Quenya 

liantë

spider

liantë (1) noun "spider" (SLIG), in earlier sources ascribed other meanings:(2)liantë "tendril" (LT1:271) and (3) "vine" (PE14:55, cf. liantassë elsewhere)

Sindarin 

ungol

noun. spider

Sindarin [Ety/366, WR/202, LotR, RC/490] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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

Variations

  • Ungol ✧ Let/180; RC/767
Sindarin [Let/180; RC/490; RC/767] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lhingril

noun. spider

Sindarin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhing

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

Sindarin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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

lhingril

noun. spider

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

lhingril

spider

(?i thlingril or ?i lingrilthe 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**.*)

lhing

spider’s web

(?i thling or ?i lingthe lenition product of lh is uncertain)  (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhê

spider filament

(?i thlê or ?i lêthe lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

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

  • ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”
  • Q. ungwë “spider’s web, spider’s web; [ᴱQ.] spider; [ᴹQ.] gloom”
  • S. ungol “spider”

Variations

  • ungu- ✧ PE22/160
Primitive elvish [PE22/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

ungol

noun. spider

Noldorin [Ety/366, WR/202, LotR, RC/490] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ungol

noun. spider

Element in

Variations

  • Ungol ✧ WR/202

thlingril

noun. spider

Noldorin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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
Noldorin [Ety/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thling

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

Noldorin [Ety/386, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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 

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

Derivations

  • ᴹ√SLIG “*entwine, thread; spider” ✧ Ety/SLIG

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√SLIG > liante[sligante] > [l̥igante] > [l̥iɣante] > [l̥iante] > [liante]✧ Ety/SLIG

Gnomish

ungwi

noun. spider

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√GUŊU “*spider”

Element in

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/098

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√GUŊU > gung[ɣuŋg] > [guŋg]✧ QL/098

Variations

  • ging ✧ GL/46
Gnomish [GL/43; GL/46; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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
Gnomish [GL/25; GL/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ging

noun. spider

Early Quenya

ungwe

noun. spider

Cognates

  • G. gung “spider” ✧ GL/43; QL/098
  • G. ungwi “spider”

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

DevelopmentStagesSources
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
Early Quenya [GL/43; LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; LT1I/Ungweliantë; PE16/145; PME/104; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√KANGA > kangaris[kaŋgarist] > [kaŋgaris]✧ QL/045
Early Quenya [PME/045; QL/045] Group: Eldamo. Published by