Primitive elvish
ing
root. *highest, top, *highest, top; [ᴹ√] first, foremost
Derivatives
Element in
- Q. Ingwë “Chief” ✧ PM/340
Variations
- ing- ✧ PM/340
am-
prefix. intensive prefix
Derivations
- √AMA “addition, increase, plus”
Derivatives
Variations
- am ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092; PE17/092
- an- ✧ PE17/092
- añ ✧ PE17/092
minya
ordinal. first
Derivatives
- S. main “prime, chief, pre-eminent” ✧ VT42/25
This primitive element appeared in The Shibboleth of Fëanor written in 1968 in connection to the name Q. Ingwë. The earliest basis for this name seems to be the root ᴱ√INI “small” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, from which the name ᴱQ. inwe “one of the royal house of the Eldar” was derived (QL/42); this Inwe was also the earliest form of the name of Ingwe. This name was given a new derivation in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√ING “first, foremost”, along with the adjective ᴹQ. inga “first” (Ety/ING). The primitive element ing- reappeared in The Shibboleth of Fëanor, again as the basis for Q. Ingwë, which in this document was glossed “Chief” (PM/340). The word Q. inga also reappeared, but with a new gloss “top, highest point”, so the meaning of the root may have shifted from “foremost” to “✱highest”.
Thus the conceptual development seems to be 1910s ᴱ√INI “tiny” >> 1930s ᴹ√ING “foremost” >> 1960s √ING “✱highest”.