lhê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

lebenedh

noun. middle finger

lebed

noun. finger

Tolkien later seems to have replaced this form by leber

leber

noun. finger

leber

noun. finger

The Sindarin word for “finger”, derived from primitive ✶leper and based on the root √LEP “pick up” (VT47/10; VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien used various Elvish words for “finger” over his life, but most were based on the root √LEP. The Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. leptha “finger” (GG/13; GL/53), clearly derived from the early root ᴱ√LEPE that was the basis for contemporaneous Qenya finger words (QL/53). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it was ᴱN. lhê “finger”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶lept- (PE13/148). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. lhebed “finger” based on the root ᴹ√LEPET of the same meaning (Ety/LEP). In drafts of the 1968 notes mentioned above, Tolkien had S. lebed “finger” (VT47/27), but this was replaced by leber in the finished versions (VT47/23-24 note #30).

Cognates

• Q. leper “finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/05

Derivations

• ✶leper “finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24; VT47/24; VT48/05; VT48/05
  • √LEP “pick up/out (with the fingers); finger” ✧ VT44/16
  • ✶lepero “finger” ✧ VT47/13; VT47/24
  • √LEP “pick up/out (with the fingers); finger” ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24

Element in

• S. lebdas “index finger” ✧ VT48/05
• S. lebenedh “middle finger” ✧ VT48/05
• S. lebent “fourth finger” ✧ VT48/05
• ᴺS. leberen “fingered, of fingers”
• S. lebethron “Gondorian hardwood, *(lit.) finger tree”
• S. lebig “little finger” ✧ VT48/05

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶leper- > leber	[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]	✧ VT47/10
✶leper- > lebir	[leperī] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]	✧ VT47/10
✶leper- > leber	[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]	✧ VT47/24
✶leperī > lebir	[leperī] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]	✧ VT47/24
✶leper > leber	[lepero] > [leper] > [leber]	✧ VT48/05
✶leperī > lebir	[leperi] > [leperi] > [lepiri] > [lepir] > [lebir]	✧ VT48/05

Variations

• lebed ✧ VT47/23 (lebed)

lebent

noun. ring finger

lebig

noun. little finger

lhind

adjective. fine, slender

lhing

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

lain

noun. thread

niged

noun. little finger

lhingril

noun. spider

ungol

noun. spider

ungol

noun. spider

The Sindarin word for “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767), derived from √ungu- that was the basis for spider words (PE22/160).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish word for “spider” was initially G. gung in both the Qenya Lexicon and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√GUŊU (QL/98; GL/43), also appearing an element in G. Gungliont, the earliest name of Ungoliant (LT1/160). In the Gnomish Lexicon the word gung was crossed through, but may have become ging in G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” (GL/46). Regardless, Tolkien added G. ungwi “spider” in pencil to the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/75), which seems to indicate a change of the root from ᴱ√GUŊU to ᴱ√UŊU, consistent with the replacement name G. Ungoliont from the contemporaneous narratives (LT1/152).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, “spider” words were derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG); see N. thling for discussion. Tolkien soon restored Ung-, however, since N. ungol was translated as “spider” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (WR/202).

Cognates

• ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”

Derivations

• √UÑG “spider”

Element in

• S. Cirith Ungol “Cleft of the Spider” ✧ RC/767
• S. Torech Ungol “Shelob’s Lair, (lit.) Tunnel of the Spider” ✧ RC/490
• S. Ungoliant

Variations

• Ungol ✧ Let/180; RC/767

nobad

noun. the pair of fingers composed of the thumb and the index (grouped together as in the act of picking something)

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.

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê. -THREAD, see MIST.

lhê

spider filament

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

spider filament

(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

filament

(spider filament) *lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

filament

(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

leber

finger

leber (pl. lebir) (VT47:10, 23, 24; VT48:5). This may replace ”Noldorin” lhebed, which we would otherwise update to Sindarin as lebed. For names of specific fingers, see INDEX FINGER, LITTLE FINGER, MIDDLE FINGER, RING FINGER, THUMB.

lhind

fine

(slender), lenited ?thlind or ?lind (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Sugggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlind.

lhing

spider’s web

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain)  (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lain

thread

(noun) lain; no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”free, freed”.

lain

thread

; no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”free, freed”.

lhingril

noun. spider

lhingril

spider

(?i thlingril or ?i lingril – the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *thlingril**.*)

tess

fine pierced hole

(i dess, construct tes), pl. tiss (i thiss). Older ters (VT46:18).

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

trîw

fine

(lenited drîw; no distinct pl. form) (slender)

ungol

spider

1) ungol (pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath; 2) *lhingril (?i thlingril or ?i lingril the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlingril.) 3) or

ungol

spider

(pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath