A word given by Tolkien as Véne “Virgin” in the Quenya Prayer Ortírielyanna, a translation of Sub Tuum Praesidium (VT44/5-6). Tolkien initially wrote several hesitant forms Ven > Wen > We before writing Véne. In the last phrase he wrote down for the prayer, he revised it to Vénde though the prior phrase with Véne’ was not deleted. As suggested by Wynne, Smith, and Hostetter, Vénde was an alteration from Véne, and its long vowel was probably not intended (VT44/10). Elsewhere Tolkien used wendë for “virgin”, for example in the Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12); see the entry on vendë for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. wéne, véne was given as a word for “girl” or “maiden”, or possibly “virginity” (Ety/WEN).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think it is useful to be able to distinguish “virgin” and “maiden”. I’d use vénë for “virgin” and [ᴹQ.] venessë for “virginity” (irrespective of gender), but vendë for “maiden, *young woman” and vendelë for “maidenhood”.