Sindarin 

niged

noun. little finger

Sindarin [VT/48:5] Group: SINDICT. Published by

niged

noun. little finger

Cognates

  • Q. nícë “little finger” ✧ VT48/05

Derivations

  • NIK “small”

lebed

noun. finger

Tolkien later seems to have replaced this form by leber

Sindarin [Ety/368, X/LH, VT/47:23-24,27] Group: SINDICT. Published by

leber

noun. finger

Sindarin [VT/47:10,23-24, VT/48:5] Group: SINDICT. Published by

leber

noun. finger

The Sindarin word for “finger”, derived from primitive ✶leper and based on the root √LEP “pick up” (VT47/10; VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien used various Elvish words for “finger” over his life, but most were based on the root √LEP. The Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. leptha “finger” (GG/13; GL/53), clearly derived from the early root ᴱ√LEPE that was the basis for contemporaneous Qenya finger words (QL/53). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it was ᴱN. lhê “finger”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶lept- (PE13/148). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. lhebed “finger” based on the root ᴹ√LEPET of the same meaning (Ety/LEP). In drafts of the 1968 notes mentioned above, Tolkien had S. lebed “finger” (VT47/27), but this was replaced by leber in the finished versions (VT47/23-24 note #30).

Cognates

  • Q. leper “finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/05

Derivations

  • leper “finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24; VT47/24; VT48/05; VT48/05
    • LEP “pick up/out (with the fingers); finger” ✧ VT44/16
    • lepero “finger” ✧ VT47/13; VT47/24
    • LEP “pick up/out (with the fingers); finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24

Element in

  • S. lebdas “index finger” ✧ VT48/05
  • S. lebenedh “middle finger” ✧ VT48/05
  • S. lebent “fourth finger” ✧ VT48/05
  • ᴺS. leberen “fingered, of fingers”
  • S. lebethron “Gondorian hardwood, *(lit.) finger tree”
  • S. lebig “little finger” ✧ VT48/05

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
leper- > leber[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]✧ VT47/10
leper- > lebir[leperī] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]✧ VT47/10
leper- > leber[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]✧ VT47/24
leperī > lebir[leperī] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]✧ VT47/24
leper > leber[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]✧ VT48/05
leperī > lebir[leperi] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]✧ VT48/05

Variations

  • lebed ✧ VT47/23 (lebed)
Sindarin [VT47/10; VT47/23; VT47/24; VT48/05] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lebenedh

noun. middle finger

Sindarin [VT/48:5] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lebig

noun. little finger

Sindarin [VT/48:5,15] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lebig

noun. little finger

A name for the little finger in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968, it is simply ✶lepe “finger” combined with the diminutive suffix -ig (VT48/5). An alternate form niged had the same meaning, an elaboration of √NIK “small” (VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. lemp⁽⁾ “a crooked finger; little finger” (GL/53), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LEPE used for contemporaneous Qenya finger words (QL/53).

Cognates

  • Q. lepincë “little finger” ✧ VT48/05

Elements

WordGloss
leber“finger”
-eg“diminutive/singular ending”

nobad

noun. the pair of fingers composed of the thumb and the index (grouped together as in the act of picking something)

Sindarin [VT/48:5,16] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lebent

noun. ring finger

Sindarin [VT/48:5] Group: SINDICT. Published by

niged

little finger

niged (pl. nigid) _(VT48:5), also called lebig (no distinct pl. form) (VT48:5, 15). _

leber

finger

leber (pl. lebir) (VT47:10, 23, 24; VT48:5). This may replace ”Noldorin” lhebed, which we would otherwise update to Sindarin as lebed. For names of specific fingers, see INDEX FINGER, LITTLE FINGER, MIDDLE FINGER, RING FINGER, THUMB.