/NĪ¹, NETH, EtyAC/NDIS).

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Nessa “*Young” ✧ Ety/NĪ¹

Elements

Word	Gloss
dineth	“bride”

Variations

• Di-neth ✧ EtyAC/NDIS

nem

noun. nose

nem

noun. nose

A word for “nose” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, with archaic form nemb and derived from ᴹ√NEÑ-WI (Ety/NEÑ-WI), an elaboration of the shorter root ᴹ√NEÑ (EtyAC/NEÑ-WI). The mb is a result of the Old Noldorin change of labialized velars into labials (ñw > ñgw > mb), a sound change that also occurred in Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: Similar but earlier “nose” words include G. nûn {“a nostril” >>} “a nose (of men only)” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/61) and ᴱN. {nheth >>} neth “nose” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/151).

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nengwe “nose” ✧ Ety/NEÑ-WI

Derivations

• ᴹ✶neñwi “nose” ✧ Ety/NEÑ-WI
  • ᴹ√NEÑ “*nose” ✧ EtyAC/NEÑ-WI

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶NEÑ-WI > nemb > nem	[neŋwi] > [neŋgwi] > [neŋgwe] > [nembe] > [nemb] > [nemb] > [nemm] > [nem]	✧ Ety/NEÑ-WI

muinthel

noun. sister

muinthel

noun. sister

nemb

noun. nose

thêl

noun. sister

thêl

noun. sister

A word for “sister” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES of the same meaning, with an irregular plural thelei (Ety/THEL). It had a more elaborate form muinthel, the equivalent of muindor “(dear) brother”, with an initial element muin “dear”.

Neo-Quenya: In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien introduced a new word nethel for “sister” from the root √NETH (VT47/14). However, I think thêl and related words might be retained to mean a “metaphorical sister”, a close female associate who may or may not be related by blood, as with such words as gwathel “[sworn] sister, associate”. In this paradigm, I would assume muinthel still refers to a sister by blood, with an added connotation of strong affection. I think it’s best to assume the irregular Noldorin plural pattern was reformed to the normal Sindarin plural thîl.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. seler “sister” ✧ Ety/THEL

Derivations

• On. thele “sister” ✧ Ety/THEL
  • ᴹ√THEL(ES) “sister” ✧ Ety/THEL
  • ᴹ✶thelese “*sister” ✧ Ety/THEL
  • ᴹ√THEL(ES) “sister” ✧ Ety/THEL

Element in

• N. muinthel “sister” ✧ Ety/THEL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. thele > thêl	[θele] > [θel] > [θēl]	✧ Ety/THEL

gwathel

noun. sister, associate

gwîn

adjective. young

Changes

• gwîn → bîn ✧ EtyAC/GWIN

Cognates

• ᴹQ. vinya “young, new” ✧ EtyAC/GWIN; EtyAC/GWIN; EtyAC/WIR

Derivations

• ᴹ√WIN “new, fresh, young” ✧ EtyAC/GWIN; EtyAC/WIR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√GWIN > bîn	[gwinje] > [binje] > [binie] > [bini] > [bin] > [bīn]	✧ EtyAC/GWIN
ᴹ√WINI > gwîn	[winje] > [gwinje] > [gwinie] > [gwini] > [gwin] > [gwīn]	✧ EtyAC/WIR

Variations

• bîn ✧ EtyAC/GWIN (bîn)
• gwîn ✧ EtyAC/GWIN (gwîn); EtyAC/WIR