9.74 Glass
- Q. calca n. “glass”
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A word for “glass” appearing in notes from around 1968 as a derivative of √KALAK (VT47/35).
Conceptual Development: There was a similar form ᴱQ. talqe (talqi-) “glass” in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s (PME/88; QL/88). It also appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon with a Gnomish cognate G. celc, both words being based on variant early roots ᴱ√kail(i)k and ᴱ√tail(i)k (GL/25).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, the word for “glass” was ᴹQ. hyelle from the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) “glass” with Noldorin cognate N. hele (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien instead said that “there was no common Eldarin word for glass”, and that the Sindarin word for “glass” was borrowed from Khuzdul while the Quenya word was cilin (PE17/37). Tolkien’s last published word for “glass” was calca as noted above (VT47/35), which seems to be a restoration of the early root ᴱ√kail(i)k.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use calca as the main Quenya for “[clear] glass”, but would retain cilin as another word for transluscent or reflective glass.
- ᴹQ. maril n. “crystal, ⚠️glass”
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A noun glossed “glass, crystal” on the cover page of The Etymologies of the 1930s where it was the basis of a possibly derivation of [ᴹQ.] Silmaril (EtyAC/SIL).
Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴱQ. marilla “pearl” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa, again as the basis for [ᴱQ.] Silmaril (QL/59; PME/59).
Neo-Quenya: The word maril seems to be the best available Quenya word for “crystal”, and I would use it that way for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
- Q. naltalma [ñ-] n. “heliograph”
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A word for a “heliograph” appearing in notes from around 1968, an elaboration of Q. nalta “glittering reflection” (NM/353). Tolkien described it as “an Eldarin device for signalling from afar, like a heliograph, though it is said to have been also usable in a clear moon. Its form and the manner of manipulating it are not recorded, but it must have contained a bright surface.”
- Q. silima n. “crystal substance devised by Fëanor”
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A name “that Feanor gave to the crystal substance he devised and alone could make” (RGEO/65). This material was used to create the Silmarilli.
- Q. silma n. and adj. “crystal (white); [ᴹQ.] silver, shining white”
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A word for “crystal (white)” (PE17/23) and “silver, shining white” (Ety/SIL) based on the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)”. It seems to function as both an adjective and a noun, and is related to silima, the substance Feanor used to craft the Silmarils. Given this word’s strong association with the Silmarils, it probably could no longer be used for other kinds of crystals.
- S. ?bril n. “glass, crystal”
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An Ilkorin word for “glass, crystal” appearing The Etymologies of the 1930s and developed from the primitive form ᴹ✶mbiríl- (Ety/MBIRIL), because in Ilkorin unstressed initial syllables reduced to favored clusters. It was an element in the 1930s Ilkorin name Brilthor “Glittering Torrent” (LR/263). This name survived into Silmarillion drafts of the 1950s (WJ/13), so it may be that this word became Sindarin.
Conceptual Development: Possible precursors include G. brin(in), the glassy substance used to create the Moon in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/24), which became ᴱN. brin “dwarf-glass” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/139).
- S. glathralvas n. “flashing glass/crystal, *heliograph”
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A Sindarin heliograph-like device for signaling with light at a distance, similar to Q. naltalma but of independent invention (NM/353). Its initial element is probably based on √Ñ(G)AL “shine” like its Quenya equivalent.
- S. heledh n. “glass”
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The basic Sindarin word for “glass”, a loan word from Khuzdul kheled (PE17/37; RS/466). The Eldar of Valinor invented glass independently, so the Quenya “glass” words were distinct.
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. celc “glass” along with (archaic) variants G. celeg and caileg, all derived from the early root ᴱ√kail(i)k (GL/25). These apparently replaced rejected forms {talp}, {calp}, and {telc} of the same meaning (GL/69). The “glass” word became ᴱN. celch or caileg “glass” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/140).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s the “glass” word became N. hele derived from the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) “glass” like its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. hyelle (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). In the 1930s Noldorin and Quenya were direct contact for most of their history, but this was no longer the case for Sindarin and Quenya of the 1950s and 60s. As a result, Tolkien decided that glass was an independent invention in both Valinor and Middle Earth, so that the Quenya and Sindarin words were no longer related as described above.
- S. silef n. “(white) crystal; ⚠️[N.] silver, shining white”
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A word for “crystal (white)” (PE17/23) or “silver, shining white” (Ety/SIL) based on the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)”. It seemed to function as both a noun (1950s-60s) and an adjective (1930s), and was the basis for the adjective silivren appearing in the A Elbereth Gilthoniel prayer (PE17/23).
Conceptual Development: Earlier words for “crystal” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, such as G. glint (GL/39) and G. sincli (GL/67), both elements in G. Crosailin(t) or Crosincli “Crystal Globe”, a Gnomish name for the Moon.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use S. silef mainly as the noun “(white) crystal”, and would use silivren as the adjective form.
- S. silevren adj. “(white) glittering, crystalline”
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A word in the A Elbereth Gilthoniel prayer (LotR/238), loosely translated “[from] glittering crystal” or “[jewels of] crystal clear” (PE17/21) but actually an adjective meaning “(white) glittering” or “crystalline” (PE17/20-21; RGEO/64-65). It was based on the noun silef “crystal (white)” and in one place was given as silevren (PE17/23).