Sindarin
gwen
noun. maiden
gwend
noun. maiden
gwend
noun. maiden, maiden, *young woman
A word for “maiden” or “✱young woman”, frequently appearing as suffixal -wen as an element in female names, derived from the root √WEN(ED) (PE17/191; Ety/WEN).
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word G. gwin meant “woman, female” and G. {gwen >>} gwennin was “girl” (GL/45). The former was derived from the root ᴱ√giu̯i which had to do with pregnancy, but the latter was derived from {ᴱ√gw̯ene >>} ᴱ√gu̯eđe. In the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon {ᴱ√WENE >>} ᴱ√GWENE was the basis of words like ᴱQ. ’wen(di) “maiden” (QL/103). In the Gnomish Lexicon Slips it seems G. gwin was also reassigned to the root ᴱ√(G)WENE [ᴱ√u̯enĭ-], derived from ᴱ✶u̯einā́, though possibly shifted or blended in meaning with an adjectival sense “womanly” (PE13/113).
In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, Tolkien had ᴱN. uin “woman” (PE13/123), a form that also appeared with this gloss in contemporaneous Early Noldorin Word-lists as a replacement for deleted {gwind, gwinn} (PE13/146, 155). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. gwend, gwenn “maiden” under the root ᴹ√WEN(ED) which he said was “often found in feminine names” (Ety/WEN). He noted that “since the [suffixed names] show no -d even in archaic spelling, they probably contain a form wen-”. Tolkien seems to have stuck with these forms thereafter.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use this word for a young woman or adolescent girl, especially prior to marriage, but for female children I would use neth.
Cognates
- Q. vendë “maiden, *virgin” ✧ PE17/191
Derivations
Element in
- S. Rodwen “High Virgin Noble”
- S. Arwen “Noble Maiden”
- ᴺS. arwen “noble lady”
- S. Galadwen
- S. Gladhwen “Laughing Maiden”
- ᴺS. gwendren “maidenly, girlish”
- S. gweneth “maidenhood, maidenhood, [N.] virginity” ✧ PE17/191
- ᴺS. gwennod “elder tree; elderberry, *(lit.) maiden berry”
- S. Hirwen
- S. Ivonwin “Maidens of Yavanna”
- S. Ivorwen
- S. Laewen
- S. Urwen
- S. -wen “maiden, *female suffix”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √WEN-ED > gwen(d) [wende] > [gwende] > [gwend] > [gwenn] ✧ PE17/191 Variations
- gwen(d) ✧ PE17/191
gwain
adjective. fair
adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.
gwana
noun/adjective. fair
Changes
gwain→ gwana “fair, general word for Elves” ✧ PE17/140Derivations
- ✶
wanasō✧ PE17/140Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶wanasō > gwana [wanasō] > [wanaso] > [wanaho] > [gwanaho] > [gwanah] > [gwana] ✧ PE17/140 Variations
gwain✧ PE17/140 (gwain)
gwân
adjective. fair
_ adj. _fair, pale.
cîw
adjective. fresh, new
bain
fair
_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân
fael
adjective. fair minded, just, generous
laeb
adjective. fresh
laeg
adjective. "viridis", fresh and green
Seldom used (replaced by calen )
laew
adjective. fresh
_ adj. _fresh.
laew
adjective. fresh
Derivations
- √LAY “*be alive, flourish, [ᴱ√] be alive, flourish” ✧ PE17/159
Element in
- ᴺS. laeweth “freshness”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √LAY > laew [laiwa] > [laiw] > [laew] ✧ PE17/159
lind
adjective. fair
Derivations
- √LIN “sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle”
Element in
- S. Linhir “Fair Stream” ✧ RC/587
Variations
- lin ✧ RC/587 (lin)
lhind
adjective. fine, slender
bân
adjective. fair
_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain
gwen
pronoun. us (inclusive)
Elements
Word Gloss gwe “we (inclusive)”
gwend
maiden
gwend (i **wend, construct gwen) (friendship), pl. gwind (in gwind), coll. pl. gwennath**. Note: a homophone means ”bond, friendship”.
gwend
maiden
(i ’wend, construct gwen) (friendship), pl. gwind (in gwind), coll. pl. gwennath. Note: a homophone means ”bond, friendship”.
wen
maiden
, see MAIDEN. The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.
pen
pronoun. us (inclusive)
Elements
Word Gloss pe “we (inclusive)”
bain
fair
bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.
bain
fair
(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.
brand
fine
1) brand (high, lofty, noble), lenited vrand, pl. braind, 2) trîw (lenited drîw; no distinct pl. form) (slender) , 3) *lhind (slender), lenited ?thlind or ?lind (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Sugggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlind.
brand
fine
(high, lofty, noble), lenited vrand, pl. braind
iell
girl
1) iell (-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill; 2) sell (i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath. 3) (girl in her teens, approaching the adult) neth (also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.
iell
girl
(-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill
lhind
fine
(slender), lenited ?thlind or ?lind (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Sugggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlind.
neth
girl
(also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. – The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.
sell
girl
(i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath.
tess
fine pierced hole
(i dess, construct tes), pl. tiss (i thiss). Older ters (VT46:18).
trîw
fine
(lenited drîw; no distinct pl. form) (slender)
cîw
fresh
1) cîw (lenited gîw; no distinct pl. form) (new), 2) laeb (no distinct pl. form). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” lhoeb (LR:368 s.v. LÁYAK) 3) laeg (green), no distinct pl. form. (Note: a homophone means ”keen, sharp, acute”.) In the Woodland dialect lêg, whence leg- in the name Legolas ”Greenleaf” (Lettters:282, 386).
lhê
fine thread
(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.
_n. _maiden. Q. wendē. >> gwend, gweneth