natsë

web, net

natsë noun "web, net" (NAT)

remba-

net, entrap

remba- vb. "net, entrap" (VT42:12)

raima

net

raima noun "net" (VT42:12)

raima

noun. net

Changes

• raime → raime “network, lace” ✧ VT42/28

Cognates

• S. raew “net” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/12

Derivations

• √RAY “net, knit, contrive network or lace, involve in a network, enlace” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/12

Element in

• ᴺQ. imberaima “internet”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√RAY > raima	[raima]	✧ PE22/159
√RAY > raima	[raima]	✧ VT42/12

Variations

• raime ✧ VT42/28 (raime)

liantë

spider

liantë (1) noun "spider" (SLIG), in earlier sources ascribed other meanings:(2)liantë "tendril" (LT1:271) and (3) "vine" (PE14:55, cf. liantassë elsewhere)

raef

noun. net

raef

noun. net

raew

noun. net

raew

noun. net

Cognates

• Q. raima “net” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/12
• Q. raiwë “lace” ✧ VT42/12

Derivations

• √RAY “net, knit, contrive network or lace, involve in a network, enlace” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/12

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√RAY > raef	[raima] > [raim] > [raem] > [raev]	✧ PE22/159
√RAY > raef	[raima] > [raim] > [raem] > [raev] > [raew]	✧ VT42/12
√RAY > raew	[raiwe] > [raiw] > [raew]	✧ VT42/12

Variations

• raef ✧ PE22/159; VT42/12

lhingril

noun. spider

ungol

noun. spider

ungol

noun. spider

The Sindarin word for “spider” (Let/180; RC/490, 767), derived from √ungu- that was the basis for spider words (PE22/160).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish word for “spider” was initially G. gung in both the Qenya Lexicon and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√GUŊU (QL/98; GL/43), also appearing an element in G. Gungliont, the earliest name of Ungoliant (LT1/160). In the Gnomish Lexicon the word gung was crossed through, but may have become ging in G. gwidh-a-ging “cobweb” (GL/46). Regardless, Tolkien added G. ungwi “spider” in pencil to the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/75), which seems to indicate a change of the root from ᴱ√GUŊU to ᴱ√UŊU, consistent with the replacement name G. Ungoliont from the contemporaneous narratives (LT1/152).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, “spider” words were derived from the root ᴹ√SLIG (Ety/SLIG); see N. thling for discussion. Tolkien soon restored Ung-, however, since N. ungol was translated as “spider” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (WR/202).

Cognates

• ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”

Derivations

• √UÑG “spider”

Element in

• S. Cirith Ungol “Cleft of the Spider” ✧ RC/767
• S. Torech Ungol “Shelob’s Lair, (lit.) Tunnel of the Spider” ✧ RC/490
• S. Ungoliant

Variations

• Ungol ✧ Let/180; RC/767

lhing

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb

gwî

web

1) gwî (i **wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî), 2) nath (pl. naith**).

gwî

web

(i ’wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî)

nath

web

(pl. naith).

lhing

spider’s web, cobweb

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (also used = ”spider”); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

lhing

spider’s web

(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain)  (cobweb), no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.

gwî

net

1) gwî (i **wî) (web), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî), 2) raef, no distinct pl. form except with article (idh raef), coll. pl. raevath. Note: raef has a side-form raew, but since this also means ”fathom”, raef may be preferred for clarity. 3) rem (mesh), pl. rim (idh rim), coll. pl. remmath**. Verb

gwî

net

(i ’wî) (web), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî)

raef

net

no distinct pl. form except with article (idh raef), coll. pl. raevath. Note: raef has a side-form raew, but since this also means ”fathom”, raef may be preferred for clarity.

rem

net

(mesh), pl. rim (idh rim), coll. pl. remmath. Verb

raen

netted

(enlaced). No distinct pl. form. (VT42:12)

lhê

spider filament

(?i thlê or ?i lê – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (fine thread), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhingril

noun. spider

lhingril

spider

(?i thlingril or ?i lingril – the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *thlingril**.*)

remmen

netted

(tangled, woven), pl. #remmin attested (as part of the phrase galadhremmin ennorath, LotR Appendix E)

ungol

spider

1) ungol (pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath; 2) *lhingril (?i thlingril or ?i lingril the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i lingril). Coll. pl. lhingrillath. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlingril.) 3) or

ungol

spider

(pl. yngyl); coll. pl. ?unglath or ungolath

uñg

root. spider

This root and ones like it were tied to spider words for much of Tolkien’s life, most notably in the name S. Ungoliant and its precursors. The earliest iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√GUŊU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. ungwe/G. gung “spider” (QL/98); Tolkien marked the root with a “?” and given that the Qenya forms had no initial consonant, the actual root may have been ✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU. In The Lost Tales of the 1910s, Tolkien changed G. Gungliont to G. Ungoliont (LT1/156), and in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon the word for “spider” was G. ungwi (GL/75), so it seems Tolkien revised {✱ᴱ√ƷUŊU >>} ✱ᴱ√UŊU.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, unglossed ᴹ√UÑG had derivatives like ᴹQ. ungwe “gloom” and ᴹQ. ungo “cloud, dark shadow” (Ety/UÑG), and it was the second element ᴹQ. liante in ᴹQ. Ungoliante that meant “spider” (Ety/SLIG). However, in notes from 1969 Tolkien gave ✱ungu- as the basis for “spider” words (PE22/160), as reflected in Q. ungwë “spider’s web” (LotR/1122) and S. ungol “spider” in his later writings (Let/180; RC/490, 767).

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. ungol “(monstrous) spider”
• Q. ungwë “spider’s web, spider’s web; [ᴱQ.] spider; [ᴹQ.] gloom”
• S. ungol “spider”

Variations

• ungu- ✧ PE22/160

web

root. *worm

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. vembë “worm”
• ᴺS. gwef “louse”
• ᴺS. gwem “worm”

nath

noun. web

nath

noun. web

A noun for “web” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” with Quenya cognate ᴹQ. natse (Ety/NAT).

Cognates

• ᴹQ. natse “web, net” ✧ Ety/NAT

Derivations

• ᴹ√NAT “lace, weave, tie” ✧ Ety/NAT

Element in

• N. gonathra- “to entangle, enmesh” ✧ Ety/NAT
• N. nathron “weaver, webster” ✧ Ety/NAT

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NAT > nath	[natse] > [naθθe] > [naθθ] > [naθ]	✧ Ety/NAT

gwî

noun. net, web

gwî

noun. net, web

Derivations

• ᴹ√WEY “wind, weave” ✧ Ety/WEY

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√WEY > gwî	[wei] > [wī] > [gwī]	✧ Ety/WEY

thlingril

noun. spider

thlingril

noun. spider

A noun appearing as N. thlingril “spider” in The Etymologies, probably a feminine form of N. thling “spider, spider’s web, cobweb” (Ety/SLIG). Christopher Tolkien said the r was uncertain.

Neo-Sindarin: Since initial sl- became lh- in Sindarin, most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhingril, as suggested in HSD (HSD). This word is somewhat questionable, since in later writings √ungu- was the basis for spider words (PE22/160). I think ᴹ√SLIG may be reinterpreted as having to do with threads, and as such I think ᴺS. lhingril can be retained as originally meaning “(female) web spinner”. However, I recommend later S. ungol as the more common Sindarin word for “spider”.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. liante “spider, spider, [ᴱQ.] tendril, vine” ✧ Ety/SLIG

ungol

noun. spider

ungol

noun. spider

Element in

• N. Kirith Ungol “Spider Glen”
• N. Terch Ungol “Spider’s Hole, Spider’s Lair” ✧ WR/202

Variations

• Ungol ✧ WR/202

thling

noun. spider, spider's web, cobweb