Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words
Noldorin
-iel
suffix. adjective suffix
-iel
suffix. daughter; feminine suffix
-il
suffix. feminine suffix
iell
noun. daughter
iell
noun. girl, maid
iell
noun. daughter
-eb
suffix. adjective suffix
-en
suffix. adjective suffix
-in
suffix. adjective suffix
-ren
suffix. adjective suffix
-rin
suffix. adjective suffix
-ui
suffix. adjective suffix
gwend
noun. maiden
gwenn
noun. maiden
gwenn
noun. maiden
inw
adjective. female
inw
noun/adjective. female
A word appearing as N. inw “female” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√INI of the same meaning, the equivalent of the Quenya adjective ᴹQ. inya but altered in form to match N. anw “male” (Ety/INI).
Conceptual Development: The word for “female” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s was G. gwinwed, an adjectival form of G. gwin “woman, female” (GL/45). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips from the 1910s the adjective for “fem[ale]” became G. gwineth based on primitive {ᴱ✶u̯eniı̯ásta >>} ᴱ✶u̯eniı̯ássa (PE13/118).
Neo-Sindarin: Many Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. inu to better fit Sindarin phonology, as suggested in HSD (HSD). It seems likely the Noldorin form was intended to be an adjective, but for purposes of Neo-Sindarin I think it is acceptable to use it as both an adjective or a noun, like its male equivalent ᴺS. anu.
sell
noun. daughter
sell
noun. girl, maid (child)
Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words