6.35 to Sew
- Q. ser- [þ] v. “*to sew”
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A verb for “to sew” implied by the sobriquet Serindë “Broideress, Needlewoman, *Seamstress” of Míriel, mother of Fëanor (MR/257, PM/333). This verb is further supported by the root √THER or √SER “sew” which appeared in notes from 1957, with Tolkien preferring √THER (PE17/33).
Conceptual Development: The verb ᴱQ. neme- “I sew” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√NEME (QL/65), but there are no signs of it after the 1910s.
6.36 Needle
- ᴱQ. nelma n. “needle”
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A word appearing as ᴱQ. nelma “needle” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, but Tolkien vacillated on whether it was derived from the early root ᴱ√NELE “point” or ᴱ√NEME “*sew” (QL/65). As a derivative of ᴱ√NEME, Tolkien considered an alternate form nemya. The word nelma “needle” also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/65).
Neo-Quenya: I would retain ᴺQ. nelma “needle” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but as a derivative of √NEL since √NEM “sew” did not survive in Tolkien’s later writing. In Quenya of the 1930s and later, the root √NEL was generally glossed “three”, but was still associated with pointed things like in √NELEK “tooth” due to triangular shapes.
- G. eglin n. “needle”
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A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing as G. eglin or egli “needle” based on G. eg “point” (GL/32).
Neo-Sindarin: The root √EK “sharp point” survived in Tolkien’s later writings (WJ/365), so I’d retain ᴺS. eglin “needle” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
6.38 Thread
- Q. ipsin n. “fine thread”
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A word for “fine thread” derived from the root √SPIN- in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/17).
- Q. lanya n. “thread, warp”
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A word appearing only in a note from the late 1960s as an element in Q. hísilanya, cognate to S. hithlain, name of the grey elvish rope which in this note was glossed “mist thread” and was derived from √LAN “stretch, extend; ?twine” (PE17/60). As such, the word lanya probably meant “thread”. Tolkien later wrote “warp” after hithlain, probably an alternate meaning of S. lain/Q. lanya. This is probably “warp” in the sense of cross-threads, as in the “warp and weft” that are part of weaving in a loom.
- ᴹQ. lia n. “fine thread, spider filament; [ᴱQ.] twine, *wire”
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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”.
- S. esbin n. “thin thread, ⚠️tress”
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A word for “thin thread” derived from the root √SPIN- in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/17). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 this word was glossed “a tress” (PE17/119), but for purposes of Neo-Sindarin I’d stick to the “thread” meaning.
- S. lain n. “thread, warp”
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An element in the name of the grey elvish rope S. hithlain (LotR/371) which in a note from the late 1960s was glossed “grey thread” and derived from √LAN “stretch, extend; ?twine” (PE17/60). As such, the word lain probably means “thread”. Tolkien later wrote “warp” after hithlain, probably an alternate meaning of lain, likely with the sense of cross-threads as in the “warp and weft” that are part of weaving in a loom.
- G. theres n. “ribbon, ⚠️tie”
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A word appearing as G. theres “a tie, ribbon” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s based on G. ther- “to tie” (GL/72).
Neo-Sindarin: In Tolkien’s later writing, √THER meant “sew”, but I think ᴺS. theres “ribbon” could still be based on the later meaning of this root.
- N. thlê n. “fine thread, spider filament”
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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-.