quesset ("q")noun "pillow"; probably *quessec*- since the Sindarin (or "Noldorin") cognate pesseg points to a primitive form kwessek- (compare filit, filic**-) (KWES)
Quenya
filit
small bird
quesset
pillow
Sindarin
nedhu
pillow
1) *nedhu (bolster), analogical pl. nedhy. Cited in archaic form nedhw (LR:378 s.v. NID), so the coll. pl. is likely nedhwath. 2) pesseg (i besseg, o phesseg), pl. pessig (i phessig)
nedhu
pillow
(bolster), analogical pl. nedhy. Cited in archaic form nedhw (LR:378 s.v. NID), so the coll. pl. is likely nedhwath.
pesseg
pillow
(i besseg, o phesseg), pl. pessig (i phessig)
aew
small bird
aew. No distinct pl. form.
Noldorin
filigod
noun. small bird
fileg
noun. small bird, small bird, [G.] *sparrow
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “small bird” derived from the root ᴹ√PHILIK and cognate to ᴹQ. filit (filik-) of the same meaning (Ety/PHILIK). Tolkien said fileg was an “analogical singular” form (along with another singular form filigod) based on its plural form filig. That is because the final -k in ✱philik was lost in ancient times, as explained in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s (PE21/72) so that its historical phonetic development would have produced singular N./S. ✱fil. This form was deemed unsuitable, and a new singular form fileg was constructed based on the plural. Something similar happened with S. thoron “eagle”.
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. bilin or bilinc for “a small bird, especially sparrow”, a diminutive form of G. bil “bird” (GL/22, 23).
Neo-Sindarin: I think it is likely that fileg can also be used to refer to sparrows for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since its Quenya cognate filit was in one place glossed “sparrow, small bird” (PE21/56).
Cognates
- ᴹQ. filit “small bird, sparrow” ✧ Ety/PHILIK; Ety/PHILIK
Derivations
- ᴹ√PHILIK “small bird” ✧ Ety/PHILIK
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√PHILIK > filig [pʰilike] > [ɸilike] > [filike] > [filik] > [filig] ✧ Ety/PHILIK Variations
- filigod ✧ Ety/PHILIK
pesseg
noun. pillow
pesseg
noun. pillow
A noun for “pillow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KWES having to do with feathers (Ety/KWES).
Cognates
- ᴹQ. qesset “pillow” ✧ Ety/KWES
Derivations
- ᴹ√KWES “*feather” ✧ Ety/KWES
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√KWES > pesseg [kwesseke] > [pesseke] > [pessek] > [pesseg] ✧ Ety/KWES
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!
Qenya
filit
noun. small bird, sparrow
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “small bird” derived from the root ᴹ√PHILIK (Ety/PHILIK). It also appeared in Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936 with the gloss “sparrow, small bird” where it coexisted with similarly formed ᴹQ. filinke, elsewhere glossed “finch” (PE21/56). Its plural was filiki indicating a stem form filik- [filic-].
Conceptual Development: In both the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s the word for “sparrow” was ᴱQ. imbilink, an elaboration (diminutive?) of ᴱQ. imbile “swarm, flock, often of small birds” (QL/41), so perhaps “✱small swarmer”. ᴹQ. filit (filik-) first appeared in a set of noun declensions from the early 1930s, but it was not translated (PE21/52).
Neo-Quenya: It is not entirely clear whether filit “sparrow” and filinke “finch” coexisted with these meanings, but I would retain both for purposes of Neo-Quenya, and assume filincë “finch” is slightly diminutive in sense.
Cognates
- N. fileg “small bird, small bird, [G.] *sparrow” ✧ Ety/PHILIK; Ety/PHILIK
Derivations
- ᴹ√PHILIK “small bird” ✧ Ety/PHILIK; PE21/56
Element in
- ᴺQ. filiculumpe “ostrich, (lit.) sparrow-camel”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√PHILIK > filit [pʰilik] > [ɸilik] > [ɸilit] > [filit] ✧ Ety/PHILIK
qesset
noun. pillow
A noun for “pillow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KWES having to do with feathers (Ety/KWES). Given its cognate N. pesseg, its stem form is probably quessec- as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (QQ/quesset).
Cognates
- N. pesseg “pillow” ✧ Ety/KWES
Derivations
- ᴹ√KWES “*feather” ✧ Ety/KWES
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√KWES > qesset [kwesseke] > [kwessek] > [kwesset] ✧ Ety/KWES
Middle Primitive Elvish
philik
root. small bird
Derivatives
Variations
- philik ✧ PE21/56
- spilik ✧ PE21/56 (
spilik)
Gnomish
bilin(c)
noun. small bird, sparrow
Derivations
- ᴱ√VILI “*air” ✧ GL/22
Element in
- G. Gwarbilin “Birdward(en)” ✧ GL/47; LT1A/Tinfang
Elements
Word Gloss bil “bird” inc “little” Variations
- bilin ✧ GL/22; GL/23
- bilinc ✧ GL/22; GL/23 (
bilinc); GL/23; GL/23
filit (filic- ("k"), as in pl. filici) noun "small bird" (PHILIK)