limbë

many

limbë (2) adj. "many", probably obsoleted by #1 above (LT2:342)

li(n)-

prefix. many

Derivations

• √LI “many”

Element in

• Q. lillassëa “having many leaves”
• ᴺQ. lillumë “many times, often”
• Q. lilómëa “very dark, full of darkness” ✧ PE17/081
• Q. lilótëa “having many flowers” ✧ VT42/18
• ᴺQ. lincantëa “diverse, (lit.) many shaped”
• ᴺQ. lindóra “millions of, many millions”
• ᴺQ. linima “of many kinds, manifold”
• ᴺQ. linitë “plural”
• ᴺQ. linquilea “having many colours”
• ᴺQ. linvainëa “onion, (lit.) many-sheathed”
• Q. liyúmë “host” ✧ VT48/32

Variations

• li- ✧ PE17/081 (li-); VT42/18 (li-); VT48/32 (li-)

lin-

many

lin- (1) (prefix) "many" (LI), seen in lindornëa, lintyulussëa; assimilated lil- in lillassëa.

lina

adjective. many

A neologism for the adjective “many” derived from the root √LI, typically appearing in its plural form linë. Like English, it has the sense “many but not all, a majority (of)”: compare with nótima which can be used with the “some”. Early versions of this lexicon recommended using ᴱQ. lia, but that word’s plural form collides with Q. lië “people”.

Derivations

• √LI “many”

-rim

suffix. general or group plural ending

pl. suff. general or group plural ending. >> -ath

-rim

suffix. collective or group plural

Cognates

• Q. rimbë “host, great number, host, great number, [ᴹQ.] crowd” ✧ Let/178

Element in

• S. Crissaegrim “*Cleft Mountain Peaks”
• S. Falathrim “Elves of the Falas, Wave-folk”
• S. Galadhrim “Tree-people”
• S. Gondolindrim “People of Gondolin”
• S. Gonnhirrim “Masters of Stone”
• S. Gwathuirim “Dunlendings”
• S. Halethrim “People of Haleth”
• S. Haradrim “Southrons, (lit.) People of the Harad” ✧ Let/178
• S. Iathrim “*People of the Fence”
• S. Mithrim “Sindar”
• S. Naugrim “Dwarves”
• ᴺS. othrim “army”
• S. Rochirrim “Horse-lords” ✧ Let/178
• S. Rohirrim “Horse-lords”
• S. Thangorodrim “Mountains of Tyranny”
• S. Thindrim “Sindar”

Elements

Word	Gloss
rim	“host, great number, people (of one kind or origin), host, great number, people (of one kind or origin), [N.] crowd”

Variations

• rim ✧ Let/178; UTI/Edhelrim

-ath

suffix. collective or group plural

Derivations

• ✶-stā “collective suffix”
  • √SAT “space, place; divide, apportion, mark off”
• ✶atta “two” ✧ VT48/19
  • √ATATA “two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back” ✧ VT48/19

Element in

• S. Ann-thennath “*Long-shorts”
• S. Argonath “Pillars of the Kings, (lit.) Royal Stones” ✧ RC/347
• S. Ennorath “(All) the Middle-lands” ✧ PE17/025
• S. Hurinionath “Descendants of Húrin”
• S. Minhiriath “Between the Rivers”
• S. Remmirath “Netted Jewels”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶atta > -ath	[-atta] > [-attʰa] > [-aθθa] > [-aθθ] > [-aθ]	✧ VT48/19

Variations

• ath ✧ Let/427; PE17/025; PE17/025

laew

many

laew (frequent); no distinct pl. form.

laew

many

(frequent); no distinct pl. form.

li

root. many

This root was connected to words for “many” throughout Tolkien’s life. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s it appeared as ᴱ√LĪ, with variant ᴱ√ILI “many” and extended form ᴱ√LIYA (LI + ya) “unite many as one” with derivatives like ᴱQ. lia- “entwine” and ᴱQ. liante “tendril” (QL/42, 53). In later writings there is no sign of the inversion √IL “many” (later √IL meant “all”), whereas ᴱ√LIYA seems to have shifted to unrelated ᴹ√SLIG with derivatives like ᴹQ. lia “fine thread, spider filament” and ᴹQ. liante “spider” (Ety/SLIG).

The base root ᴹ√LI “many” did reappear in The Etymologies of the 1930s, however (Ety/LI), and √LI “many” appeared again in etymological notes from the late 1960s (VT48/25). The long-standing connection between this root and the Quenya (partitive) plural suffixes indicates its stability in Tolkien’s mind.

Derivatives

• Q. -li “partitive plural (suffix); many, some, a lot of”
• Q. lië “people, folk”
• Q. li(n)- “many”
• ᴺQ. lina “many”
• ᴺQ. lio “much”
• S. lî “people (of one kind or origin), people (of one kind or origin), [G.] folk, many people, crowd of folk”

Element in

• ᴺQ. lita- “to multiply”

-rim

suffix. group plural

Element in

• N. Crisaegrim
• N. Forodrim “Northmen”
• N. Gondothrim “People of Gondolin” ✧ Ety/GOND

Variations

• lim ✧ Ety/LI
• rim ✧ Ety/LI; PE21/57

-lim

suffix. group plural, group plural, [G.] many

-ath

suffix. collective or group plural

Cognates

• ᴹQ. -sta “close grouping” ✧ PE21/57

Derivations

• ᴹ✶-asta “collective plural” ✧ PE21/57; PE21/64

Element in

• N. siniath “news, tidings” ✧ Ety/SI

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶-atta > -ath	[-attā] > [-atta] > [-attʰa] > [-aθθa] > [-aθθ] > [-aθ]	✧ PE21/57

Variations

• ath ✧ PE21/57