(construct nif) (front). No distinct pl. form.
Noldorin
nîf
noun. front, face
nîf
noun. front, face
nîf
noun. front, face
nîf
noun. front, face
nîf
noun. phantom, a seeming
nîf
face
nîf
face
(construct nif) (front). No distinct pl. form.
nîf
front
nîf (construct nif) (face). No distinct pl. form.
nîf
front
(construct nif) (face). No distinct pl. form.
nivol
noun. phantom, a seeming
thîr
noun. face, face, [N.] look, expression, countenance
A word appearing as an element in the name Caranthir “Red-face”, derived from primitive ✶stīrē (VT41/10), which was likely tied to the root √TIR “watch”.
Conceptual Development: The same noun N. thîr appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the glosses “look, face, expression, countenance”, but there it was derived from the root ᴹ√THĒ “look (see or seem)” (Ety/THĒ). Earlier “face” words include G. gwint from the 1910s (GL/46) and ᴱN. ant from the 1920s with more elaborate form ᴱN. annas (PE13/137, 160).
thîr
face
(look, expression, countenance) (VT41:10)
stīrē
noun. face
stir Reconstructed
root. face
The root ✱√STIR is implied by the names Elestirnë “Star-brow” (UT/184) and Carnistir “Red-face” (PM/353), as well as the primitive word ✶stīrē “face” (VT41/10). It is probably an s-fortification of the root TIR “watch”. It likely replaces the root ᴹ√THĒ “look (see or seem)” from The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like N. thio “to seem” and N. thîr “look, face, expression, countenance”, the latter providing an earlier etymology for N. Cranthir “Ruddy-face” (Ety/THĒ). The original gloss of this 1930s root was “perceive, see” (EtyAC/THĒ). This deleted gloss in turn indicates that 1930s ᴹ√THĒ was itself a later iteration of 1910s ᴱ√SEHE [þeχe] from the Qenya Lexicon, which was mostly connected to eye-words but also had derivatives like ᴱQ. sehta-/G. thê- “see” (PE12/21; QL/82; GL/72); see the entry √KHEN for the later derivation of eye-words.
-stir
suffix. face
An element meaning “face” in the name Carnistir “Red-Face” (S. Caranthir), derived from primitive ✶stīrē (PM/353; VT41/10). Its form as an independent word would mostly likely be ✱síre (Classical Quenya þíre), but that would conflict with sírë “river” in spoken Quenya (Tarquesta). There are a number of other Quenya “face” words attested, such as cendelë, so it is probably safer to use one of these for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
anta
face
anta (2) noun "face" (ANA1, VT45:5). Cf. cendelë.
canwa
face
#canwa (2) noun "face", isolated from canwarya ("k") *"his face", evidently an ephemeral form Tolkien abandoned in favour of cendelë, q.v. (VT49:21; see VT49:34 regarding uncertainties as to the manuscript reading)
canwa
noun. face
A word appearing as kanwarya in one of the drafts of the Ambidexters Sentence, apparently a 3rd-sg possessive form meaning “✱his face” (VT49/6, 21). Patrick Wynne suggested it might be derived from √KAT “shape” as in katmā > kanwa, patterned after Latin “faciēs” which also originally meant “shape”. It seems the n in this word was revised, but what the change was intended to be is unclear. Tolkien eventually revised this word to cendelë, so canwa was probably abandoned.
cendelë
face
cendelë noun "face" (VT49:21)
cendelë
noun. face, face, *visage
A word for “face” in the Ambidexters Sentence of the late 1960s (VT49/8). Patrick Wynne suggested it is likely an abstract noun formation from the verb cenda- “watch, observe”, and hence similar in origin to English/French “visage” which likewise originated from a Latin verb meaning “to see” (VT49/21). Earlier “face” words ᴱQ. alma and ᴱQ. yéma have similar derivations, as pointed out by Patrick Wynne.
nimulë
noun. phantom, a seeming
níma
noun. phantom, a seeming
hyámen
noun. front
nívë
noun. face
pentë
noun. front
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!
nef
noun. face
A Doriathrin noun meaning “face” derived from the root ᴹ√NIB (Ety/NIB). The vowel change suggests a primitive form ✱✶niba, where the [i] became [e] because of Ilkorin a-affection. If this is the case, it is not a direct cognate of N. nîf “front, face”.
nībe
noun. front, face
gwint
noun. face
A noun for “face” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, related to the verb G. gwinta- “to see” (GL/46); see that entry for possible etymologies.
alma
noun. face
A word in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with the gloss “face, visage”, derived from the early root ᴱ√ALA “gaze”, but this word was deleted (QL/39). It also appeared with the gloss “face” in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa, where it was not deleted (PM/39).
yéma
noun. face
A word for “face” appearing in Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s (PE16/136) along with a list of body parts from the same period (PE14/117). It is likely derived from the early root ᴱ√DYĒ whose derivatives have to do with “gaze” or “look at” (QL/105), as suggested by Patrick Wynne (VT49/21).
anta
noun. face
1) nîf (construct nif) (front). No distinct pl. form. 2) thîr (look, expression, countenance) (VT41:10)