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Select Elvish Words 2.57-2.82: Descendant, In-Law, Relative, Family

2.57 Descendant

ᴱQ. hilmi n. “family, offspring”
The word ᴱQ. hilmi “family, offspring” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√HILI (QL/39). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, the word hilmie was given as the Qenya cognate of G. hilm “posterity, one’s descendants, progeny, offspring” (GL/49).

Neo-Quenya: I would adapt this word into Neo-Quenya as singular ᴺQ. hilmë “offspring, *descendant”, and use plural hilmi to refer to the entirety of one’s extended family, including all descendants. Among the Elves, the original ancestor would still be alive and able to interact with their descendants of all generations, so this would be a living rather than historical relationship.

Q. ontalë n. “descent, *derivation, ancestry”
A word for “descent” appearing on the title page of both the first and second versions Tengwesta Qenderinwa (from the 1930s and around 1950, respectively) as an element in the phrase Lambion Ontale “Descent of Tongues” (PE18/23, 71). It is an abstract noun form of Q. onta- “beget”. As such, it is likely refers to both linguistic derivation as well as the ancestry of living families as well.
G. hilm n. “posterity; one’s descendents, progeny, offspring”
A noun appearing as G. hilm “posterity; one’s descendants, progeny, offspring” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√χili and cognate to ᴱQ. hilmie (GL/49). The Qenya cognate was apparently a variant of ᴱQ. hilmi “family, offspring” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/40).

Neo-Sindarin: I would adapt this word as ᴺS. hilf in Neo-Sindarin, since non-initial [m] usually became [v], which was spelled f at the end of words.

2.65 Brother-in-Law

G. bedhren n. “brother in law, kinsman by marriage”
The word G. bedhren “brother in law, kinsman by marriage” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a combination of the early root ᴱ√Beđ “wed” and G. ren(d) “male relative” (GL/22). It had a variant G. gadren where the initial element was G. gad “joint, link” (GL/36).

Neo-Sindarin: I would adapt this word as ᴺS. bethren for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, updating the initial element to my preferred root for marriage ᴹ√BES “wed” with sr becoming thr in Sindarin.

2.66 Sister-in-Law

G. bedhres n. “sister in law, *kinswoman by marriage”
The word G. bedhres “sister in law” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a combination of the early root ᴱ√Beđ “wed” and G. ress “female relative” (GL/22); like its male counterpart G. bedhres, it seems to more generally mean “*kinswoman by marriage”. It had a variant G. gadres where the initial element was G. gad “joint, link” (GL/36).

Neo-Sindarin: I would adapt this word as ᴺS. bethres for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, updating the initial element to my preferred root for marriage ᴹ√BES “wed” with sr becoming thr in Sindarin.

2.81 Relative

ᴹQ. onóne n. “kinswoman; ⚠️sister”
A word glossed “sister” under the root ᴹ√ (Ety/NŌ), but in the entry for ᴹ√THEL Tolkien said it was “usually used of blood-kin” and its cognate was ON. wanūre “kinswoman”, which seems like a better translation. It is simply the root ᴹ√ “beget” with the prefix ᴹQ. o- “together” and a feminine suffix.
ᴹQ. onóro n. “kinsman; ⚠️brother”
A word glossed “brother” under the root ᴹ√ (Ety/NŌ), but in the entry for ᴹ√TOR Tolkien said it was used “usually of the blood-kinship” and its cognate was N. gwanur “kinsman”, which seems like a better translation. It is simply the root ᴹ√ “beget” with the prefix ᴹQ. o- “together” and a masculine suffix.
G. goredhin n. “sib, akin, [closely] related”
A word appearing as G. goredhin “related, sib, akin” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, a combination of G. redhin “related” and the prefix G. go-¹ “together” (GL/41). It appeared as goredin in the Gnomish Grammar (GG/8).

Neo-Sindarin: I would retain this word as ᴺS. goredhin based on the Neo-Root ᴺ√RE(N)D, with the assumption that it refers specifically to those who are closely related.

N. gwanur n. “kinsman, kinswoman”
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s for “kinsman” derived from ON. wanūro < ᴹ✶wanōrō (Ety/NŌ, TOR) also used of a “kinswoman” due to blending with feminine ON. wanūre (Ety/THEL).
G. redhin n. “related”
A word appearing as G. redhin “related” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjectival form of the early root ᴱ√redh- that was the basis for kin words (GL/65).

Neo-Sindarin: I would retain this word as ᴺS. redhin based on the Neo-Root ᴺ√RE(N)D.

2.82 Family

ᴱQ. soresta n. “family”
The word ᴱQ. soresta “family” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a combination of ᴱQ. so- “together” and ᴱQ. resta “kin” (QL/85).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would adapt this word as ᴺQ. orendë as a combination of later prefix Q. o- “together” and ᴺQ. rendë “kin”. Furthermore, I would use it specifically for a nuclear family (just the parents and children), as opposed to Q. nossë which seems to refer to an extended family or clan.

G. gwanos n. “family, birth, heredity, *lineage”
A noun appearing as G. gwanos “family, birth, heredity” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, a combination of G. gwa- “together” and G. nôs “birth” (GL/44), hence probably originally something like “*totality of births”.

Neo-Sindarin: I think ᴺS. gwanos can be retained in Neo-Sindarin as a combination of S. go- “together” and S. nos(s) “kindred”, especially in reference to one’s lineage.

G. gwarin(n) n. “[nuclear] family”
The word G. {gwaren >>} gwarin(n) “family” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from primitive ᴱ✶ŋuarenđā (GL/44). It was a combination of G. gwa- “together” and G. renni “family” (GL/65), but it is not clear why the e became i in the compound.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin I would adapt this word as ᴺS. gwaren as a combination of later prefix gwa- “together” and the Neo-Root ᴺ√RE(N)D “kin”. Furthermore, I would use it specifically for a nuclear family (just the parents and children), as opposed to S. nos(s) which seems to refer to an extended family or clan.

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