maecheneb (lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib)
Sindarin
maecheneb
adjective. sharp-eyed
maecheneb
adjective. sharp-eye[d]
Cognates
- Q. hendumaica “sharp-eye[d]” ✧ WJ/337
Elements
Word Gloss maeg “sharp, piercing, piercing, sharp, *penetrating” hen(d) “eye” -eb “adjective suffix” Variations
- maegheneb ✧ WJ/337 (maegheneb)
heneb
adjective. of eye, eyed, having eyes
maecheneb
sharp-eyed
maecheneb
sharp-eyed
(lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib)
heneb
eyed
(lenited chebeb, pl. henib). Isolated from maecheneb ”sharp-eyed” (lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib) (WJ:337)
hen(d)
noun. eye
The Sindarin word for “eye”, most notably in the name Amon Hen “Hill of the Eye” (LotR/400), derived from the root √KHEN that was the basis for eye-words (PE17/187). Given the words henneth “window” (LotR/674) and Lachend “Flame-eyed” (WJ/384), it is possible that the independent word for “eye” is hend, but note also maecheneb “sharp-eye” which has no double-n (WJ/337).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. hen “eye” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/48), cognate to ᴱQ. hend- and so probably similarly derived from primitive ᴱ✶þχe-ndǝ (PE12/21). In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱN. hen(n) “eye” was paired with ᴱQ. sinda (PE13/122), but in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the same period, ᴱN. henn was again cognate with ᴱQ. hen (hend-), both from primitive ᴱ✶ske-ndá. In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. {hent, henn >>} hên “eye” from the root ᴹ√KHEN-D-E “eye” (Ety/KHEN-D-E). Thus this word was well established in Tolkien’s mind, but had several variations in its form and derivation.
Cognates
- Q. hen “eye”
Derivations
- √KHEN “base of eye-words, base of eye-words; [ᴹ√] look at, see, observe, direct gaze”
Element in
- S. Amon Hen “Hill of Sight, (lit.) Hill of the Eye” ✧ PE17/077
- S.
Emyn Hen Dúnadan“Hills of the Eye of the Dúnadan” ✧ PM/186 (Emyn Hen Dúnadan*)- S. Finellach “?Flame of Hair and Eye”
- ᴺS. hendelu “brow”
- S. henneth “window”
- S. Lachend “Flame-eyed”
- S. maecheneb “sharp-eye[d]” ✧ WJ/337
- ᴺS. orchen “dandelion, (lit.) day-eye”
Variations
- Hen ✧ PE17/077; PM/186 (
Hen)- hen ✧ WJ/337 (hen)
aeg
adjective. sharp, sharp, [N.] pointed, piercing
Element in
- S. aeglir “line of peaks, line of peaks, [N.] range of mountain peaks; [ᴱN.] peak, mountain top”
- S. Aeglos “Snow-point”
- S. aeglos “icicle, (lit.) snow-point; snowthorn (a plant)”
- S. Aegnor “Fell Fire, Sharp Flame” ✧ SA/nár
- S. Crissaegrim “*Cleft Mountain Peaks”
- S. Ecthelion “?One with Sharp Will”
- S. Egalmoth “Pointed Helm-crest”
Variations
- Aeg ✧ SA/nár (Aeg)
hen
noun. eye
hend
noun. eye
henn
noun. eye
maeg
adjective. sharp, piercing, penetrating, going deep in something
megor
adjective. sharp-pointed
negen
sharp
_ adj. _sharp, angular. Q. nerca, nexe. >> negn
negn
sharp
_ adj. _sharp, angular. Q. nerca, nexe. >> negen
aeg
sharp
1) aeg (pointed, piercing). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as noun "point, peak, thorn". 2) aig (no distinct pl. form). 3) laeg (keen, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”. 4) maeg (lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (penetrating, going deep in). (WJ:337)
aeg
sharp
(pointed, piercing). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as noun "point, peak, thorn".
aig
sharp
(no distinct pl. form).
egnas
sharp point
(peak; literally "thorn-point"), pl. egnais, coll. pl. egnassaith.
eitha
prick with a sharp point
(stab, treat with scorn; insult) (i eitha, in eithar)
hend
eye
hend (i chend, construct hen), pl. hind (i chind), dual hent ”pair of eyes” (VT45:22), coll. pl. hennath. Adj.
hend
eye
(i chend, construct hen), pl. hind (i chind), dual hent ”pair of eyes” (VT45:22), coll. pl. hennath. Adj.
laeg
sharp
(keen, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”.
maeg
sharp
(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (penetrating, going deep in). (WJ:337)
megor
sharp-pointed
(lenited vegor, analogical pl. megyr); cited in archaic form megr (WJ:337)
nass
sharp end
(point, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais** **
till
sharp horn
(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (tine, point, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild.
till
sharp-pointed peak
(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (tine, point, sharp horn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild.
A word for “sharp-eye” (likely an adjective = “sharp-eyed”) appearing in a discussion of the name Maeglin, a combination of S. maeg “sharp”, (mutated) S. hen “eye” and the adjective suffix S. -eb (WJ/337).