liantë (1) noun "spider" (SLIG), in earlier sources ascribed other meanings:(2)liantë "tendril" (LT1:271) and (3) "vine" (PE14:55, cf. liantassë elsewhere)
Quenya
línë
cobweb
liantë
spider
natsë
web, net
natsë noun "web, net" (NAT)
Sindarin
lhing
noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb
lhingril
noun. spider
ungol
noun. spider
ungol
noun. spider
The Sindarin word for “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767), derived from √ungu- that was the basis for spider words (PE22/160).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish word for “spider” was initially G. gung in both the Qenya Lexicon and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√GUŊU (QL/98; GL/43), also appearing an element in G. Gungliont, the earliest name of Ungoliant (LT1/160). In the Gnomish Lexicon the word gung was crossed through, but may have become ging in G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” (GL/46). Regardless, Tolkien added G. ungwi “spider” in pencil to the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/75), which seems to indicate a change of the root from ᴱ√GUŊU to ᴱ√UŊU, consistent with the replacement name G. Ungoliont from the contemporaneous narratives (LT1/152).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, “spider” words were derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG); see N. thling for discussion. Tolkien soon restored Ung-, however, since N. ungol was translated as “spider” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (WR/202).
Cognates
- ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”
Derivations
- √UÑG “spider”
Element in
- S. Cirith Ungol “Cleft of the Spider” ✧ RC/767
- S. Torech Ungol “Shelob’s Lair, (lit.) Tunnel of the Spider” ✧ RC/490
- S. Ungoliant
Variations
- Ungol ✧ Let/180; RC/767
lhing
spider’s web
(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.
lhing
cobweb
*lhing (?i thling or ?i ling the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider, spiders web), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.
lhing
cobweb
(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider, spider’s web), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.
lhing
spider’s web, cobweb
(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (also used = ”spider”); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.
lhingril
noun. spider
lhingril
spider
(?i thlingril or ?i lingril – the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *thlingril**.*)
nath
web
(pl. naith).
ungol
spider
1) ungol (pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath; 2) *lhingril (?i thlingril or ?i lingril the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlingril.) 3) or
ungol
spider
(pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath
lhê
spider filament
(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.
gwî
web
1) gwî (i **wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî), 2) nath (pl. naith**).
gwî
web
(i ’wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî)
Primitive elvish
uñg
root. spider
This root and ones like it were tied to spider words for much of Tolkien’s life, most notably in the name S. Ungoliant and its precursors. The earliest iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√GUŊU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. ungwe/G. gung “spider” (QL/98); Tolkien marked the root with a “?” and given that the Qenya forms had no initial consonant, the actual root may have been ✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU. In The Lost Tales of the 1910s, Tolkien changed G. Gungliont to G. Ungoliont (LT1/156), and in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon the word for “spider” was G. ungwi (GL/75), so it seems Tolkien revised {✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU >>} ✱ᴱ√UŊU.
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, unglossed ᴹ√UÑG had derivatives like ᴹQ. ungwe “gloom” and ᴹQ. ungo “cloud, dark shadow” (Ety/UÑG), and it was the second element ᴹQ. liante in ᴹQ. Ungoliante that meant “spider” (Ety/SLIG). However, in notes from 1969 Tolkien gave ✱ungu- as the basis for “spider” words (PE22/160), as reflected in Q. ungwë “spider’s web” (LotR/1122) and S. ungol “spider” in his later writings (Let/180; RC/490, 767).
Derivatives
Variations
- ungu- ✧ PE22/160
Noldorin
thling
noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb
thling
noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb
A noun appearing as N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” in The Etymologies, derived from primitive ᴹ✶sliñgē under the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG).
Neo-Sindarin: Since initial sl- became lh- in Sindarin, most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhing, as suggested in HSD (HSD). This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings √ungu- was the basis for spider words (PE22/160). However, I think ᴹ√SLIG may be reinterpreted as having to do with threads, and as such I think ᴺS. lhing can be retained, though I would limit its use to “spider’s web, cobweb”.
Cognates
- ᴹQ. líne “cobweb, cobweb; [ᴱQ.] cotton, thread” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Derivations
Element in
- N. Delduthling “Ungoliant, *(lit.) Horror Night Spider” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/SLIG
- N. thlingril “spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶sliñgē > thling [sliŋgē] > [sliŋge] > [θliŋge] > [θliŋg] > [θliŋ] ✧ Ety/SLIG
thlingril
noun. spider
thlingril
noun. spider
A noun appearing as N. thlingril “spider” in The Etymologies, probably a feminine form of N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” (Ety/SLIG). Christopher Tolkien said the r was uncertain.
Neo-Sindarin: Since initial sl- became lh- in Sindarin, most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhingril, as suggested in HSD (HSD). This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings √ungu- was the basis for spider words (PE22/160). I think ᴹ√SLIG may be reinterpreted as having to do with threads, and as such I think ᴺS. lhingril can be retained as originally meaning “(female) web spinner”. However, I recommend later S. ungol as the more common Sindarin word for “spider”.
Cognates
- ᴹQ. liante “spider, spider, [ᴱQ.] tendril, vine” ✧ Ety/SLIG
nath
noun. web
nath
noun. web
A noun for “web” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” with Quenya cognate ᴹQ. natse (Ety/NAT).
Cognates
- ᴹQ. natse “web, net” ✧ Ety/NAT
Derivations
- ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” ✧ Ety/NAT
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√NAT > nath [natse] > [naθθe] > [naθθ] > [naθ] ✧ Ety/NAT
ungol
noun. spider
ungol
noun. spider
Element in
- N. Kirith Ungol “Spider Glen”
- N. Terch Ungol “Spider’s Hole, Spider’s Lair” ✧ WR/202
Variations
- Ungol ✧ WR/202
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!
Qenya
líne
noun. cobweb, cobweb; [ᴱQ.] cotton, thread
A noun for “cobweb” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶slignē under the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave ᴱQ. līnẹ “thread, cotton” under the early root ᴱ√LI+ya (QL/53).
Neo-Quenya: This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings, Tolkien derived spider words from √ungu-. However, I prefer to interpret ᴹ√(S)LIG as having to do with threads for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, and “cobweb” could be from a sense “collection of threads”. With this interpretation, I think it is also plausible to include the sense “cotton” from Early Qenya, though for “thread” I’d use other words like Q. ipsin or [ᴹQ.] lia. Helge Fauskanger suggested (QQ/líne) that this word should be ✱hlíne given primitive initial sl-, but there is another primitive form ᴹ✶ligā under the root, so perhaps the Quenya derivatives were (a) based from a variant root ᴹ√LIG or (b) reflect the Third Age Quenya pronunciation as voiced l (LotR/1114).
Cognates
- N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶slignē > líne [slignē] > [l̥ignē] > [l̥iŋnē] > [l̥īnē] > [līnē] > [līne] ✧ Ety/SLIG
liante
noun. spider, spider, [ᴱQ.] tendril, vine
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “spider” derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG with various other derivatives having to do with webs and fine threads (Ety/SLIG). Most notably it was the second element in the name ᴹQ. Ungoliante “Gloomweaver” (LR/230). In the paradigm of The Etymologies, ᴹQ. ungo was “cloud, dark shadow” (Ety/UÑG), not “spider”.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, ᴱQ. liante was glossed “tendril” and was derived from the early root ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many in one” (QL/53, PME/53). In this period it was an element in the name ᴱQ. Ungweliante or Ungwe Lianti “the great spider who enmeshes” (LT1/152), where the intial element ᴱQ. ungwe meant “spider” (QL/98). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱQ. liante was translated “vine” (PE14/55), as opposed to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. liantasse was “vine” (QL/53).
Neo-Quenya: Tolkien gave no other Quenya words for “spider” in his later writings, but S. ungol was glossed “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767) and √ungu- was described as the basis for “spider words” (PE22/160), making it very likely that ✱ungol was “spider” in his later conception of the name Q. Ungoliantë. However, I think [ᴹQ.] liante might be reconceived of as a (feminine?) agental form originally meaning “weaver” or “webspinner”. Furthermore, I think [ᴺQ.] ungol might have come to be associated only with monstrous spiders, the descendants of Ungoliantë, so that [ᴹQ.] liante came to be used of ordinary spiders.
Cognates
- N. thlingril “spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Derivations
- ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Element in
- Q. Ungoliantë “Gloomweaver, *Shadow Spider”
- ᴹQ. Ungoliante “Gloomweaver” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√SLIG > liante [sligante] > [l̥igante] > [l̥iɣante] > [l̥iante] > [liante] ✧ Ety/SLIG
filet
noun. cobweb
A word in in the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s glossed {“fern” >>} “cobweb” (PE21/33 and note #3). Its initial gloss was probably a later iteration of ᴱQ. filqe “fern” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/38), and in later writings filit (filik-) was a word for “small bird, sparrow” (Ety/PHILIK; PE21/56), so this was likely a transient form.
Changes
filet→ filet “fern” ✧ PE21/33
Doriathrin
nass
noun. web
A Doriathrin noun for “web” (Ety/NAT). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. natse indicates a primitive form ✱✶natsē, where the [ts] became [ss] because [[ilk|medial voiceless stops became [s] before [s]]] in Ilkorin.
Cognates
- ᴹQ. natse “web, net” ✧ Ety/NAT
Derivations
- ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” ✧ Ety/NAT
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√NAT > nass [natsē] > [natse] > [nasse] > [nass] ✧ Ety/NAT
Middle Primitive Elvish
slingē
noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb
slignē
noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb
Derivations
- ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG
Derivatives
Variations
- sliñgē ✧ Ety/SLIG
- slingē ✧ EtyAC/SLIG
Gnomish
ging
noun. spider
gwidh-a-ging
noun. cobweb
A word for “cobweb” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/46). Its initial element seems to be G. gwidh- “weave”, and its final element might be a variant of G. gung “spider” (though this word was deleted).
Changes
gwindaging→ gwidh-a-ging ✧ GL/46Variations
- gwindaging ✧ GL/46 (
gwindaging)
gwaidhin
noun. web
A word for “web” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√gu̯iđ and related to G. gwidh- “weave” (GL/46). It had a deleted variant gwaith².
Changes
gwaith²→ gwaidhin ✧ GL/46Derivations
- ᴱ√GWIÐI “*plait, weave” ✧ GL/46
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√gu̯iđ > gwaidhin [gʷīðin] > [gʷaiðin] ✧ GL/46 ᴱ√gu̯iđ > gwaith² [gʷīð] > [gʷaið] > [gʷaiθ] ✧ GL/46 Variations
- gwaith² ✧ GL/46 (
gwaith²)
cing(win)
noun. spider
A noun for “spider” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variants cing and cingwin (GL/26). Tolkien indicated this word was related to G. cang “tangled” (GL/25), which was probably based on the early root ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine” (QL/45, 98). The i in cing indicates the primitive form was probably kŋ̣g-, since short syllabic nasals became in in Gnomish.
Derivations
- ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine”
Variations
- cing ✧ GL/25; GL/26
- cingwin ✧ GL/26
gung
noun. spider
Cognates
- Eq. ungwe “spider” ✧ GL/43; QL/098
Derivations
- ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider” ✧ QL/098
Element in
- G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” ✧ GL/46
- G. Gungliont “The Spider of Night” ✧ GL/43 (
Gungliont); QL/098Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√GUŊU > gung [ɣuŋg] > [guŋg] ✧ QL/098 Variations
- ging ✧ GL/46
ungwi
noun. spider
Cognates
- Eq. ungwe “spider”
Derivations
- ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider”
Element in
- G. Ungoliont ✧ GL/75
Early Quenya
ungwe
noun. spider
Cognates
Derivations
- ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/098
Element in
- Eq. Ungweliante “Great Spider Who Enmeshes” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; LT1I/Ungweliantë; QL/098
- Eq. Ungwe Fuiva “the Spider of Night” ✧ PME/104
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√GUŊU > ungwe [ɣuŋwē] > [ɣuŋwe] > [uŋwe] > [uŋgwe] ✧ QL/098 Variations
- ung-we ✧ GL/43 (
ung-we)- ungwë ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti
- Ungwë ✧ LT1I/Ungweliantë
- Ungwe ✧ PME/104
kangale
noun. web
kangaris
noun. spider
A word for “spider” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, based on the verb ᴱQ. kanga- “weave, spin” from the early root ᴱ√KANGA (QL/45), also appearing in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/45).
Derivations
- ᴱ√KAŊA “weave, twine” ✧ QL/045
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√KANGA > kangaris [kaŋgarist] > [kaŋgaris] ✧ QL/045
kangawinda
noun. cobweb
línë noun "cobweb" (SLIG). Since Tolkien eventually decided that roots in sl- yield Quenya words in hl- (though this was pronounced l- in late Exilic Quenya), it may be that the spelling *hlínë is to be preferred.