nethig

noun. sister, girl (diminutive)

Changes

• netheg → nethig ✧ VT47/14
• netheg → nethig ✧ VT47/32

Cognates

• T. netticë “sister (diminutive)” ✧ VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/32; VT47/32
• Q. nettë “(little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing, (little) girl, sister (diminutive), ️daughter, pretty little thing” ✧ VT48/06

Elements

Word	Gloss
neth	“(little) girl; sister (diminutive)”
-eg	“diminutive/singular ending”

Variations

• netheg ✧ VT47/14; VT47/15; VT47/32 (netheg)

nethig

noun. "litte sister"

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nethig

noun. ring finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

neth

noun. sister

neth

noun. girl (in her teens, approaching the adult)

nethig

little sister

nethig (no distinct pl. form except with article, in nethig). Also used (in childrens play) as a term for the ring finger. (VT47:14, 38-39, VT48:6, 17)

neth

sister

1) neth (also used = ”girl”). (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6), pl. nith. Notice the homophone neth ”young”. Also nîth (no distinct pl. form though the plural article with show pluarlity when the noun is definite: in nîth) (VT47:14). 2) gwathel (i **wathel), pl. gwethil (in gwethil). 3) muinthel (i vuinthel), pl. muinthil (i muinthil), more usual than the shorter form thêl (stem thele-), pl. theli. In “Noldorin”, the pl. was thelei** (LR:392 s.v. THEL).

nethel

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †nîth (VT47/12, 14). The diminutive/affectionate form nethig “[little] sister” was used as a play name for the fourth finger (VT48/6); Tolkien considered an alternate diminutive netheg (VT47/14, 32) and also considered giving this diminutive an alternate meaning “little girl” (VT47/15, 33); see S. neth for discussion.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thêl “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethir “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

lebent

ring finger

lebent (pl. lebint) (VT48:5), also called nethig. The word means ”little sister”, but was used in childrens play for the ring finger. (VT47:14, 38-39, VT48:48:6, 17)

lebent

ring finger

(pl. lebint) (VT48:5), also called nethig. The word means ”little sister”, but was used in children’s play for the ring finger. (VT47:14, 38-39, VT48:48:6, 17)

nîth

noun. sister

nîth

noun. sister

Cognates

• Q. nésa “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Derivations

• ✶nēthā “sister” ✧ VT47/14
  • √NETH “(young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry, (young) woman, female person; sister; fresh, lively, merry; [ᴹ√] young” ✧ VT47/12

Element in

• S. nethel “sister” ✧ VT47/14

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nēthā > nîth	[nētʰā] > [nētʰa] > [nēθa] > [nīθa] > [nīθ]	✧ VT47/14