10.44 to Dance
- ᴱQ. lilt n. “dance”
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A noun appearing in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s as ᴱQ. lilt “a dance” based on the early root ᴱ√LḶTḶ (QL/55), where short syllabic [ḷ] became [il] (PE12/11). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, the noun form was lalta, probably with long syllabic [ḹ] becoming [al] (PE15/71).
Neo-Quenya: I would adapt this noun as ᴺQ. liltë “dance”, based on the later root ᴹ√LILT “dance” (Ety/LILT).
- ᴹQ. lilta- v. “to dance”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dance” derived from the root ᴹ√LILT of the same meaning (Ety/LILT).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. lilt- “to dance” under the early root ᴱ√LḶTḶ (QL/55), where short syllabic [ḷ] became [il] (PE12/11). It reappeared in the Early Qenya Grammar and English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, where its past forms lalsie or †laltye indicate the development of long syllabic [ḹ] to [al] (PE14/58; PE15/71). After Tolkien decided that syllabic ḷ, ṇ, ṛ were not vowels in Primitive Elvish, he revised the root to ᴹ√LILT as noted above, so that the verb would probably have a more regular past like *liltane.
- Q. pirucendëa adj. “on the point of her toes”
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This adjective first appeared as ᴱQ. pirūkea or ᴱQ. pirukenda “pirouetting” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√PIRI (QL/74). It reappeared as pirukendea in the version of the Nieninqe prayer from around 1930, in the phrase ᴱQ. norolinde pirukendea “tripping lightly, whirling lightly” (MC/215). In the version of Nieninquë from the 1950s, Tolkien gave a different explanation for its meaning as a combination of piru “toes (dual)” and an adjective form of cendë “point”, hence meaning “on the point of her toes” (PE16/96).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume this was a poetic word, not in common use.
- Q. ruxöalë n. “to dance”
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A term for the “Great Bear Dance” in notes from around 1965, first given as (rejected) ruxopandalë (NM/335). The derivation for this word is unclear, but its first element resembles rusco “fox” from the late 1960s.
- G. lalt n. “dance”
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A noun appearing as G. lalt “a dance” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/52), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LḶTḶ “dance” (QL/55), probably with long syllabic [ḹ] becoming [al].
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would adapt this word as ᴺS. lilt for better compatibility with the later root ᴹ√LILT “dance”, as suggested by Fiona Jallings.
- G. laltha- v. “to dance”
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A word appearing as G. laltha- “to dance” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, a verb form of G. lalt “a dance” (GL/52).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would adapt this word as ᴺS. liltha- for better compatibility with the later root ᴹ√LILT “dance”.