volta

noun. volt

A neologism from the NQW for “volt”, a loan word.

lempë

cardinal. five

The Quenya word for “five” derived from the root √LEPEN via the Quenya syncope and metathesis: ✶lepene > lepne > lenpe > lempe (PE17/95; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT48/6; Ety/LEP).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. lemin “five” under the early root ᴱ√LEH [LEǶE] “half”, and Q. lempe was “ten” in this 1910s document (QL/52). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, the word lempe was “five” (GL/53). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (EQG), lemin “five” reappeared and ᴱQ. lempe was “half” (PE14/49, 82, 84). Beginning with The Etymologies of the 1930s the usual Quenya word for “five” was lempe (Ety/LEP), but occasional variants like lemne and lemen continued to appear (PE17/95; VT48/6).

lemen

cardinal. five

lemen, alternative cardinal "five" (VT48:6, 20); the word normally appears as lempë, but compare lemenya below.

lempë

cardinal. five

lempë cardinal "five" (LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK, GL:53, VT42:24, VT47:10, 24); lempëa ordinal "fifth", an analogical formation replacing older lemenya, in turn altered from the historically "correct" form lepenya because of analogy with the cardinal lempë "five" (VT42:25; Vanyarin Quenya maintained lepenya, VT42:26)

lemen

cardinal. five

lemnë

cardinal. five

lepen

root. five

√LEPEN was the most common root for “five” in Tolkien’s writings, but he explored a variety of other options. Its earliest iteration appeared in the Qenya and Gnomish lexicons as ᴱ√LEH (QL/52) or ᴱ√LEF “half” (GL/53), so I think the actual early form was ✱ᴱ√LEǶE [lexʷe]. At this early stage it had derivatives with the meanings “five”, “ten”, and “half”, but in later writings “ten” became ᴹ√KAYAN >> √KWAY(AM) and “half” became √PER.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√LEPEN “five” with variant ᴹ√LEPEK, but ᴹ√LEPEK had no derivatives (Ety/LEP). √LEPEN appeared again in a list of numbers from the late 1950s or early 1960s beside a variant √LENEP; again the variant had no clear derivatives (PE17/95). √LEPEN reappeared in numeric discussions from the late 1960s (VT42/24; VT47/10). In these late discussions Tolkien said that “five” most likely originally from ✱lepem as an ancient plural of √LEP, but it seems this became √LEPEN already in Common Eldarin (CE), given that the Sindarin word for “five” remained S. leben; Tolkien gave varying explanations for this CE sound change, either as dissimilation from p (VT47/26 note 2) or with final *-m* > *-n* being the regular phonetic development (VT47/24).

lepene

noun. five

lenep

root. five

lepem Archaic

root. five

leben

cardinal. five

The Sindarin word for “five” based on the root √LEPEN of the same meaning (PE17/95; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT48/6).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. elf(in) “five” derived from the early root ᴱ√lef [LEǶE] (GL/32, 53). Rough notes associated with the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s had the deleted forms ᴱN. leme and limel near ᴱN. eneg “✱six”, so these were probably words for “five” (PE13/128 note #78). The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. lheben “five” under the root ᴹ√LEPEN of the same meaning (Ety/LEPEN), with the 1930s sound change of initial *l* to *lh* which did not occur in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s.

leben

cardinal. five

leben

cardinal. five

leben;

leben

five

;

lepen

cardinal. five

lheben

cardinal. five

lheben

cardinal. five