A noun for “fish” appearing on the front page of The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶khala (EtyAC/KHAL¹). As such, it was probably based on the root ᴹ√KHAL “(small) fish” (Ety/KHAL¹), but may have transferred to ᴹ√SKAL “small fish” when Tolkien revised that root (Ety/SKAL²).
Noldorin
lhim
noun. fish
lhim
noun. fish
Cognates
- ᴹQ. lingwe “fish” ✧ Ety/LIW
Derivations
Element in
- N. lhimlug “fish-dragon, sea-serpent” ✧ Ety/LOK
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶liñwi > lhimb > lhim [liŋwi] > [liŋgwi] > [liŋgwe] > [limbe] > [limb] > [l̥imb] > [l̥imb] > [l̥imm] > [l̥im] ✧ Ety/LIW
lhimb
noun. fish
lhimp
adjective. wet
lhimp
adjective. wet
Cognates
- ᴹQ. linqe “wet, wet, [ᴱQ.] flowing; water, stream” ✧ Ety/LINKWI
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√LINKWI > lhimp [liŋkwi] > [liŋkwe] > [limpe] > [limpʰe] > [limɸe] > [limfe] > [limf] > [l̥imf] > [l̥imp] > [l̥imp] ✧ Ety/LINKWI
hâl
noun. fish
hâl
noun. fish
Cognates
- ᴹQ. hala “(small) fish” ✧ EtyAC/KHAL¹
Derivations
Element in
- N. heledir(n) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher”
- ᴺS. torchal “shark or other large predatory fish”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶khala > hâl [kʰala] > [xala] > [xal] > [xāl] > [hāl] ✧ EtyAC/KHAL¹
mesc
adjective. wet
mesc
adjective. wet
mesg
adjective. wet
mesg
adjective. wet
@@@ mesc may be alternate form
Cognates
- ᴹQ. miksa “wet, wet, *damp” ✧ Ety/MISK; EtyAC/MISK
Derivations
- ᴹ√MISIK “*wet” ✧ Ety/MISK
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√MISK > mesc > mesg [miska] > [meska] > [mesk] > [mesg] ✧ Ety/MISK ᴹ√MISK > miss [misse] > [miss] ✧ Ety/MISK Variations
- miss ✧ EtyAC/MISK (
miss)
nenui
adjective. wet
Element in
- N. Palath Nenui “Wetwang” ✧ TI/268
Elements
Word Gloss nen “water” -ui “adjective suffix” Variations
- Nenui ✧ TI/268
A noun appearing as N. lhim “fish” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, derived from primitive ᴹ✶liñwi of the same meaning (Ety/LIW), where the labialized velar ñw (> ñgw) became the labial m (< mb) and the initial l unvoiced to lh.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien had G. ing “fish” (GL/51), cognate to ᴱQ. ingwe of the same meaning (QL/43). In Gnomish labialized velars only became labials in limited circumstances, so the primitive ng survived.
Neo-Sindarin: Since the unvoicing of initial liquids did not occur in Sindarin, many people adapt this word as ᴺS. lim “fish” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, as suggested in HSD (HSD).