3.647 Gull, Petrel
- Q. maiwë n. “gull”
- A noun for “gull” appearing in its plural form maiwi in the Q. Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222). In the The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. maiwe “gull” was derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word was ᴱQ. māwe (māwi-) “gull” under the early root ᴱ√MAWA “cry, bleat” (QL/60), also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/60). In Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s Tolkien instead had vaiya or {maiwe >>} waiwe “seamew” (PE16/138), but in the version of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from circa 1930, Tolkien used maiwe in its nominative plural form maiwin “gulls” (MC/213).
- ᴹQ. qéne n. “petrel”
- A noun for “petrel” (a type of seabird) appearing in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s (PE22/32). It was derived from primitive ᴹ✶kwǣnē, a rare example of the vowel ǣ in primitive Elvish.
- N. cuen n. “small gull, petrel, sea-bird”
- A noun appearing as cuen “small gull, petrel” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a loan word from Ilk. cwên of the same meaning, derived from the primitive root ᴹ√KWǢ (EtyAC/KWǢ). Its Noldorin form N. poen had fallen out of use. It also appeared with the form cuén “a sea-bird” in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s, again as a loan word from Ilkorin (PE22/32).
Neo-Sindarin: Since Ilkorin was no longer a part of Tolkien’s system of Elvish languages in the 1950s and 60s, this word is somewhat questionable, but I think it is worth retaining, reimagined as a loan word from a different language (probably a dialect of Nandorin).
- S. maew n. “gull”
- A noun for “gull” first appearing as N. maew in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√MIW¹ “whine” (Ety/MIW). It appeared in later notes as an archaic genitive plural maewion in the phrase S. †glim maewion “(the) voices of gulls” (PE17/97). Its class plural mewrim seems to have appeared in S. Ras Mewrim “*Cape of the Gulls”, an alternate name for S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/190). If so, the vowel e would be the result of the sound change whereby ae sometimes became e in polysyllables.
- ⚠️S. mŷl n. “gull”
- A word for “gull” in the name S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/379); its singular and plural forms would be the same. It might be derived from *miulē < ᴹ√MIW “whine”, the basis for other “gull” words, since iu became ȳ in Sindarin. I’d recommend using the better attested S. maew “gull” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
- N. †poen n. “small gull, petrel”
- A noun for “small gull, petrel” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶kwǣnē under the root ᴹ√KWǢ, but it fell out of use and was replaced by N. cuen, a loan-word from Ilkorin (EtyAC/KWǢ).
3.648 Swan
- Q. alqua n. “swan”
- The Quenya noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK).
Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. alqa dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√ḶKḶ (QL/30), though it had a variant form alqe in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/18). Other than this one exception, Tolkien stuck with alqua throughout his life. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. alqa “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).
- ᴱN. alfuilin n. “large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan”
- The noun ᴱN. alfuilin was “used of several large white seabirds, especially the albatross” in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s, an elaboration of ᴱN. alf “swan”. In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. {alcothil >>} alfuil simply meant “swan” (GL/19), and the word alfuilin appeared with that gloss in a couple of other word lists (PE13/109, PE13/136) before becoming “albatross”.
Neo-Sindarin: I’d adapt this word as ᴺS. alfuil “albatross, large white seabird” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, perhaps originally with the sense “*swan of the seaweed”.
- S. alph n. “swan”
- The Sindarin noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK), where first the ancient [kw] became [p] and then the [lp] became [lf] (spelled lph).
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, this word appeared as {alcwi >>} alfa (GL/18), which is perhaps the moment that Tolkien decided that labialized velars became labials in the Sindarin branch of Elvish (though in Gnomish this sound change applied only medially). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying this document, the word became alf (PE13/109), and Tolkien stuck with this form thereafter, though eventually revising the spelling to alph once he decide that final [f] was spelled ph. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. alf “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).
- ᴱN. elflin n. “cygnet, *young swan”
- A noun appearing as ᴱN. elflin “cygnet” [young swan] in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s, a diminutive of ᴱN. alf “swan” (PE13/159); see G. inc “little” (GG/16).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d revise this word using the later diminutive formation ᴺS. alfeg “cygnet, young swan”.