alqua

noun. swan

swan

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

Development	Stages	Sources
✶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

vanië

beauty

vanië noun "beauty" (PE17:56), apparently formed from vanya #1. Synonym vanessë.

vanië

noun. beauty

Elements

Word	Gloss
vanë	“fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely”

Variations

• vanie ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057

vanessë

beauty

vanessë noun "beauty" (LT1:272, PE17:56). Also vanië.

vanessë

noun. beauty

Cognates

• ᴺS. banath “beauty”

Variations

• vanesse ✧ PE17/056

gwanwen

proper name. Departed

A term the Sindar used for the Elves who left Beleriand for Aman, derived from the same root as Q. vanwa: √WĀ/AWA (WJ/366, 378). Another variation was Gwanwel (WJ/378), perhaps incorporating †Ell “Elf”.

Variations

• Gwanwel ✧ WJ/378; WJI/Gwanwen

gwanwen

adjective. departed, departed, *gone, lost [to time], past

Derivations

• √WĀ/AWA “away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago, away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago; [ᴹ√] forth, out”

Element in

• S. Gwanwen “Departed” ✧ WJ/378
• S. Gwenedhel

Variations

• Gwanwen ✧ WJ/378

gwae-

verb. to go, depart

This highly irregular verb appeared in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 as the Sindarin equivalent of Q. auta- “go (away), depart”, itself very irregular, both verbs derived from the invertible root √WĀ/AWA (PE17/148). The Sindarin verb has a present tense form gwaen “I go” and past forms 1st. sg. anwen “✱I went” and 3rd. sg. anu/awn “✱he/she went”, with these past forms apparently based on an ancient nasal-infixed strong past ✶anwē (from which the archaic Q. strong past †anwe “went” was derived). It has two more forms gwanu/gwawn. These seem to be the equivalent of Q. vanwa “lost” < ✶wanwā.

The present tense form gwaen “I go” is especially peculiar. Compare this to the more regular present tenses cewin “I taste” < kawin(e) (PE22/152) and galon “I grow” < galān(e) (PE17/131). I think the likeliest explanation is that gwaen is derived from an ancient aorist form wa-i-nĭ, with ai becoming ae as was usual of Sindarin’s phonetic developments. If so, the presents of this verb would be based on √WA and the pasts based on √AW.

A final twist is that in the note from DLN Tolkien mentions u-intrusion, a sound change parallel to the more common i-intrusion, whereby a final u moved before a preceding consonant. The forms awn and gwawn are thus the u-intruded results of anu and gwanu. This u-intrusion would not occur in forms with further suffixes, like anwen “I went”.

A probably related form gwanwen “departed” appears in the Quendi and Eldar (Q&E) essay from 1959-60 (WJ/378). This could be an independent adjective, but could also be a passive participle of gwae- (or some variant of it), possibly a strengthened or elaborated form of gwanu/gwawn. Note that Q&E also states that:

> The only normal derivative [of AWA] is the preposition o, the usual word for ‘from, of’. None of the forms of the element ✱awa are found as a prefix in S, probably because they became like or the same as the products of ✱wō, ✱wo (WJ/366).

Some people believe this indicates that Tolkien rejected other derivatives like gwae-, but since Q&E also contains gwanwen, I think this statement only applies to direct derivatives of AWA, as opposed to gwae- and gwanwen which are derived from the inverted root WĀ.

Neo-Sindarin: How to handle this verb in the context of Neo-Sindarin is unclear. Given the extreme irregularity of this verb, it is tempting to discard it. Unfortunately, we have no other attested Sindarin verbs for “to depart”. Furthermore, common verbs like “go” tend to be irregular in many languages (such as English as “go” vs. “went”), so it makes sense the same would be true of Sindarin. As such, I propose the following conjugation for this verb (hat tip to Gilruin for most of this paradigm; he suggested much better forms than my original ideas):

• Present tense ✱gwae “go” < primitive ✶gwa-ĭ, with inflections added to this form: gwaen “I go”, ✱gwael “you go”, etc.

• Past tense awn “went” < ✶anwē with u-intrusion. Inflected forms are based on non-intruded anw-: anwen “I went”, ✱anwel “you went”, etc.

• Past/passive participle gwanwen “departed”, an elaboration of the older (archaic?) perfective participle gwanu/gwawn.

• Future ✱gwatha “will go”, ✱gwathon “I will go”, < ✶wa-thā, wa-thā-nĭ.

• Gerund ✱gwaed (< ✶wa-itā) and active participle ✱gwaul (< ✶wa-ālā) “departing”.

• Imperative ✱gwaw “go!” < ✶wa-ā, as with baw “don’t!” < ✶bā (WJ/371-2).

Finally, this verb means “go” specifically in the sense “depart”, that is: “go away”. For “go (generally and in any direction)”, use the verb men-.

If you dislike this irregularity of gwae- or you believe that Tolkien’s note in Q&E (see above) indicates this verb was rejected along with (most) Sindarin derivatives of AWA, then the neologism haena- “to leave, depart” gives an alternative verb.

Cognates

• Q. auta- “to go (away), depart, leave; to disappear, be lost, pass away” ✧ PE17/148

Derivations

• √WĀ/AWA “away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago, away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago; [ᴹ√] forth, out” ✧ PE17/148

Element in

• S. gwanwen “departed, departed, *gone, lost [to time], past” ✧ WJ/378

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√AWA/WĀ > gwaen	[wain] > [gwain] > [gwaen]	✧ PE17/148
√AWA/WĀ > anwen	[anwen]	✧ PE17/148
√AWA/WĀ > anu	[anwe] > [anw] > [anu]	✧ PE17/148
√AWA/WĀ > awn	[anwe] > [anw] > [aun]	✧ PE17/148
√AWA/WĀ > gwanu	[wanwa] > [gwanwa] > [gwanw] > [gwanu]	✧ PE17/148
√AWA/WĀ > gwawn	[wanwa] > [gwanwa] > [gwanw] > [gwaun]	✧ PE17/148

alph

noun. swan

alph

noun. swan

n. Zoo. swan.

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

Development	Stages	Sources
✶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

elen

noun. Elf

penedh

noun. Elf

Derivations

• ✶kwende “speaker, elf” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141
  • √KWENED “spoken, articulate, spoken, articulate; [ᴹ√] Elf” ✧ PE17/137
  • √KWEN “speak with rational words” ✧ PE19/093
    • √KWE “vocal speech” ✧ WJ/392
  • √KWEN “speak with rational words” ✧ PE17/140; WJ/360
  • √KWE “vocal speech” ✧ WJ/392

Element in

• S. Morbenedh “*Dark-elf” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶kwenedē > peneð	[kwenedē] > [penedē] > [penede] > [peneðe] > [peneð]	✧ PE17/140
✶kwenedē > Penn	[kwendē] > [pendē] > [pende] > [pend] > [penn]	✧ PE17/141

Variations

• peneð ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141
• Penn ✧ PE17/141

edhel

noun. Elf

Cognates

• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ LRI/Edhil; PE17/045; PE17/151; PE17/152; SA/êl; SA/êl; RC/780
• Q. Eldo “one of the Marchers” ✧ WJ/363

Derivations

• ✶edelā “the fair” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/151
  • √DEL “*fair” ✧ PE17/151
• ✶edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/152; WJ/360
  • √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Element in

• S. Adanedhel “Elf-man” ✧ SA/edhel
• S. Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris “*Holy Song of the Elves of Rivendell” ✧ RGEO/62
• S. Aredhel “Noble Elf” ✧ SA/edhel
• S. Aredhel “Noble Elf” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/141
• S. Caledhel “*Light Elf”
• S. Danedhel “*Nando” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
• S. Dúnedhel “West-Elf” ✧ PE17/141; WJ/378
• S. Edhelharn “Elfstone”
• S. edhellen “elvish” ✧ PE17/045
• S. Edhellond “Elf-haven” ✧ UT/255
• S. Edhellos “Elven-flower” ✧ PM/346
• S. Glóredhel “*Golden Elf” ✧ SA/edhel
• S. Gwenedhel
• S. Lindedhel “Nandorin Elf”
• S. mellyn enin Edhellion “*friends of the Elves” ✧ PE17/097
• S. Mornedhel “Dark-elf” ✧ PE17/141; WJ/377
• S. Nínedhel “?Tear(ful) Elf” ✧ PE17/139
• S. Ost-in-Edhil “Fortress of the Eldar” ✧ SA/edhel
• S. Peredhel “Half-elf” ✧ SA/edhel
• S. Rúnedhel ✧ PE17/141
• S. Thinnedhel “Grey-elf” ✧ PE17/139

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶edelā > eðel	[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]	✧ PE17/139
✶edelō > eðel	[edelō] > [edelo] > [eðelo] > [eðel]	✧ PE17/141
✶edelā > edhel	[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]	✧ PE17/151
✶edelā > eðel	[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]	✧ PE17/152
✶edelō > Edhel	[edelō] > [edelo] > [eðelo] > [eðel]	✧ WJ/360
✶edelō > Edhil	[edelī] > [edeli] > [eðeli] > [eðili] > [eðil]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• edhel ✧ PE17/045; PE17/151; RC/780; SA/edhel; UT/255; UTI/Edhelrim
• eðel ✧ PE17/139; PE17/141; PE17/152
• Eðel ✧ PM/346

eledh

noun. Elf

Cognates

• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ Let/281; SA/êl; PE17/141
• Q. elenya “adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar” ✧ WJ/362

Derivations

• ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ Let/281; PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/142
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
• ✶elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139; WJ/360
  • ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/139
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

Element in

• S. Edelbar “*Elf-home” ✧ PE17/142
• S. Eledhwen “Elfsheen, Elven-fair” ✧ Let/281; SA/êl; UTI/Haudh-en-Elleth
• S. Elennor “*Elf-land” ✧ PE17/142
• S. Eledhes “*Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/142
• S. Eledhon “*Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/142

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶eledā/elenā > eledh	[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]	✧ Let/281
✶eledā/elenā > elidh	[eledī] > [eledi] > [eleði] > [eliði] > [elið]	✧ Let/281
✶elenyā > elein	[elenjā] > [elenja] > [elenia] > [eleni] > [elein] > [elain]	✧ PE17/139
✶eledā > eleð	[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]	✧ PE17/140
✶eledā > eleð	[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]	✧ PE17/141
✶eledā > eledh	[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]	✧ PE17/142
✶elenā > Elen	[elenā] > [elena] > [elen]	✧ WJ/360
✶elenā > Elin	[elenī] > [eleni] > [elini] > [elin]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• eledh ✧ Let/281 (eledh); PE17/142; PE17/142; UTI/Edhelrim
• elein ✧ PE17/139 (elein)
• eleð ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/142
• Elen ✧ WJ/363; WJ/377 (Elen); WJI/Elen

ell

noun. Elf

Cognates

• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ Let/281; WJ/362

Derivations

• ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ PE17/141; WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ PE17/141
  • ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ Let/281; PE17/141; SA/êl; WJ/360; WJ/364; WJ/364
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
  • ✶elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/152
  • ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/139
    • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360
  • ✶edelā “the fair” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/151
  • √DEL “*fair” ✧ PE17/151
  • ✶edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ PE17/152
  • √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Derivatives

• S. Elleth “Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141
• S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141

Element in

• S. Aranel
• S. Aredhel “Noble Elf” ✧ PE17/141
• S. ar in Ellath epholar eno vi Eressai “*and the Elves (?remember) still in Eressëa” ✧ VT50/19
• S. Dúnedhel “West-Elf” ✧ PE17/141
• S. Elladan “Elf-man” ✧ Let/281
• S. Elleth “Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/152; WJ/363
• S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141; WJ/363
• S. Elrohir “Elf-knight” ✧ Let/281
• S. Elrond “Star-dome” ✧ Let/281
• S. Elros “Star-foam” ✧ Let/281
• S. Elvellyn “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers” ✧ WJ/412
• S. Glinnel “*Singer-elf”
• S. i glinn hen agorer Edain mi Velerian, ach hí in Ellath îr ed epholar “*this song Men made in Beleriand, but now the Elves alone (?remember) it” ✧ VT50/15; VT50/15; VT50/15
• S. Laegel “Green-elves”
• S. Lindel “Nando”
• S. Miniel “Vanyar”
• S. sí il chem en i Naugrim en ir Ellath thor den ammen “*now all (?hands) of the Dwarves and Elves will be (?against) to us” ✧ VT50/23

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶eldā > ell	[eldā] > [elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]	✧ PE17/141
Q. elda > eld > ell	[elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]	✧ PE17/141
✶eldā > Ell-	[eldā] > [elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• ell ✧ Let/281; PE17/141; PE17/141 (ell); PE17/141; PE17/152 (ell)
• elt ✧ PE17/141
• Ell- ✧ WJ/363
• ell- ✧ WJ/364

gwanwen

departed

1) (past participle) gwanwen (lenited wanwen; pl. gwenwin), also as noun: a ”departed” one, one of the Elves of Aman: Gwanwen (i **Wanwen), pl. Gwenwin (in Gwenwin) (WJ:378), 2) gwann (dead), lenited wann; pl. gwain**;

gwanwen

departed

(lenited ’wanwen; pl. gwenwin), also as noun: a ”departed” one, one of the Elves of Aman: Gwanwen (i ’Wanwen), pl. Gwenwin (in Gwenwin) (WJ:378)

gwanwen

noun. Elves that left Beleriand for Aman (lit. "the departed")

pl. gwenwin; cf. Q vanwa >> gwanwel

gwanwel

elf of aman

(”departed” Elf), pl. gwenwil (in gwenwil), coll. pl. gwanwellath. (WJ:378) Also gwanwen; see

gwann

departed

(dead), lenited ’wann; pl. gwain

alph

swan

alph (pl. eilph)

alph

swan

(pl. eilph)

calben

elf of the great journey

(i galben, o chalben), pl. celbin (i chelbin).

elleth

elf-woman

(pl. ellith) (WJ:363-64, 377)

laegel

green-elf

pl. laegil; coll. pl. laegrim or laegeldrim (WJ:385). These forms from a late source would seem to supersede the ”N” forms listed in LR:368 s.v. LÁYAK: *Lhoebenidh* or *Lhoebelidh*. The Green-elves of Beleriand were also called Lindel (pl. Lindil), also Lindedhel (pl. Lindedhil)  *(WJ:385)*.

lefn

elf left behind

pl. lifn.

send

grey-elf

(i hend, o send, construct sen) (probably a term only used by the Noldor, borrowed from Quenya Sinda), pl. sind (i sind), coll. pl. Sendrim (the only attested form).

ellon

elf-man

(pl. ellyn)

mân

departed spirit

(i vân, construct man), pl. main (i main)

banath

noun. beauty

Cognates

• Q. vanessë “beauty”

Elements

Word	Gloss
bain	“fair, beautiful; good, wholesome, favorable; fair-haired, beautiful; good, wholesome, favorable; fair, fair-haired”

beinas

noun. beauty

Elements

Word	Gloss
bain	“fair, beautiful; good, wholesome, favorable; fair-haired, beautiful; good, wholesome, favorable; fair, fair-haired”

miniel

first elf

(i Viniel), pl. Mínil (i Mínil), coll. pl. Miniellath. (WJ:383)

elvellon

elf-friend

(pl. elvellyn, coll. pl. elvellonnath (WJ:412);

peredhel

half-elf

(pl. peredhil) (PM:256, 348).

dúnedhel

elf of beleriand

(i Núnedhel), pl. *Dúnedhil*** (i Ndúnedhil*). (WJ:378, 386)*

edhelharn

elf-stone

(pl. edhelhern) (SD:128-31).

mornedhel

dark elf

(i Vornedhel), pl. Mornedhil (i Mornedhil). Conceivably the entire word could be umlauted in the pl.: ?Mernedhil. **(WJ:409) Another term for ”Dark Elf” is Dúredhel (i Dhúredhel), pl. Dúredhil (i Núredhil**).

edhel

elf

(pl. edhil). Coll. pl. Edhelrim (or Edhellim) (UT:318). Also †eledh, pl. elidh, coll. pl. eledhrim (Letters:281), also elen, pl. elin, also with coll. pl. eledhrim (elen + rim with the regular change nr > dhr). (WJ:363, 377-78; the shorter coll. pl. Eldrim > *Elrim*** may also occur). But since elin** also means "stars", other terms for "Elf" may be preferred.

avar

non-eldarin elf

pl. Evair, also called

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

ella

noun/adjective. Elf

Cognates

• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ WJ/362; WJI/Eldar

Derivations

• ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281

Element in

• T. Ellálië “Elvenfolk” ✧ WJ/375

ello

noun. Elf

Cognates

• Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ WJ/375; WJ/373
• Q. Eldo “one of the Marchers” ✧ WJI/Eldar

Derivations

• ✶edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ WJ/362; WJ/360
  • √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Element in

• T. Audel “Elf who left for Aman” ✧ WJ/364

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".

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

gwann

adjective. departed, dead

alf

noun. swan

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

• N. Alfobas “*Swan-harbourage”
• N. Alflon “*Swan-haven”
• N. Hobas in Elf “*Harbourage of the Swans” ✧ Ety/KHOP

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. alpha > alf	[alɸa] > [alfa] > [alf]	✧ Ety/ÁLAK
On. alpha > Elf	[alɸi] > [alfi] > [elfi] > [elf]	✧ Ety/ÁLAK

penn

noun. Elf

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Qende “Elf”

Derivations

• ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf”

Element in

• N. Morbenn “Dark Elf” ✧ EtyAC/MOR (Morbenn)

Variations

• penn ✧ PE22/067

penedh

noun. Elf

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Qende “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
• ᴹQ. Qendelie “Elf-race” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Derivations

• ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶kwenedē > penedh	[kwenedē] > [penedē] > [penede] > [peneðe] > [peneð]	✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
ᴹ✶kwenedē > penidh	[kwenedī] > [penedī] > [penedi] > [peneði] > [peniði] > [penið]	✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Variations

• peneð ✧ EtyAC/SET (peneð)