telco

stem

telco noun "stem" of a Tengwa symbol (Appendix E). The Etymologies gives telco ("k") pl. telqui ("q") "leg" (the pl. form is said to be analogical) (TÉLEK). It seems, then, that the word can refer to a "stem" or "leg" in general as well as the stem of a Tengwa. In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, telco is used to refer to a carrier symbol (VT46:18, 33)

sirpë

stem, stalk

sirpë noun "stem, stalk" (QL:84)

telco

noun. leg; stem

The most common Quenya word for “leg” (PE17/122), also used of the “stem” of a tengwar symbol (LotR/1118) and probably the stem of plants as well. Based on the verb telconta-, its noun stem is telco- and hence it is probably derived from primitive ✱telekō, an elaboration of the root ᴹ√TELEK (Ety/TÉLEK). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it had an “analogical plural” telqui; such plurals generally appear with noun stems ending in cu- such as urqui plural of urco (urcu-). However, since the plural of telco was “analogical” it is clear that Tolkien intended its plural to be borrowed from other similar nouns rather than being the result of its historical phonological development. Whether this was true only for the plural or for other nouns cases as well is unclear.

Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was ᴱQ. pelko (pelko-) “leg” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√PELE that was also the basis for “pivot” words (QL/73). This word reappeared in the Early Qenya Grammar and English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, with plural form pelqi, perhaps adapted from its (Early Qenya) dual which was also pelqi (PE14/76; PE15/74). However, noun declensions from the late 1920s had ᴱQ. telko with the gloss “stem” (PE16/112-113).

This late 1920s ᴱQ. telko “stem” may initially have been a distinct word, since ᴹQ. pelko “leg” appeared in declensions from the early 1930s (PE21/48-49), but in a slightly later declension telko was glossed “leg” (PE21/53), and in the Declension of Nouns, telko was glossed “stem, leg” as an example of -u̯ǝ nouns (PE21/12). ᴹQ. telko was “leg” in The Etymologies written around the 1937, and Tolkien seems to have stuck with it thereafter (Ety/TÉLEK). Furthermore, in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s, telko was glossed “stem” as both the stem of a tengwar symbol and the name of vowel carriers: (short) telko ` and (long) anda-telko ~ (PE22/20, 22, 51).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I assume that telco “leg; stem” has aligned with the noun class of [ᴹQ.] ranco (rancu-) “arm” for all noun cases.

Cognates

• ᴺS. teleg “leg”

Element in

• Q. telconta- “to stride, *(lit.) to leg it”

róta

tube

róta noun "tube" (LT2:347)

sirpë

noun. stalk, slender tube, stem

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. THIRIP “stalk”

Element in

• ᴺQ. nelmasirpë “thistle, (lit.) needle-stalk”

telch

stem

telch (i delch, o thelch), pl. tilch (i thilch)

telch

stem

(i delch, o thelch), pl. tilch (i thilch)

teleg

noun. leg

A Neo-Sindarin word for “leg”, derived from the root ᴹ√TELEK “stalk, stem, leg” coined by Elaran in a Discord chat from 2018-08-29.

Conceptual Development: There is an attested Gnomish word for “leg”, G. bactha (GL/21), but its form is not suitable for Sindarin. There is also a Quenya word for “leg” Q. telco appearing later writings, which also means “stem” (PE17/122, LotR/1118). This Quenya word appears in the Etymologies with the gloss “leg”, where its Noldorin equivalent is given as N. telch “stem” (Ety/TÉLEK). It’s possible this word could also mean “leg” in Sindarin, but Tolkien had the opportunity to give it this gloss and chose not to.

Perhaps the Primitive Elvish words were something like ✶téleku “stem” and ✶telékō “leg”, with differing stress patterns. These two words would have blended in Quenya as telco, but would have remained distinct in Sindarin as telch “stem” and teleg “leg”. That’s the theory presented here.

Alternately, you might repurpose S. tâl “foot” to mean both “leg” and “foot” as happens in some real-world languages. This second option is partially supported by the word tad-dal “two-legged, ✱biped”, though the literal meaning of the word could actually be “✱two-footed”.

Cognates

• Q. telco “leg; stem”

Derivations

• ᴹ√TELEK “stalk, stem, leg”

thrimp

noun. stalk

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. THIRIP “stalk”

rod

noun. tube, stem, *pipe

Derivations

• √ROT “cave; delve underground, dig, excavate, tunnel, [ᴹ√] bore; [ᴱ√] hollow, delve underground, dig, excavate, tunnel, [ᴹ√] bore; [ᴱ√] hollow; [√]cave”

Element in

• ᴺS. galenathrod “(smoking) pipe”
• ᴺS. rodol “little pipe (especially musical)”

thirip

root. stalk

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. sirpë “stalk, slender tube, stem”
• ᴺS. thirph “straw”
• ᴺS. thriben “lean”
• ᴺS. thrimp “stalk”

telch

noun. stem

telch

noun. stem

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stem” under the root ᴹ√TELEK “stalk, stem, leg” (Ety/TÉLEK). Its Quenya cognate Q. telco “stem, leg” continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/122; LotR/1118).

Neo-Sindarin: Conceivably this word might also mean “leg” like its Quenya cognate. However, I recommend using this word only for its attested gloss “stem” and suggest ᴺS. teleg for “leg”; see that entry for details.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. telko “leg, stem” ✧ Ety/TÉLEK

Derivations

• ᴹ√TELEK “stalk, stem, leg” ✧ Ety/TÉLEK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√TÉLEK > telch	[telku] > [telko] > [telkʰo] > [telxo] > [telx]	✧ Ety/TÉLEK
ᴹ√TÉLEK > tilch	[telkī] > [telki] > [telkʰi] > [telxi] > [tilxi] > [tilx]	✧ Ety/TÉLEK