A word for “woman” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s with stem form nyel-, as indicated by its accusative nyela (PE16/135). Its etymology is unclear; Patrick Wynne and Christopher Gilson suggested it might be connected to the early root ᴱ√NYEHE “weep” or later root ᴹ√NYEL “ring, sing”, but these both feel like stretches to me.
Early Quenya
li(n)-
prefix. many
Derivations
Element in
- Eq. ar i·súru laustuváro lintataurelasselindon “*and the wind will roar like many forest leaves” ✧ PE16/077; PE16/077
- Eq. limpalasse “much roaring” ✧ QL/053
- Eq. líneneldora “having many beeches” ✧ QL/053
- Eq. lintasarindea “having many willows” ✧ QL/053
- Eq. lintitinwe “having many stars, many-starred” ✧ LT1A/Tinwë Linto; QL/053
- Eq. lintuilinda “many-swallows of autumn” ✧ QL/053
- Eq. lintuilindórea “of autumn; when many swallows congregate and sing at dawn”
- Eq. lintyulussea “having many poplars” ✧ QL/053
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√LĪ > li- [li-] ✧ QL/053 Variations
- li- ✧ LT1A/Tinwë Linto; QL/053
- lin- ✧ LT1A/Tinwë Linto; PE16/077; PE16/077; QL/042; QL/053; QL/069
- LĪ- ✧ QL/042
liri-
verb. to sing
Derivations
- ᴱ√LIÐI “sing” ✧ QL/054
Element in
- Eq. ómalingwe lir’ amaldar “*sang a gentle tune with many voices” ✧ VT40/08
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√LIŘI > liri- [liði-] > [lizi-] > [liri-] ✧ QL/054 ᴱ√LIŘI > linde [linðe-] > [linde-] ✧ QL/054
olli-
prefix. many
lia(r)
adjective. many
Derivations
- ᴱ√LĪ “*many” ✧ QL/053
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√LĪ > lia(r) [liar] ✧ QL/053
ola-
prefix. many
olli
adjective. many
Derivations
- ᴱ√OLO “*increase, more” ✧ QL/069
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√OLO² > olli [ollī] > [olli] ✧ QL/069
limba
adjective. many
Cognates
- G. lim “many”
Derivations
- ᴱ√LĪ “*many” ✧ QL/053
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√LĪ > limba [limbā] > [limba] ✧ QL/053
anai
noun. woman
Element in
- Eq. anaina “womanly” ✧ QL/031
Variations
- anî ✧ QL/031
nî
noun. woman
Cognates
Element in
- Eq. -ni “feminine suffix”
anî
noun. woman
nyél
noun. woman
Variations
- nyēl ✧ PE16/135
A noun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s form “woman” with variants anai and anî, a feminine form ᴱQ. anu “a male” (QL/31).