Qenya
laiwa
adjective. sickly, sick, ill
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶slaiwā > laiwa [slaiwā] > [l̥aiwā] > [laiwā] > [laiwa] ✧ Ety/SLIW
luina
adjective. pale
Cognates
- Ilk. lûn “pale” ✧ EtyAC/LUY
Derivations
- ᴹ√LUG “*blue” ✧ EtyAC/LUY
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√LUY > luina [luina] ✧ EtyAC/LUY
An adjective appearing as ᴹQ. laiwa “sickly, sick, ill” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶slaiwā under the root ᴹ√SLIW “sickly” (Ety/SLIW). The ancient initial sl became voiceless hl, which was then voiced to l as was generally the case in The Etymologies.
Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writing, he usually retained hl- in spelling if not pronunciation; see the entry on how initial voiceless nasals and liquids were voiced for discussion. As such, most Neo-Quenya writers adapt this word as ᴺQ. hlaiwa.
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had the word ᴱQ. leuke (leuki-) “sick, ill; pallid, wan” under the similar but earlier root ᴱ√LEẆE (QL/53).