nelya-

verb. to thicken, congeal

There was a set of possible verb forms lelya, nelya, delta, delya (the last two probably primitive forms) appearing in a note probably from the mid-1960s, with a difficult-to-read gloss that seems to be something like “thick, thicken & congeal” according to Christopher Gilson (PE17/17). This note included the root √DEL “thick, dense”; the form nelya hints at a possible root change to √NDEL, or it could some sort of assimilation/disimilation of ancient d to n rather than the usual change of initial d to l. All these verb forms were rejected along with the root √DEL.

Neo-Quenya: Since we have no other words of similar meaning in Tolkien’s later writings, I would salvage ᴺQ. nelya- “to thicken, congeal” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, and assume it is derived from a Neo-Root ᴺ√NDEL “thick, dense”.

nelya

third

nelya adj. "third" (VT42:25; also neldëa). Pl. Nelyar "Thirds", the original name of the Teleri (or rather the direct Quenya descendant of the original Primitive Quendian name) (WJ:380).

nelya Archaic

ordinal. third

nelya-

verb. to thicken, congeal

neldë

cardinal. three

neldë cardinal "three" (SA:neldor, NÉL-ED, VT47:11, VT48:6). Eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = *"of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45; see 54 regarding neldion as the gen. pl.) Cf. also nelya, neldëa, Neldië.

neldë

cardinal. three, three; [ᴱQ.] four

The Quenya word for “three” derived from √NEL(ED) of the same meaning (VT47/10-11; Ety/NEL).

Conceptual Development: This use of nelde for “three” dates back all the way to Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82). However, in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s ᴱQ. nelde was “four”, appearing under the early root ᴱ√NELE “point” and serving as the basis for the word ᴱQ. neldenelqa “square” (QL/65). In this 1910s document, ᴱQ. ole was “three” derived from the early root ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/69).

neldëa

third

neldëa ordinal "third" (VT42:25); also nelya. Cf. neldë.

neldëa

ordinal. third

The usual Quenya word for “third” was neldea as an adjectival form of neldë, along with an alternate (archaic?) form nelya of the same meaning (VT42/25).

Conceptual Development: In the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s, ᴱQ. nelya was the normal word for “third” (PE14/51, 82).

olë

cardinal. three

olë (2) cardinal "three" (LT1:258; in LotR-style Quenya Tolkien replaced this "Qenya" form with neldë)