Quenya 

helluin

proper name. ?Ice or Sky Blue

The name of the blue star Sirius (S/64, SI/Helluin). Its final element is almost certainly luinë “blue” (SA/luin), but the meaning of its initial element is unclear. It may be a derivation of the root √KHEL “ice”. Alternately, it might be related to ᴹQ. helle “sky” as suggested by Elaran in a private Discord chat on 2019-02-19.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, Sirius was named ᴱQ. Nierninwa Blue-bee” (QL/65), while in the earliest Lost Tales it was called ᴱQ. Nielluin “Bee of Azure” (LT1/182) or “Blue Bee” (LT1/200), a name that also appeared in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/65).

Elements

WordGloss
?
luinë“blue”
Quenya [LT1/200; LT1I/Helluin; MRI/Helluin; SA/luin; SI/Helluin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Illuin

blue

Illuin place-name, name of one of the Lamps of the Valar; apparently incorporating the element luin "blue" (Silm): hence *"all-blue"?

luinë

blue

luinë adj. "blue", pl. luini (PE17:66, VT48:23, 24, 28, Nam, RGEO:66). Common Eldarin luini- would also be the stem-form in Quenya (VT48:24). Compare luinincë. Apparently -luin in Illuin, the name of one of the Lamps of the Valar (q.v.), Helluin, name of the star Sirius, and Luinil, name of another blue-shining star (or planet). (SA; Luinil is tentatively identified with Neptune, MR:435). Cf. also menelluin "sky-blue", used as noun = "cornflower" (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 193).

luinë

adjective. blue

Cognates

  • S. luin “blue” ✧ SA/luin; VT48/23; VT48/28
  • T. luinë “blue” ✧ VT48/28

Derivations

  • LUY “blue” ✧ VT48/23
  • luini “blue” ✧ VT48/24
    • LUY “blue” ✧ VT48/24

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
LUY > luine[luini] > [luine]✧ VT48/23
luini > luine[luini] > [luine]✧ VT48/24

Variations

  • luine ✧ PE17/066; VT48/23; VT48/24; VT48/28
  • luini ✧ PE17/071
  • luin ✧ SA/luin
Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/066; PE17/071; RGEO/58; SA/luin; VT48/23; VT48/24; VT48/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lúnë

blue

lúnë (stem *lúni-, given the primitive form ¤lugni) adj. "blue" (LUG2, LT1:262; later sources rather give luinë, with pl. form luini_ in Namárië)_. According to VT45:29, lúnë in the Etymologies was changed by Tolkien from lúna.

ninwa

blue

ninwa adj. "blue" (LT1:262)