nincë

small

*nincë (ninci*-) ("k")adj. "small". The form is given as "ninki" with the last vowel marked as short; this is probably the etymological form that would underlie Quenya nincë. The word is said to mean "small" with "good senses"; contrast nípa**, *nimpë. (VT48:18)

nitya

small

#nitya adj. "small" (VT48:15, PM:365)

níca

small

níca ("k")adj. "small". The word is said to mean "small" with "good senses"; contrast nípa, *nimpë. (VT47:26, VT48:18)

nívë

pale

nívë adj."pale" (MC:213; this is "Qenya" Tolkien's later Quenya has néca)

ninquë

white, chill, cold, palid

ninquë adj. "white, chill, cold, palid" (WJ:417, SA:nim, PE17:168, NIK-W - spelt "ninqe" in Etym and in LT1:266, MC:213, MC:220, GL:60), pl. ninqui in Markirya. Compounded in Ninquelótë noun "White-Flower" (SA:nim), = Sindarin Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor; ninqueruvissë ("q") "white-horse-on" _(MC:216; this is "Qenya", read _ninqueroccossë or *ninquiroccossë in LotR-style Quenya). Normally ninquë would be expected to have the stem-form ninqui-, given the primitive form ¤ninkwi; Ninquelótë rather than *Ninquilótë must be seen as an analogical form.

pinilya

small

pinilya adj. "small" (MC:220; this is "Qenya")

inya

small

inya (2) adj. "small" (LT1:256; this "Qenya" word may be obsoleted by # 1 above)

isca

pale

isca ("k") adj."pale" (LT1:256)

luina

pale

[luina] adj. "pale" (VT45:30)

cinta

small

cinta adj. "small" (PE17:157)

cinta

adjective. small

Cognates

• S. cidinn “[unglossed]” ✧ PE17/157

Derivations

• √KIT “*small” ✧ PE17/157

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√KIT > cinta	[kinta]	✧ PE17/157

fána

white

fána, fánë (1) adj. "white" (Markirya - fánë as a sg. form in may be a misreading). Compare fanya.

fána

adjective. white, white; [ᴹQ.] cloud

@@@ as suggested by Helge Fauskanger, the form fánë “white” in the Markirya poem may be a slip or misreading

Element in

• Q. man cenuva fána cirya? “Who shall see a white ship?” ✧ MC/221
• Q. man tiruva fána cirya? “Who shall heed a white ship?” ✧ MC/222

Variations

• fáne ✧ MC/221; MC/222

fánë

adjective. white

marya

pale, fallow, fawn

marya adj. "pale, fallow, fawn" (MAD)

mintë

small

mintë adj. "small" (VT45:35)

mitsa

small

mitsa adj. "small" (VT45:35) Another synonym from the same source, mitra, looks unusual for a Quenya word (because of the medial cluster tr)

néca

pale, vague, faint, dim to see

néca ("k") adj "pale, vague, faint, dim to see", pl. nécë ("k") in Markirya

nimp

adjective. small and frail

nimp

adjective. pale

adj. pale, pallid. nimp << nim (PE17:168). >> niphred

nimp

adjective. pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly

Cognates

• Q. ninquë “white; chill, cold; pallid” ✧ PE17/168

Derivations

• √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• ✶nimpĭ “small” ✧ VT48/18
  • √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” ✧ VT48/18

Derivatives

• S. nim “white” ✧ SA/nim

Element in

• ᴺS. nimmas “whiteness”
• S. Nimphelos “Pale ?Snow” ✧ PE17/168; SA/nim
• S. niphred “pallor, pallor; [N.] fear” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/168; SA/nim

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NIK > nimp	[niŋkwi] > [niŋkwe] > [nimpe] > [nimpʰe] > [nimɸe] > [nimfe] > [nimf] > [nimp]	✧ PE17/168
✶nimpĭ > nimp	[nimpi] > [nimpe] > [nimpʰe] > [nimɸe] > [nimfe] > [nimf] > [nimp] > [nimp]	✧ VT48/18

Variations

• nimf ✧ SA/nim (nimf)

nim

white

_adj. _white. >> Nimbrethil

nim

white

_adj. _white (usual word). >> nimp, nimras

nim

adjective. white

Cognates

• Q. ninquë “white; chill, cold; pallid” ✧ SA/nim

Derivations

• At. nimbi “white” ✧ PE17/019
  • ✶ninkwi “white, pale”
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• ✶ninkwi “white, pale” ✧ PE17/168
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• S. nimp “pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly” ✧ SA/nim
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
  • ✶nimpĭ “small” ✧ VT48/18
  • √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” ✧ VT48/18

Element in

• S. Barad Nimras “White Horn Tower” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Ered Nimrais “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimbrethil “Silver-birches” ✧ PE17/019; PE17/019; SA/nim
• S. Nimloth “White Blossom, Pale Blossom” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimras “White Horn” ✧ PE17/168
• S. Nimrodel “Lady of the White Cave”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
At. nimbi > nim	[nimbi] > [nimbe] > [nimb] > [nimm] > [nimm] > [nim]	✧ PE17/019

niben

adjective. small, petty

niben

adjective. little finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

fain

noun/adjective. white

fain

noun/adjective. cloud

cidinn

adjective. small

_ adj. _small. Q. cinta.

cinnog

adjective. small

_ adj. _small. Q. cinta.

glân

adjective. white, [bright shining] white; [N.] clear; [G.] pure, †bright; [ᴱN.] clean

Derivations

• ᴹ√GALAN “bright”

Element in

• S. Curunír ’Lân “Saruman the White” ✧ UT/390

uilos

noun/adjective. always white, ever white as snow

uilos

noun/adjective. a small white everlasting flower also called simbelmynë or "evermind"

silivren

adjective. (white) glittering

nimp

white

(nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form.

nimp

small

no distinct pl. form (VT48:18)

nimp

pale

(nim-) (white); no distinct pl. form

niben

small

(petty), pl. nibin. Also used as a name for the the little finger. (VT48:6) 

pêg

small spot

(i** bêg, construct peg) (dot), pl. pîg (i** phîg) 

faen

white

(radiant). No distinct pl. form.

fain

white

; no distinct pl. form.

gael

pale

(glittering), lenited ’ael; no distinct pl. form.

maidh

pale

1) maidh (lenited vaidh; no distinct pl. form) (fallow, fawn), 2) nimp (nim-) (white); no distinct pl. form, 3) thind (grey); no distinct pl. form; 4) gael (glittering), lenited ael; no distinct pl. form. 5) *malu (lenited valu; analogical pl. mely; lenited valu) (fallow). Cited in archaic form malw (LR:386 s.v. SMAL).

maidh

pale

(lenited vaidh; no distinct pl. form) (fallow, fawn)

malu

pale

(lenited valu; analogical pl. mely; lenited valu) (fallow). Cited in archaic form malw (LR:386 s.v. SMAL).

mith

pale grey

(lenited vith; no distinct pl. form). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone means ”white fog, wet mist”.

thind

pale

(grey); no distinct pl. form

tinu

small star

(i** dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds) (spark), analogical pl. tiny (i** thiny). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely  tinwath.

glân

white

1) glân (clear), lenited lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”. 2) nimp (nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) faen (radiant). No distinct pl. form. 4) fain; no distinct pl. form.

glân

white

(clear), lenited ’lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”.

gwind

pale blue

(lenited ’wind; no distinct pl. form).

mîw

small

1) mîw (tiny, frail), lenited vîw, no distinct pl. form, 2) niben (petty), pl. nibin. Also used as a name for the the little finger. (VT48:6) 3) SMALL (and frail) nimp, no distinct pl. form (VT48:18)

mîw

small

(tiny, frail), lenited vîw, no distinct pl. form

silivren

glittering white

(lenited hilivren; pl. *silivrin**). *Verb

elu

pale blue

(analogical pl. ely). Archaic elw (pl. ilw?).

aew

small bird

. No distinct pl. form.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.

glâd

small forest

(i ’lâd, construct glad) (wood), pl. glaid (in glaid).

hûb

small landlocked bay

(i chûb, o chûb, construct hub) (harbour, haven), pl. huib (i chuib).

nimbi

adjective. white

Derivations

• At. nimbi “white”
  • ✶ninkwi “white, pale”
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168

nimbi

adjective. white

About Nimrodel: "Nim is evidently the Telerin word nimbi 'white'." >> Nimrais >> Nimrodel

lygn

adjective. pale

Primitive form given as lugni "blue", sc. the stem LUG1 (LR:370, not defined) with an ending -ni not otherwise attested, though -i is an ending found on many primitive colour-adjectives. The ending _-i _causes umlaut u > y; compare yrc as the plural of urc "Orc". That a short original final -i is capable of causing such an umlaut at the Common Eldarin stage is somewhat surprising, since Primitive Quendian lugni should have become *lugne at this stage, and final e would hardly cause umlaut. Perhaps we are to understand that the change of final i to Common Eldarin e happened relatively late, after the Eldar had crossed the Hihtaeglir and parted with the Nandor?

nimpĭ

adjective. small

Derivations

• √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” ✧ VT48/18

Derivatives

• S. nimp “pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly” ✧ VT48/18
  • S. nim “white” ✧ SA/nim

nik

root. small

One of various roots for “small” Tolkien used in his later writings. The root √NIK “small” first appeared in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s (VT47/26; VT48/18), but was connected to the diminutive suffix ✶-i(n)ki which had a much longer conceptual history. One of the earliest known diminutive suffix was ᴱQ. -íne(a) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s from the root ᴱ√INI “small” (QL/42), which might be a precursor to √NIK; these suffixes reappeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49, 81). In the Gnomish Grammar of the 1910s, the word G. inc “small” was used as the basis for the “diminutive superlative” -inci (PE11/16).

In the Qenya Lexicon, Tolkien connected ᴱ√INI “small” to the root ᴱ√MINI of similar meaning (QL/42, 61). There are no signs of ᴱ√MINI “small” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, but the word G. migin “little” (GL/57) hints at a (hypothetical) variant root ✱ᴱ√MIKI. Further support for ✱ᴱ√MIKI can be found in other diminutive forms in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s such as prefixal diminutive ᴱQ. mike- along adverbial ᴱQ. mike “little” (QL/48, 81), the latter appearing with the gloss “a bit” in the English-Qenya Dictionary from this period (PE15/70) along with other similar words in both the dictionary and the grammar. This ✱ᴱ√MIKI might be another precursor to √NIK. An early hint at √NIK itself might appear in the word ᴹQ. nikse “minnow, little fish” from the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/27).

In Noldorin and Sindarin, the primary diminutive suffix became -eg, which was connected to the Common Eldarin suffix -iki elsewhere in notes on hands and fingers (VT47/14 note #21). In the notes where √NIK “small” appeared in the late 1960s, Tolkien gave the primitive diminutive as -inkĭ along with variants ikki, -iksi, -si, -ensi, -ki.

One of the main competing roots for “small” was ᴹ√PIK [see the entry for √PI(N)], itself with a lengthy conceptual history. The shift of pitya >> nitya “little” in the father name of Amrod from the late 1960s may represent a replacement of √PIK by √NIK (PM/365), but I think it is likelier the two roots coexisted with slightly different meanings, as was the case for their earlier precursors. In the notes from the late 1960s, √NIK was also contrasted with √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” (VT48/18), from which the word S. niben “petty” was derived, as in S. Nogoth Niben (WJ/388).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume √NIK meant “small” in a neutral sense, √PIK “tiny” (along with variants √PĪ and √PIN) and √NIP “small and weak”. I would use these as the major Eldarin roots for “small” words, along with a number of other more specialized roots.

Derivatives

• ✶-i(n)ki “diminutive suffix” ✧ VT47/26; VT48/18
  • Q. -incë “diminutive ending”
  • S. -eg “diminutive/singular ending”
• ✶ninkĭ “small” ✧ VT48/18
• Q. níca “little, small” ✧ VT47/26; VT48/18
• ᴺQ. nihta “piece, bit (of indeterminate size)”
• ᴺQ. nihta- “to reduce, make small”
• ᴹQ. nikse “minnow, little fish”
• Q. nitya “little”
• S. niged “little finger”
• ᴺS. nigol “mouse, (lit.) small one”
• ᴺS. nítha- “to reduce, make small”
• T. nícë “little finger”

Element in

• ✶niktil “little [finger]” ✧ VT47/26

Variations

• nik ✧ VT47/26; VT48/18

ninkĭ

adjective. small

Derivations

• √NIK “small” ✧ VT48/18

wan

root. WAN

nimp

adjective. pale, white

nimp

adjective. pale

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ninqe “white” ✧ Ety/NIK-W

Derivations

• ᴹ√NIK(W) “*snow; white” ✧ Ety/NIK-W

Element in

• N. Ered Nimras “White Mountains”
• N. Ered Nimrath “White Mountains”
• N. Ephel Nimrais
• N. Nimbrethil
• N. Nimloth “Pale Blossom”
• N. nimmid(a)- “to whiten” ✧ Ety/NIK-W
• N. Nimdil “White Horn”
• N. nínim “snowdrop”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NIK-W > nimp	[niŋkwi] > [niŋkwe] > [nimpe] > [nimpʰe] > [nimɸe] > [nimfe] > [nimf] > [nimp] > [nimp]	✧ Ety/NIK-W

nim-

adjective. pale, white

fein

noun/adjective. white

fein

noun/adjective. cloud

maidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn

meidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn

mithren

adjective. small

Cognates

• ᴹQ. mitsa “small” ✧ EtyAC/MIT; EtyAC/MIT

Derivations

• ᴹ√MIT “small” ✧ EtyAC/MIT
• ᴹ✶mitra “small” ✧ EtyAC/MIT
  • ᴹ√MIT “small” ✧ EtyAC/MIT

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MIT > mint	[minte] > [mintʰe] > [minθe] > [minθ] > [mint]	✧ EtyAC/MIT
ᴹ✶mitra > mithren	[?]	✧ EtyAC/MIT

Variations

• mint ✧ EtyAC/MIT (mint)

mîw

adjective. small, tiny, frail

gael

adjective. pale, glimmering

brassen

adjective. white-hot