The spouse of Námo (Mandos), this Valië weaves all things that have ever been into her storied webs (S/28). Her name is translated “Weaver” or “Ever-weaving” (MR/49, VT39/10). It is derived from √WIR “weave” (PE17/191), probably from an a-fortified form of that root: ✱✶Wairē (VT39/10).
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, ᴱQ. Vaire was an Elf, the wife of ᴱQ. Lindo (LT1/14). At this early stage, the spouse of Mandos was ᴱQ. Nienna (LT1/66). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, ᴹQ. Nienna became unmarried, and a new Valië, ᴹQ. Vaire “Weaver”, was named as the spouse of Mandos (LR/110).
In The Etymologies from the 1930s, ᴹQ. Vaire developed from ᴹ✶Weirē < ᴹ√WEY “weave” (Ety/WEY), since at this stage primitive [[mq|[ei] became [ai] when stressed and non-final]] (PE19/25). Later, Tolkien modified the development of this primitive diphthong so that [[q|stressed non-final [ei] became [ē]]] (PE19/53, 106). As further evidence of this phonetic change, Tolkien briefly considered changing the name of Vairë to Vérë (PE17/33), probably from the same primitive form ✶Weirē.
Tolkien did not adopt this variant name, however, which implies that the new primitive form of this name must have been ✶Wairē (not directly attested). Tolkien specified that this name did not develop from √WAY (which meant “blow”), proposing instead that it developed from a new root √WIR “weave” (PE17/191). Elsewhere Tolkien stated that the primitive form of Vairë probably developed from √WIR via the process of a-fortification (VT39/10).
Vairë (1) fem. name "the Weaver", name of a Valië, spouse of Mandos (Silm, WEY). The name is translated "Ever-weaving" in VT39:10, and it is implied that the archaic form was *Wairē rather than ¤Weirē, the reconstruction given in the Etymologies (entry WEY). Tolkien considered changing the name to Vérë (PE17:33) One source glosses the literal meaning as "weaving" rather than "weaver" (PE17:191).