3.84 Worm
- ᴱQ. wembe n. “worm”
- A noun appearing as ᴱQ. {wembe >>} ’wembe “worm” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√GWEVE; it had a longer variant ’wembil (QL/103). Wembe “worm” was also mentioned in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/103).
Neo-Quenya: Helge Fauskanger adapted this word as ᴺQ. vembë “worm” in his Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT), and I follow his suggestion in part for better compatibility with adapted Gnomish forms from the Neo-Root ᴺ√WEB.
- G. gwem n. “worm”
- A noun appearing as G. gwem “worm” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/45), probably derived from the early root ᴱ√GWEVE that was the basis for “worm” words in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/103).
Neo-Sindarin: I think this word is worth retaining as (archaic?) ᴺS. gwem “worm” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin as a derivative of the Neo-Root ᴺ√WEB, though I expect the 1964 word S. leweg “worm” is more commonly used.
- G. gwembel n. “weevil”
- A noun appearing as G. gwembel “weevil” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variant forms gweml or gwemli, all elaborations of G. gwem “worm” (GL/45).
Neo-Sindarin: I think this word is worth adapting as ᴺS. gwemmel based on ᴺS. gwem “worm”.
- S. leweg n. “worm”
- A word for “worm” in 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), a derivative of the root √LEWEK of the same meaning.
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. tereg or terch “a worm” (GL/70), likely related to the early root ᴱ√TEÐE “pierce” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon which had a derivative ᴱQ. teste “small worm” (QL/91). The Gnomish Lexicon also had G. gwem “worm” (GL/45), probably derived from ᴱ√GWEVE (QL/103). Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱN. lhiw “worm” < ᴱ✶slingwé (PE13/149).
3.85 Snake
- ᴹQ. ango (angu-) n. “snake, dragon”
- A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “snake” derived from the root ᴹ√ANGWA of the same meaning, with a plural form angwi (Ety/ANGWA). This plural form reappeared in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, but there it was translated “dragons”.
Conceptual Development: A similar form ᴱQ. oqi “snake” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√OQO “curve, bend” (QL/70).
Neo-Quenya: The word Q. leuca “snake” from The Lord of the Rings appendices is more commonly used for “snake” in Neo-Quenya.
- Q. (h)lócë n. “reptile, snake, serpent, worm, *lizard; [ᴹQ.] dragon”
- A noun in Quenya Notes from 1957 (QN) with variants hlóke and lóke based on primitive ✶(s)lōkō “reptile, snake, worm” from the root √LOK “bend, loop”, so presumably having a similar meaning (PE17/160). Christopher Tolkien also had (h)lóke in the The Silmarillion appendix, but gave it the glosses “snake, serpent” (SA/lok). Its Sindarin cognate lhûg points towards a Quenya form hlócë.
Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. lóke (lóki-) “snake” appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (QL/55). It was also mentioned with the gloss “snake” in the Official Name List for the Lost Tales (PE13/105) and the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/28). It appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon as related to G. ulug “dragon” (GL/74), and in The Lost Tales proper lóke was given as the “the Eldar name [of] the worms of Melko”, that is dragons (LT1/85).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien glossed ᴹQ. lóke as “dragon” under the root ᴹ√LOK “great serpent, dragon” along with Noldorin cognate N. lhûg (Ety/LOK). It was followed by an -ī in parenthesis, indicating a primitive form of *lōkī and a stem form of lóki-. Tolkien vacillation on its 1957 form was probably out of a desired to retain lhûg as the Sindarin form. In Noldorin of the 1930s an initial l was unvoiced to lh, but this was no longer true of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so Sindarin lhûg required a corresponding Quenya form of hlócë.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I recommend sticking with hlócë. Furthermore, since this Quenya word cannot be derived directly from ✶(s)lōkō, I would assume a primitive form slōkī and a stem form hlóci- compatible with its earlier appearances. Given the breadth of its glosses, I would assume the word can apply to any sinuous reptilian creature with or without legs, including lizards, snakes and dragons.
- Q. leuca n. “snake”
- The best known Quenya word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160).
- ᴹQ. lingwilóke n. “fish-dragon, sea-serpent”
- A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “fish-dragon, sea-serpent”, a combination of ᴹQ. lingwe “fish” and ᴹQ. lóke “dragon” (Ety/LOK).
Conceptual Development: A similar form ᴱQ. lingwin “serpent, dragon” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, an elaboration of ᴱQ. lingwe “snake” (QL/54; PME/54).
- N. am- n. “snake”
- A prefix for “snake” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√ANGWA of the same meaning, most notably an element in N. amlug “dragon” (Ety/ANGWA).
- S. lhûg n. “reptile, snake, serpent, worm, *lizard; [N.] dragon”
- A noun in Quenya Notes from 1957 (QN) derived from primitive ✶(s)lōkō “reptile, snake, worm” based on the root √LOK “bend, loop”, so presumably having a similar meaning (PE17/160). Christopher Tolkien also had lhûg in the The Silmarillion appendix, but gave it the glosses “snake, serpent” (SA/lok).
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien had G. ulug “dragon” (GL/74), and in the contemporaneous Official Name List for the Lost Tales and the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin he had G. lug or lûg “snake” (PE13/105; PE15/28). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. lhûg “dragon” under the root ᴹ√LOK “great serpent, dragon” (Ety/LOK), where initial l was unvoiced to lh as was usual in Nodorin. This was no longer true of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so Sindarin lhûg required a primitive from ✶slōk- and a corresponding Quenya form of hlócë.
Neo-Sindarin: Given the breadth of its glosses, I would assume this word can apply to any sinuous reptilian creature with or without legs, including lizards, snakes and dragons.
- S. lŷg n. “snake”
- The best known Sindarin word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160), likely from *leukā where the ancient eu became ȳ as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).