li-, lin- a multiplicative prefix (LT1:269)
Quenya
-li
the elves
-li
suffix. partitive plural (suffix); many, some, a lot of
li-
verb. li-
li(n)-
prefix. many
A Quenya prefix for “many” appearing regularly in Tolkien’s writings throughout his life, dating all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s. It was derived from the root √LI that was also the basis for the partitive plural suffix Q. -li. In Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948, Tolkien specified that li(n)- referred to an indefinite quantity bigger than a few: “a number, a good many, not a few” (PE23/101 note #36).
> Indefinite, expressing “mere plurality” (more than two at least); “some” with the plural, “(not) a few,” “several.” This is expressed by the stems lī̆-, and lĭn(i). In C. Eldarin the stem meant “many,” often a great number, but in Quenya except in a few older derivatives, especially the prefix lin-, lilin-, it is used always as expressing a lesser or vaguer number than the next (PE23/100).
This was then contrasted with ᴹQ. sem(p)- “few” and ᴹQ. hrim- “a great number, very many” [>> *rim-***].
lin-
many
lin- (1) (prefix) "many" (LI), seen in lindornëa, lintyulussëa; assimilated lil- in lillassëa.
i falmalinnar imbë met
on the foaming waves between us
Beginning of the thirteenth line @@@
i falmalinnar imbë met
upon the (many) foaming waves between us (two)
The 13th phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation. As a collection of modifying elements following a verb, there is nothing particularly notable about its word order.
falma
noun. (crested or foaming) wave, breaker, (crested or foaming) wave, breaker; [ᴱQ.] foam
The basic Quenya word for “wave”, in particular a foaming or cresting wave, or a breaker. It was a derivative of the root √PHAL “foam, splash” (PE17/62, 73; Ety/PHAL).
Conceptual Development: Its earliest precursor seems to be ᴱQ. falmo “foam” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the root ᴱ√FALA (QL/37). It appeared as ᴱQ. falma “foam” in the Oilima Markirya poem of 1931 (MC/213). Other poems from this period use another word ᴱQ. falmar for “wave” (MC/216, 220), and falmar appeared in Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as well with the gloss “wave as it breaks” (QL/37). In the Declension of Nouns from the 1930s, it appeared as ᴹQ. falma “wave” (PE22/22, 50), and in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹQ. falma “(crested) wave” from the root ᴹ√PHAL “foam” (Ety/PHAL). It was mentioned numerous times in later writings, generally as a foaming or breaking wave.
limbë
many
limbë (2) adj. "many", probably obsoleted by #1 above (LT2:342)
nótë
number
nótë noun "number" (NOT)
lina
adjective. many
-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").