Quenya 

alqua

noun. swan

swan

Quenya [PE 18:100] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

alqua

swan

alqua noun "swan" _(ÁLAK [there spelt _alqa, as in LT1:249/LT2:335], SA:alqua, UT:265, VT42:7). The alternative form alquë ("q") mentioned in early material (LT1:249) may or may not be valid in LotR-style Quenya.

alqua

noun. swan

The Quenya noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK).

Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. alqa dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√ḶKḶ (QL/30), though it had a variant form alqe in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/18). Other than this one exception, Tolkien stuck with alqua throughout his life. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. alqa “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).

Cognates

  • S. alph “swan” ✧ NM/378; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07
  • T. alpa “swan” ✧ UT/265

Derivations

  • ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; VT42/07
    • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100
  • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ SA/alqua

Element in

  • Q. Alqualondë “Haven of the Swans” ✧ SA/alqua; UT/265

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
✶alkwā > alqua[alkwā] > [alkwa]✧ NM/378
✶álkwā > alqua[alkwā] > [alkwa]✧ PE18/100
√alak- > alqua[alakwā] > [alkwā] > [alkwa]✧ SA/alqua
✶alkwa > alqua[alkwa]✧ UT/265
✶alkwa > alqua[alkwa]✧ VT42/07
Quenya [NM/378; PE18/100; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Sindarin 

alph

noun. swan

Sindarin [Ety/348, S/427, LotR/E, VT/42:6-7, X/PH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

alph

noun. swan

n. Zoo. swan.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:100] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

alph

noun. swan

The Sindarin noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK), where first the [[at|ancient [kw] became [p]]] and then the [[os|[lp] became [lf] (spelled lph)]].

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, this word appeared as {alcwi >>} alfa (GL/18), which is perhaps the moment that Tolkien decided that labialized velars became labials in the Sindarin branch of Elvish (though in Gnomish this sound change applied only medially). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying this document, the word became alf (PE13/109), and Tolkien stuck with this form thereafter, though eventually revising the spelling to alph once he decide that final [f] was spelled ph. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. alf “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).

Cognates

  • Q. alqua “swan” ✧ NM/378; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07

Derivations

  • ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ NM/378; VT42/07
    • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100
  • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ SA/alqua
  • T. alpa “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100

Element in

  • ᴺS. alfeg “cygnet, young swan”
  • ᴺS. alfuil “large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan”
  • S. Alphros
  • S. Elphir
  • S. Nîn-in-Eilph “Swanfleet, Waterlands of the Swans” ✧ NM/378; VT42/07

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
✶alkwā > alpa > alf[alkwā] > [alpā] > [alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ NM/378
T. alpa > alph[alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ UT/265
T. alpa > eilph[alpi] > [alpʰi] > [alɸi] > [alfi] > [elfi] > [eilf]✧ UT/265
✶alkwa > alf[alkwa] > [alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ VT42/07

Variations

  • alf ✧ NM/378; VT42/07
Sindarin [LotR/1114; NM/378; PE17/100; SA/alqua; UT/265; VT42/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alph

swan

alph (pl. eilph)

alph

swan

(pl. eilph)

Telerin 

alpa

noun. swan

Cognates

  • Q. alqua “swan” ✧ UT/265

Derivations

  • ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100

Derivatives

  • S. alph “swan” ✧ UT/265

Nandorin 

ealc

noun. swan

Primitive form given as alk-wâ, derived from a stem ÁLAK "rushing" (LR:348); alk-wâ would seem to be an adjectival formation (ending -wâ), so the primitive word probably had the same meaning as the stem: "rushing", later used as a noun "rushing (one)" and applied to an animal. According to Tolkien's later conception, kw should probably have come out as p rather than c in Nandorin; see cwenda.

Primitive a becoming ea is a strange shift with no direct parallels even where it might have been expected, but compare eo from i in meord (and from e in beorn), as well as ie from a in sciella. Perhaps we are to understand that the liquids l, r trigger such changes in a preceeding vowel, but then we might expect for instance *ealm instead of alm as the word for "elm-tree".

Nandorin [H. Fauskanger (LR:348)] < ÁLAK. Published by

Primitive elvish

alkwā

noun. swan

Derivations

  • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100

Derivatives

  • Q. alqua “swan” ✧ NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; VT42/07
  • S. alph “swan” ✧ NM/378; VT42/07
  • At. alpa “swan” ✧ VT42/07
  • T. alpa “swan” ✧ UT/265
    • S. alph “swan” ✧ UT/265

Variations

  • álkwā ✧ PE18/100
  • alkwa ✧ UT/265; VT42/07
Primitive elvish [NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; VT42/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

alf

noun. swan

Noldorin [Ety/348, S/427, LotR/E, VT/42:6-7, X/PH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

alf

noun. swan

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • On. alpha “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. alpha > alf[alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]✧ Ety/ÁLAK
On. alpha > Elf[alɸi] > [alfi] > [elfi] > [elf]✧ Ety/ÁLAK
Noldorin [Ety/ÁLAK; Ety/KHOP] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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!

Ancient telerin

alpa

noun. swan

Derivations

  • ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ VT42/07
    • √ALAK “rushing, rushing, [ᴹ√] swift” ✧ PE18/100

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
✶alkwa > alpa[alkwa] > [alpa]✧ VT42/07
Ancient telerin [VT42/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

alqa

noun. swan

Cognates

  • ᴹT. alpa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • On. alpha “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • N. alf “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • Ilk. alch “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • Dan. ealc “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Alqalonde “Swan-haven” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶alk-wā > alqa[alkwā] > [alkwa]✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Doriathrin

alch

noun. swan

An Ilkorin word for “swan” derived from primitive ᴹ✶alkwā (Ety/ÁLAK). This word is a good example of how voiceless stops became spirants after liquids and voiceless stops in Ilkorin.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶alk-wā > alch[alkwā] > [alkwa] > [alxwa] > [alxa] > [alx]✧ Ety/ÁLAK
Doriathrin [Ety/ÁLAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ossriandric

ealc

noun. swan

A noun for “swan” that developed from primitive ᴹ✶alkwā (Ety/ÁLAK). It is an example of how [[dan|[w] vanished after medial velars in Ossiriandic]] and of how [[dan|[a] broke into the diphthong [ea] before the liquid [l]]].

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶alk-wā > ealc[alkwā] > [alkā] > [ealkā] > [ealk]✧ Ety/ÁLAK
Ossriandric [Ety/ÁLAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

alpha

noun. swan

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Derivatives

  • N. alf “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶alk-wā > alpha[alkwā] > [alpā] > [alpa] > [alpʰa] > [alɸa]✧ Ety/ÁLAK
Old Noldorin [Ety/ÁLAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

alkwā

noun. swan

Derivations

  • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050

Derivatives

  • Ilk. alch “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • Dan. ealc “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • On. alpha “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • N. alf “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
  • ᴹT. alpa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Variations

  • alk-wā ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Telerin

alpa

noun. swan

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. alqa “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶alkwā “swan” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK
    • ᴹ√(A)LAK “swift, rushing” ✧ Ety/ÁLAK; PE18/050
Middle Telerin [Ety/ÁLAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

alfa

noun. swan

Changes

  • alcwi → alfa ✧ GL/18
  • alcwi → alfa ✧ LT1A/Alqaluntë

Cognates

  • Eq. alqa “swan” ✧ GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶alchwa “swan” ✧ GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë; PE13/109

Element in

  • G. alfuil(in) “swan” ✧ GL/18; GL/18 (alcothil)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶alchwa > alfa[alkʷā] > [alpā] > [alpa] > [alfa]✧ GL/18

Variations

  • alcwi ✧ GL/18 (alcwi); LT1A/Alqaluntë (alcwi)
  • alf ✧ PE13/109
Gnomish [GL/18; GL/67; LT1A/Alqaluntë; PE13/109] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alf

noun. swan

alfuil(in)

noun. swan

Changes

  • alcothil → alfuil ✧ GL/19

Variations

  • alfuil ✧ GL/19
  • alcothil ✧ GL/19 (alcothil)
Gnomish [GL/19; PE13/109] Group: Eldamo. Published by

silwin

noun. swan

A word for “swan” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/67), probably related to ᴱQ. siloine of the same meaning (QL/83).

Cognates

Elements

WordGloss
SILI“*gleam”

Early Noldorin

alf

noun. swan

Cognates

  • Eq. alqa “swan” ✧ PE13/136; PE13/159

Element in

  • En. elflin “cygnet, *young swan” ✧ PE13/159
  • En. alfuilin “large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan” ✧ PE13/136; PE13/136; PE13/159
Early Noldorin [PE13/136; PE13/159] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwanwen

noun. swan

A word for “swan” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/146, 159), perhaps related to ᴱN. gwant “✱beautiful”.

Elements

WordGloss
gwant“?beautiful”
Early Noldorin [PE13/146; PE13/159] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

alchwa

noun. swan

Derivations

Derivatives

  • G. alfa “swan” ✧ GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë; PE13/109

Variations

  • alqa- ✧ PE13/109
Early Primitive Elvish [GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë; PE13/109] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

alqa

noun. swan

Cognates

  • G. alfa “swan” ✧ GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë
  • En. alf “swan” ✧ PE13/136; PE13/159

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ḶKḶ “*appearance” ✧ QL/030

Element in

  • Eq. Alqalunte “Swanship” ✧ LT1A/Alqaluntë
  • Eq. Alqaráme “Swanwing” ✧ LT2A/Alqarámë

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√(I)ḶKḶ > Alqa[ḹkʷa] > [alkʷa]✧ QL/030

Variations

  • alqe ✧ GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë
  • Alqa ✧ QL/030
Early Quenya [GL/18; LT1A/Alqaluntë; LT2A/Alqarámë; PE13/136; PE13/159; QL/030] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alqe

noun. swan

siloine

noun. swan

A word for “swan” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s appearing under the early root ᴱ√SILI (QL/83).

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√SILI “*gleam” ✧ QL/083

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√SILI > siloine[siloini] > [siloine]✧ QL/083
Early Quenya [QL/083] Group: Eldamo. Published by