Quenya 

vaiya

envelope

vaiya < waiya (also vaia, waia) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY, capitalized Vaiya under GEY; the latter entry was struck out). In a "Qenya" text in MC:214, vaiya is simply translated "sky". In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, vaiya (/ waiya) was also the name of a tengwa letter that does not appear in Tolkien's later table, but which was apparently intended to have the value w > v, like the letter wilya > vilya in the later, canonical system (VT46:21). According to Arden R. Smith, the form of the pre-classical letter is a variant of #21, which letter Tolkien would later call vala (VT46:32).

vaia

envelope

vaia < waia (also vaiya < waiya) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY). Cf. váya.

waiya

envelope

waiya > vaiya (also vaia, waia) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY)

waia

envelope

waia > vaia noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY) (also vaiya, waiya)

ekkaia

place name. Outer Sea

The ocean that surrounded the world, translated “Outer Sea” (S/37).

Possible Etymology: The etymology of this name is unclear. Robert Ireland suggested that the name may be related to the root ᴹ√KHAYA “far, distant, remote”, which has a similar derivative ᴹQ. ekkaira, an intensive form of ᴹQ. haira “remote, far” (ATD/Ekkaia).

Helge Fauskanger instead suggested that it might be derived from ✶et-gaya = ✶et “out” + ✶gaya “sea”, the latter from √GAY(AR), the same root from which Q. ëar and S. gaear are derived (QQ/Ekkaia). This seems more plausible to me, since voiced stops unvoiced after voiceless stops and aspirates in Primitive Elvish (✶[tg] > ✶[tk]) and [[p|[tk] became [kk]]].

Conceptual Development: The concept of an ocean surrounding the world was an old idea in the cosmology of Tolkien’s legendarium. In the earliest Lost Tales, there were two outer regions of air and water: ᴱQ. Vaitya “Outermost Airs” and ᴱQ. Vai “Outer Ocean” (LT1/85), both from the root ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold” (QL/100). Both terms were later combined into ᴹQ. Vaiya “Enfolding Ocean, Outer Sea”, appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/236; LR/209; Ety/WAY). Vaiya was later changed to Ekkaia in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/157), as this late stage referring only to the ocean and not the air.

Quenya [MR/157; MRI/Ekkaia; S/037; SI/Ekkaia; SI/Encircling Sea] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maiwë

gull

maiwë noun "gull" (MIW), pl. maiwi in _Markirya. Cf. also the "Qenya" pl. maiwin "gulls" (MC:213)_

maiwë

noun. gull

A noun for “gull” appearing in its plural form maiwi in the Q. Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. maiwe “gull” was derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word was ᴱQ. māwe (māwi-) “gull” under the early root ᴱ√MAWA “cry, bleat” (QL/60), also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/60). In Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s Tolkien instead had vaiya or {maiwe >>} waiwe “seamew” (PE16/138), but in the version of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from circa 1930, Tolkien used maiwe in its nominative plural form maiwin “gulls” (MC/213).

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIW “whine”

Element in

Variations

  • maiwe ✧ PE22/148 (maiwe)
Quenya [MC/222; PE22/148] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hellë

sky

hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)

ilwë

sky, heavens

ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.

Sindarin 

maew

noun. gull

A noun for “gull” first appearing as N. maew in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW). It appeared in later notes as an archaic genitive plural maewion in the phrase S. †glim maewion “(the) voices of gulls” (PE17/97). Its class plural mewrim seems to have appeared in S. Ras Mewrim “✱Cape of the Gulls”, an alternate name for S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/190). If so, the vowel e would be the result of the sound change whereby ae sometimes became e in polysyllables.

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIW “whine”

Element in

Sindarin [PE17/097; WJ/190] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwael

noun. gull

Sindarin [WJ/418] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mŷl

noun. gull

Sindarin [WJ/379-380, WJ/418] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mŷl

noun. gull

A word for “gull” in the name S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/379); its singular and plural forms would be the same. It might be derived from ✱miulē < ᴹ√MIW “whine”, the basis for other “gull” words, since iu became ȳ in Sindarin. I’d recommend using the better attested S. maew “gull” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIW “whine”

Element in

Menel

noun. sky, high heaven, firmament, the region of the stars

Sindarin [LotR/II:I, LotR/IV:X, LB/354, RGEO/72, VT/44:21,] Q menel. Group: SINDICT. Published by

m

gull

ŷl (i vŷl, construct myl), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mŷl).

maew

gull

1) maew (i vaew), no distinct pl. except with article (i maew), coll. pl. maewrim; 2) gwael (i **wael), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwael), 3) mŷl (i vŷl, construct myl), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mŷl**).

maew

gull

(i vaew), no distinct pl. except with article (i maew), coll. pl. maewrim

paen

small gull

(i baen, o phaen) (petrel), no distinct pl. form except with article (i phaen). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” poen, VT45:24.

gwael

gull

(i ’wael), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwael)

cuen

small gull

(i guen, o chuen) (petrel), pl. ?cuin (?i chuin) (VT45:24)

Noldorin 

ui

noun. envelope (especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls)

Noldorin [Ety/397] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ui

noun. envelope

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Vaiya “Outer Sea, Enfolding Ocean” ✧ Ety/GEY
  • ᴹQ. vai(y)a “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Derivations

  • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY
  • On. uia “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
    • ᴹ✶wāyā “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
    • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. uia > ui[uia] > [ui]✧ Ety/WAY

Variations

  • Gui ✧ Ety/GEY (Gui)
  • ui ✧ Ety/WAY
Noldorin [Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ell

noun. sky

An element meaning “sky” in several names from The Etymologies of the 1930s: N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” (Ety/SPAR) and N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” (Ety/THOR). It was derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” which had an Old Noldorin form: ON. elle (Ety/ƷEL). However, Tolkien said “In Noldorin and Telerin this is confused with EL star”, implying that the word was not used in modern language; an earlier but rejected version of this entry had archaic N. †ell, el “sky” (EtyAC/ƷEL).

Neo-Sindarin: Despite the above statements, ell is probably the best attested option for “sky” in Neo-Sindarin, and I would use it as such, since it is in fact distinct from S. êl “star”, a word that is itself archaic/poetic versus more common S. gil.

Derivations

  • On. elle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
    • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. elle > ell > el[elle] > [ell] > [el]✧ Ety/ƷEL

Variations

  • el ✧ Ety/SPAR (el); Ety/THOR (el); EtyAC/ƷEL (el)
Noldorin [Ety/SPAR; Ety/THOR; EtyAC/ƷEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maew

noun. gull

Noldorin [Ety/373] Group: SINDICT. Published by

maew

noun. gull

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. maiwe “gull” ✧ Ety/MIW

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIW “whine” ✧ Ety/MIW

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MIW > maew[maiwe] > [maiw] > [maew]✧ Ety/MIW

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 

vaiya

proper name. Outer Sea, Enfolding Ocean

Name for the Outer Sea appearing in the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/209, SM/236). It is vai(y)a “envelope” used as a proper name (Ety/WAY,GEY).

Changes

  • VaiyaEkkaia ✧ MR/157

Cognates

  • N. ui “envelope” ✧ Ety/GEY

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶wāyā “envelope” ✧ Ety/GEY
    • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
vai(y)a“envelope”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶wā́yā > Vaiya[wājā] > [waija] > [waia] > [vaia]✧ Ety/GEY

Variations

  • Vaia ✧ PE22/126
Qenya [Ety/GEY; LR/209; LRI/Vaiya; LT1/086; LT1I/Vaiya; MR/157; MRI/Vaiya; PE22/126; SM/236; SM/241; SMI/Vaiya] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vai(y)a

noun. envelope

Cognates

  • On. uia “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
  • N. ui “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶wāyā “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
    • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Vaiya “Outer Sea, Enfolding Ocean”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶wāyā > waia > vaia[wājā] > [waija] > [waia] > [vaia]✧ Ety/WAY
ᴹ✶wāyā > waiya > vaiya[wājā] > [waija] > [waia] > [vaia]✧ Ety/WAY

Variations

  • vaia ✧ Ety/WAY
  • vaiya ✧ Ety/WAY; EtyAC/WAY
Qenya [Ety/WAY; EtyAC/WAY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maiwe

noun. gull

Cognates

  • N. maew “gull” ✧ Ety/MIW

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIW “whine” ✧ Ety/MIW

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MIW > maiwe[maiwe]✧ Ety/MIW

helle

noun. sky

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky” derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL of the same meaning (Ety/ƷEL).

Cognates

  • On. elle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • Ilk. gell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Element in

  • ᴹQ. helyanwe “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge, rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge, *sky-joining” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ƷEL > helle[ɣelle] > [helle]✧ Ety/ƷEL

Variations

  • helle ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Doriathrin

gell

noun. sky

A Doriathrin noun for “sky” derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL (Ety/ƷEL), probably from a primitive form ✱✶ʒellē [ɣellē] based on its cognates. It is a clear example of how [[ilk|initial [ɣ] became [g]]] in Ilkorin.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ƷEL > gell[ɣellē] > [ɣelle] > [gelle] > [gell]✧ Ety/ƷEL
Doriathrin [Ety/ƷEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

uia

noun. envelope

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. vai(y)a “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶wāyā “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
    • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Derivatives

  • N. ui “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶wāyā > wōia > uia[wājā] > [wāja] > [wǭja] > [wǭia] > [wuia] > [uia]✧ Ety/WAY
Old Noldorin [Ety/WAY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

el

noun. sky

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Element in

  • On. elyanme “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ƷEL > el[ɣel] > [el]✧ Ety/ƷEL
Old Noldorin [Ety/ƷEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elle

noun. sky

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Derivatives

  • N. ell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ƷEL > elle[ɣelle] > [elle]✧ Ety/ƷEL
Old Noldorin [Ety/ƷEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

wāyā

noun. envelope

Derivations

  • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. Vaiya “Outer Sea, Enfolding Ocean” ✧ Ety/GEY
  • ᴹQ. vai(y)a “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
  • On. uia “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
    • N. ui “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Element in

Variations

  • wā́yā ✧ Ety/GEY (wā́yā)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY; EtyAC/GEY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ʒel

root. sky

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. helle/N. ell “sky” and ᴹQ. helwa/N. elw “(pale) blue” (Ety/ƷEL). It was the basis for the initial elements of the names N. Elrond, N. Elwing and ᴹQ. Elwe, but elsewhere Tolkien connected these names to √EL “star”. It was also an element in the word N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge”, later given as S. ninniach. On the basis of these changes, I think it is likely Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√ƷEL, but some of its derived words are still popular in Neo-Eldarin.

Derivatives

  • Ilk. gell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • Ilk. gelu “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • ᴹ✶Helwe “Elwe” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
    • N. Elwe “Elwe” ✧ EtyAC/ƷEL
  • ᴺQ. helin “pansy”
  • ᴹQ. helle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • ᴹQ. helwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • ᴹT. Elu
  • On. el “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • On. elle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
    • N. ell “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • On. elwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
    • N. elw “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Elwe ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • N. Elrond “Starry-dome, Sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • N. Elwing “Star-spray” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge” ✧ Ety/YAT
  • ᴹT. Elulindo “?Elwe Singer” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ƷEL; Ety/YAT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

dai

noun. sky

Cognates

  • Eq. taime “sky” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar

Derivations

  • ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar

Element in

  • G. daimoth “heaven” ✧ GL/29; LT1A/Telimektar
  • G. Dor-na-Dhaideloth “[Land of] Heaven Roof” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
  • G. Ladwen-na-Dhaideloth “Heath of the Sky-roof” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
  • G. Daimord “Shepherd of the Sky” ✧ GL/29; LT1A/Telimektar; PE13/112

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√TAHA > dai[daxa] > [dax] > [dai]✧ LT1A/Telimektar

Variations

  • dai ✧ LT1A/Telimektar; PE13/112
Gnomish [GL/29; LT1A/Telimektar; PE13/112] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ilon

noun. sky

A word for “sky” in an early name list from the 1910s and appearing in a couple early names: G. Thlim Quing Ilon “✱Folk of the Heavenly Arc” and G. Cris o Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” (PE13/101, 104), the latter revised to G. Cris Ilbranteloth (LT2/202). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, however, G. Ilon was the name of Ilúvatar (GL/50).

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars”

Element in

Variations

  • Ilon ✧ LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon; PE13/104; PE13/104; PE15/27 (Ilon)
Gnomish [LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon; PE13/104; PE15/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

luithon

noun. sky

A word for “sky” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an elaboration of G. lui “blueness” (GL/55).

Early Noldorin

telum

noun. sky, sky; [G.] roof

Early Noldorin [PE13/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

vaiya

noun. seamew

vaiya

noun. sky, skies

A word for “sky” or “skies” in the Oilima Markirya poem and its drafts from around 1930 (MC/221; PE16/75) probably based on the early root ᴱ√VAẎA.

Changes

  • vaiyavaite ✧ PE16/062

Derivations

  • ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about”

Element in

Variations

  • vaiya ✧ MC/214; PE16/065 (vaiya); PE16/075
Early Quenya [MC/214; PE16/065; PE16/075] Group: Eldamo. Published by

máwe

noun. gull, seamew

Changes

  • maiwewaiwe ✧ PE16/138

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MAWA “‽cry, bleat” ✧ QL/060

Element in

Variations

  • vaiya ✧ PE16/138
  • waiwe ✧ PE16/138
  • maiwe ✧ PE16/138 (maiwe)
  • māwe ✧ PME/060; QL/060
Early Quenya [MC/213; PE16/138; PME/060; QL/060] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taime

noun. sky

A word for “the sky” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with variants Taime and Taimie from the early root ᴱ√TAHA [DAHA] (QL/87). ᴱQ. tea “sky” from Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s is probably related, as suggested by Patrick Wynne and Christopher Gilson (PE16/142).

Cognates

  • G. dai “sky” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
  • G. daimoth “heaven” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar

Derivations

  • ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ LT1A/Telimektar; QL/087

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√TAHA > Taime[taximē] > [taxime] > [taɣime] > [taime]✧ QL/087

Variations

  • Taimë ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
  • Taimië ✧ LT1A/Telimektar
  • tea ✧ PE16/142
  • Taime ✧ QL/088
  • Taimie ✧ QL/088
Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; PE16/142; QL/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

waiwe

noun. seamew

taimie

noun. sky

tea

noun. sky