S. hen(d) n. “eye” (Category: Eye)
The Sindarin word for “eye”, most notably in the name Amon Hen “Hill of the Eye” (LotR/400), derived from the root √KHEN that was the basis for eye-words (PE17/187). Given the words henneth “window” (LotR/674) and Lachend “Flame-eyed” (WJ/384), it is possible that the independent word for “eye” is hend, but note also maecheneb “sharp-eye” which has no double-n (WJ/337).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. hen “eye” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/48), cognate to ᴱQ. hend- and so probably similarly derived from primitive ᴱ✶þχe-ndǝ (PE12/21). In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱN. hen(n) “eye” was paired with ᴱQ. sinda (PE13/122), but in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the same period, ᴱN. henn was again cognate with ᴱQ. hen (hend-), both from primitive ᴱ✶ske-ndá. In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. {hent, henn >>} hên “eye” from the root ᴹ√KHEN-D-E “eye” (Ety/KHEN-D-E). Thus this word was well established in Tolkien’s mind, but had several variations in its form and derivation.
References ✧ PE17/77; PM/186; WJ/337
Glosses
Variations
Related
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
N. hên n. “eye” (Category: Eye)
References ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E; EtyAC/KHEN-D-E
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Inflections
| hent | dual | ✧ EtyAC/KHEN-D-E |
| hint/hinn | plural | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
| hîn | plural | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√KHEN-D-E > hent/henn | [kʰende] > [xende] > [xend] > [hend] > [henn] | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
| ᴹ√KHEN-D-E > hint/hinn | [kʰendi] > [xendi] > [xindi] > [xend] > [hend] > [henn] | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
| ᴹ√KHEN-D-E > hên | [kʰen] > [xen] > [xēn] > [hēn] | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
| ᴹ√KHEN-D-E > hîn | [kʰeni] > [xeni] > [xini] > [xīn] > [hīn] | ✧ Ety/KHEN-D-E |
ᴱN. hen(n) n. “eye” (Category: Eye)
References ✧ PE13/122, 147
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Inflections
| henu | dual | ✧ PE13/122 |
| him | dual | ✧ PE13/122 |
| hinn | plural | ✧ PE13/122; PE13/147 |
Cognates
Derivations
G. hen n. “eye” (Category: Eye)
References ✧ GG/10; GL/40, 48
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| gochenwi | dual | ✧ GG/10 | |
| henwi | dual | “(a pair of) eyes, the eyes of one person” | ✧ GG/10 |
| henwi | dual | “eyes (dual)” | ✧ GL/48 |
| hennin | plural | ✧ GL/48 | |
| hent | plural | ✧ GL/48 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations