Quenya 

linquë

wet

linquë ("q") (1) adj. "wet" _(LINKWI). In early "Qenya", this word was glossed "water" (LT1:262)_, and "wet" was linqui or liquin, q.v.

linquë

grass, reed

linquë (2) noun *"grass, reed" (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 199, note 34)

linquë

hyacinth

linquë (3) noun "hyacinth" (plant, not jewel) (PE17:62). The wording in the source is not altogether clear; it is said that the word lassë (leaf) "would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)". If linquë is not the term for a hyacinth, it must refer to the kind of leaf a hyacinth has. Compare #2 above.

linquë

noun. (leaf of a) hyacinth, (leaf of a) hyacinth, *grass or grass-like leaf

A word appearing as an element in a couple of untranslated labels for 1960s plant drawings by Tolkien: linquë súrissë “?grass in the wind” and ranalinque “?moon-grass” (TMME/184, 198). This word was also mentioned in a discussion of lassë “leaf” in some Notes on Galadriel’s Song (NGS) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said “It [lasse] is only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62). As pointed out by Helge Fauskanger, it is not clear from this note whether linque refers to a “hyacinth” or a “leaf of a hyacinth”. Given the grass-like nature of the two drawings where it appears, I think linque likely means “✱grass or grass-like leaf”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would assume linque applies mainly to grass and grass-like leaves but also to “hyacinth” as an example of a plant with such leaves. If you want to distinguish them, though, Tamas Ferencz proposed the neologism ᴺQ. iasintë “hyacinth” as a loan word from Latin “jacintus”.

Element in

Variations

  • linque ✧ PE17/062
  • linquë ✧ TAI/197; TMME/184
Quenya [PE17/062; TAI/197; TMME/184] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linquë

noun/adjective. light-substance; liquid light, *photons

A word appearing in notes from the late 1960s described as “light-substance” (NM/280), “light as an ethereal substance” (NM/283), or “liquid light” (NM/285), derived from the root √LIK “glide, slip, slide, drip” (NM/285). As Tolkien described it:

> Q. linque (n., adj.) “(bright/clear/gleaming) liquid”. This was applied (in Quenya) to dew (or to fine rain in sunshine); in Sindarin to pools or rills of clear clean water. It was probably in origin a “mythological” word — referring to the primitive Elvish conception of “light” as an actual substance (emitted by light-givers, but then independent), though ethereally fine and delicate (NM/285).

As such, it could apply to light itself envisioned as an insubstantial liquid or ethereal substance flowing through the air (photons), or other liquids glistening in the light such as dew or fine rain. This rippling, liquid-like nature of light is surprising compatible with the modern quantum physics behavior of photons as both a particle and a wave, but whether Tolkien intended this is unclear.

Cognates

  • T. limpi “light as an ethereal substance” ✧ NM/283

Derivations

  • linkwē “light-substance” ✧ NM/280; NM/283; NM/284
    • LIK “glide, slip, slide, drip” ✧ NM/285

Element in

  • ᴺQ. lailinquë “beryllium, (lit.) fresh-liquid light”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
linkwē > linque[liŋkwē] > [liŋkwe]✧ NM/280
linkwe > linque[liŋkwē] > [liŋkwe]✧ NM/283
liŋkwi > linque[liŋkwi] > [liŋkwe]✧ NM/284

Variations

  • linque ✧ NM/280; NM/283; NM/284; NM/285
Quenya [NM/280; NM/283; NM/284; NM/285] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linqui

wet

linqui ("q")adj. "wet" (MC:216; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

liquin

wet

liquin ("q")adj. "wet" (LT1:262; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

salquë

grass

salquë ("q")noun "grass" (SALÁK-(WĒ) )

taniquelassë

leaf

taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"

lassë

leaf

lassë noun "leaf"; pl. lassi is attested (Nam, RGEO:66, Letters:283, LAS1, LT1:254, VT39:9, Narqelion); gen. lassëo "of a leaf", gen. pl. lassion "of leaves" (earlier lassio) (WJ:407). The word lassë was only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees (PE17:62), perhaps particularly _ear-shaped _leaves (cf. the entry _LAS1 _in the Etymologies, where Tolkien comments on the pointed or leaf-shaped Elvish ears and suggests an etymological connection between words for "ear" and "leaf"); see also linquë #3. Compound lasselanta "leaf-fall", used (as was quellë) for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter (Appendix D, Letters:428); hence Lasselanta alternative name of October (PM:135). Cf. also lassemista "leaf-grey, grey-leaved" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:224, PE17:62), lassewinta a variant of lasselanta (PM:376). Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves" (PE17:56). See also lillassëa, lantalasselingëa.

lassë

noun. leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal

The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).

Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.

Cognates

  • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE17/062
  • Nan. las “leaf” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

  • lassē “leaf” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
    • LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
lassē > lasse[lassē] > [lasse]✧ Let/282
lassḗi > lássei > lassī[lassei] > [lassī] > [lassi]✧ PE19/106
lasséinen > lassēnen > lassī́nen[lasseinen] > [lassīnen]✧ PE19/106
lassē > lasse[lassē] > [lasse]✧ VT39/09

Variations

  • lasse ✧ Let/282; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/062; Plotz/11; VT39/09
Quenya [Let/282; Let/382; LotR/0377; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/076; PE19/106; Plotz/11; Plotz/12; Plotz/13; Plotz/14; Plotz/15; Plotz/16; Plotz/17; Plotz/18; Plotz/19; Plotz/20; RGEO/58; VT39/09; WJ/407] Group: Eldamo. Published by

missë

wet, damp, rain

[missë] adj.ornoun "wet, damp, rain" (VT45:35)

nenda

adjective. wet

Cognates

  • S. nîn “wet, *watery” ✧ PE17/052

Derivations

  • nēnā “wet” ✧ PE17/052; PE17/167
    • NEN “water, water, [ᴱ√] flow” ✧ PE17/052; PE17/167
  • NEN “water, water, [ᴱ√] flow” ✧ PE17/167

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
nén“water, water, [ᴱQ.] river”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
nēnā > nenya[nenja]✧ PE17/052
NĒ̆N > nenda[nenda]✧ PE17/167

Variations

  • nenya ✧ PE17/052
  • ninda ✧ PE17/052
  • nēna ✧ PE17/167
Quenya [PE17/052; PE17/167] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nenya

wet

nenya adj. "wet" (PE17:52), also néna, q.v. Nenya as the name of a Ring of Power seems to imply *"(thing) related to water", since this Ring was associated with that element (SA:nen).

nenya

adjective. wet

ninda

adjective. wet

néna

wet

néna adj. "wet" (PE17:167). Cf. nenya, mixa.

néna

adjective. wet

mixa

wet

mixa ("ks")adj. "wet" (MISK); later sources have néna, nenya

wet

wet

wet, see we #2

iasintë

noun. hyacinth

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by