Primitive elvish

wir

root. weave, twine, weaving with cross-threads or withes

Tolkien used a variety of similar roots for Elvish words having to do with “weaving”, many of them tied to the name of Q. Vairë. The earliest of these was a pair of roots ᴱ√GWERE “whirl, twirl, twist” and unglossed {ᴱ√WIÐI >>} ᴱ√GWIÐI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the latter with derivatives like ᴱQ. ’winda “woof” and ᴱQ. ’windele “loom” (QL/103-104). The connection between ᴱ√GWERE and weaving is more obvious in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon where Tolkien said that ✶gwer- “wind, turn, bend” was often used as “plait or weave”, much like ✶gwidh- (GL/46). The most notable weaving word derived from 1910s ✶gwer- was G. Gwerlum “Gloomweaver” (GL/46).

Nothing of this blended paradigm remained in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where Tolkien instead had ᴹ√WEY “wind, weave” as the basis for ᴹQ. Vaire/N. Gwîr “Weaver”, and in this document the root was blended with ᴹ√WAY “enfold” in Quenya because wei > wai (Ety/WEY). Tolkien seems to have abandoned this phonetic rule by the time he wrote his Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957, where he instead said:

> Owing to the use of gwae / gwaew “wind” as in Gwaehir, we must have √WAYA = blow, or be disturbed. √WAYA cannot therefore be used = “weave”, and Vairë has no connexion with winds or stories. EITHER Vairë must become name of Osse’s wife: Q váya is used of sea (as waters, motion). OR Vairë’s name be changed: sc. to Vérë, √WER- “twine, weave”, were-, weave (PE17/33).

Ultimately Tolkien made neither of these changes to Vairë, and this section was rejected. In a set of roots from December 1959 (D59) Tolkien said “√WIRI, weave; hence Vaire (literally ‘weaving’), not from WAY” (PE17/191). The name Q. Vairë “Ever-weaving” was also derived from √WIR in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 (VT39/10). However, in notes from the late 1960s Tolkien said “weaving with cross-threads or withes was represented by the distinct base {WAY >>} WIG, often in strengthened form waig-” (VT42/10 and VT42/29 note #27). So it seems Tolkien continued to vacillate on the weaving roots.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think the 1959-60 root form √WIR lets us salvage the largest number of words, and it is not clear how Vairë would be derived from late-60s waig-.

Primitive elvish [PE17/033; PE17/158; PE17/191; VT39/10; VT42/12; VT42/29] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Quenya 

Wirilómë

wirilómë

Wirilómë fem. name; a name of the great Spider (Ungoliant) (LT1:254)

wirnë

noun. change

@@@ Despite its gloss, wirnë might be the archaic strong past tense of virya-: it is almost identical to the strong past tense form on PE17/189. For a noun form, vistë may be preferable.

wirnë

change

wirnë noun? "change" (PE17:191)

lialóra

adjective. cordless, wireless

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

vistë Reconstructed

noun. change

This word is unattested, but there is indirect evidence for it as an element of walwistë “change of mind” (PE17/189). This word likely contains the archaic form †wistë from before the change of w- to v-. Its modern form would be ✱vistë. If you accept inwist- as the stem form of inwis “change of mind”, it likely contains †wistë as well.

There is another attested word wirne with the gloss “change” (PE17/191), but I think it is likelier to be the archaic form of the strong-past tense of the verb virya- instead of a noun.

ahya-

change

#ahya- vb. "change" (intransitive), only attested in the past tense: ahyanë (PM:395)

lanya-

weave

lanya- (2) vb. "weave" (LAN)

sinya

new

sinya adj. "new" (SI)

virya-

change, alter(nate)

virya- (2) vb. "change, alter(nate)" (intransitive), pa.t. virnë/virinyë, cf. transitive vista-, q.v. (PE17:189, 191)

vista-

change

vista- (2) vb. "change" (transitive), pa.t. vistanë, cf. intransitive virya-, q.v. (PE17:189, 191)

were-

weave

were- vb. "weave" (cited as a derivative of the root WER "twine, weave" and maybe a primitive form rather than a Quenya word). (PE17:33)

winya

new, fresh, young

winya (1) adj. "new, fresh, young" _(VT45:16; though the entry including this form was struck out in the Etymologies, _vinya "new" is a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, and it is meant to represent older winya. Compare winyamo, q.v.)

wistë

noun. change

Noldorin 

thlê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

A noun appearing as N. thlê “fine thread, spider filament” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶(s)ligā under the root ᴹ√SLIG having to do with spider words (Ety/SLIG).

Conceptual Development: A possible precursor is G. lind “twine” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), apparently based on the early root ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many as one” (QL/53).

Neo-Sindarin: In Tolkien’s later writings, √ungu- became the basis for spider words, but I retain ᴹ√SLIG assuming it has to do with threads and twining to salvage words from the 1910s and 30s. Most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lhê “fine thread, spider filament”, for example as suggested by Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary (HSD), because in (Old) Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s initial sl- became lh-, as opposed to (Old) Noldorin of the 1930s where it became thl-.

Noldorin [Ety/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eden

adjective. new, begun again

Noldorin [Ety/349] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sein

adjective. new

Noldorin [Ety/385, X/EI] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sein

adjective. new

ungoliant

feminine name. Gloomweaver

Noldorin [Ety/UÑG; LRI/Ungoliantë; LT1I/Ungoliant; RSI/Ungoliant; SM/091; SMI/Ungoliant; TII/Ungoliant; WR/196; WRI/Ungoliant(e)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Sindarin 

cîr

adjective. renewed

Sindarin [VT/48:7-8] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cýr

adjective. renewed

Sindarin [VT/48:7-8] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwain

adjective. new

Sindarin [Narwain (Narvinyë) LotR/D, Cf. Ety/399] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sain

adjective. new

Sindarin [Ety/385, X/EI] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cîl

renewal

(i gîl; no distinct pl. form except with article: i chîl) (VT48:8)

cîr

renewed

clashes with the word for ”ship”.s

cîw

new

(lenited gîw; no distinct pl. form) (fresh)

cýron

new moon

(i gýron), pl. cýroen (i chýroen). Archaic ✱cýraun, spelt cýrawn in the source (VT48:7).

eden

new

(begun again), pl. edin

gwain

new

1) #gwain (gwin-), lenited wain, pl. gwîn. Isolated from the month-name Narwain, ”new sun” (where #gwain appears in lenited form). The form gwîn ”young” listed in VT46:22 would have to be taken as a pl. form, if it is to be the cognate of Quenya vinya. 2) cîw (lenited gîw; no distinct pl. form) (fresh), 3) eden (begun again), pl. edin; 4) sain (sin-), lenited hain; pl. sîn;

gwain

new

(gwin-), lenited ’wain, pl. gwîn. Isolated from the month-name Narwain, ”new sun” (where #gwain appears in lenited form). The form gwîn ”young” listed in VT46:22 would have to be taken as a pl. form, if it is to be the cognate of Quenya vinya.

gwist

noun. change

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

lhê

noun. fine thread, spider filament

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

sain

adjective. new

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

sain

new

(sin-), lenited hain; pl. sîn

siniath

news

(tidings) (i siniath).


Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Middle Primitive Elvish

wir

root. new, fresh, young

Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/WIR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

win

root. new, fresh, young

Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/GWIN; EtyAC/WIR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ligā

noun. fine thread, spider filament

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SLIG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lan

root. weave

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/LAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

wiruin

place name. Wiruin

A whirlpool within Helkarakse in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/167), perhaps derived from the root ᴱ√GWIÐI, as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Gwerlum).

Early Quenya [LT1A/Gwerlum; LT1I/Wiruin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

wirilóme

feminine name. Gloomweaver

Another name for Ungweliante (S. Ungoliant) in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/152), a combination of some form of the root ᴱ√GWIÐI having to do with weaving and lóme “gloom”, as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Gwerlum).

Early Quenya [GL/46; LT1/152; LT1A/Gwerlum; LT1I/Gwerlum; LT1I/Wirilómë; LT2I/Wirilómë; PE13/103; QL/103; SMI/Wirilómë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

varta

noun. change

Early Quenya [QL/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

wiri

root. *look

A primitive appearing as {✶gu̯iri >>} ✶u̯iri [ᴱ√WIRI] in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s serving as the basis for G. gwir- “look, look at” and G. gwirith “expression, look (on face); look, regard, fixed look; countenance” (GL/46-47). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

Early Primitive Elvish [GL/46] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kanga

root. weave

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

gwirn

adjective. unwished for, unwelcome

Gnomish [GL/46; GL/47; GL/52] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwerlum

feminine name. Gloomweaver

Gnomish [GL/43; GL/46; GL/58; LT1/152; LT1A/Gwerlum; LT1I/Gwerlum; PE13/103; PE15/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

bart

noun. change

elt

noun. change

Qenya 

lia

noun. fine thread, spider filament, fine thread, spider filament; [ᴱQ.] twine, *wire

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “fine thread, spider filament” and derived from ᴹ✶ligā under the root ᴹ√SLIG having to do with spider words (Ety/SLIG).

Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. lia “twine” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many as one” with derivatives having to do with threads and vines (QL/53).

Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writings, √ungu- became the basis for spider words, but I retain ᴹ√SLIG assuming it has to do with threads and twining to salvage words from the 1910s and 30s. As such I’d use lia for threads and cords that are relatively thin compared to other items of their class, especially those crafted by twining: “fine thread”, a “twine” as a thin cord and by extension things like a “✱wire”.

sinya

adjective. new, new, *current

ungoliante

feminine name. Gloomweaver

Qenya [Ety/DYEL; Ety/SLIG; Ety/UÑG; LR/230; LRI/Ungoliantë; RSI/Ungoliant; SMI/Ungoliant] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

ungoliont

feminine name. Gloomweaver

Early Noldorin [LBI/Ungoliant; SM/016] Group: Eldamo. Published by