Q. lassë n. “leaf” (Category: Leaf)
The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS¹ (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS¹ (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).
Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.
References ✧ Let/282, 382; LotR/377, 1107; PE16/96; PE17/62, 76; PE19/106; Plotz/11-20; RGEO/58; VT39/9; WJ/407
Glosses
Variations
Related
Inflections
| lassello | ablative | ✧ Plotz/19 | |
| lassellon | ablative plural | ✧ Plotz/19 | |
| †lassē | accusative | ✧ Plotz/12: only in classical Quenya, no longer used in spoken Quenya | |
| lassenna | allative | ✧ Plotz/15 | |
| lassennar | allative plural | ✧ Plotz/15 | |
| lassen | dative | ✧ Plotz/16 | |
| lassin | dative plural | ✧ Plotz/16 | |
| lasset | dual | ✧ Plotz/11 | |
| lasseo | genitive | ✧ Plotz/13 | |
| lasseo | genitive | “of a leaf” | ✧ WJ/407 |
| †lassio | genitive plural | “of leaves” | ✧ WJ/407 |
| lassion | genitive plural | ✧ Plotz/13 | |
| lassion | genitive plural | “of leaves” | ✧ WJ/407 |
| lassenen | instrumental | ✧ Plotz/14 | |
| lassínen | instrumental plural | ✧ Plotz/14 | |
| lassī́nen | instrumental plural | ✧ PE19/106 | |
| lassesse | locative | ✧ Plotz/17 | |
| lassessen | locative plural | ✧ Plotz/17 | |
| †lassin | nominative plural | ✧ PE17/76 | |
| lasselī | partitive-plural | ✧ Plotz/11: lasseli in spoken Quenya | |
| lassi | plural | “leaves” | ✧ Let/382; LotR/377; RGEO/58 |
| lassi | plural | ✧ PE17/62; PE17/76 | |
| lassī | plural | ✧ PE19/106 | |
| lassī | plural | ✧ Plotz/11: lassi in spoken Quenya | |
| lássi | plural | “leaves” | ✧ RGEO/58 |
| lasseva | possessive | ✧ Plotz/20 | |
| lasses | s-case | ✧ Plotz/18 | |
| lassis | s-case plural | ✧ Plotz/18 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ✶lassē > lasse | [lassē] > [lasse] | ✧ Let/282 |
| ✶lassḗi > lássei > lassī | [lassei] > [lassī] > [lassi] | ✧ PE19/106 |
| AQ. lasséinen > lassēnen > lassī́nen | [lasseinen] > [lassīnen] | ✧ PE19/106 |
| ✶lassē > lasse | [lassē] > [lasse] | ✧ VT39/9 |
ᴹQ. lasse n. “leaf” (Category: Leaf)
References ✧ Ety/LAS¹; PE21/6-7, 9, 47-48, 53-54; PE22/11; VT28/8
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ✶lassē > lasse | [lassē] > [lasse] | ✧ Ety/LAS¹ |
| †ᴹ✶lassē-ō > †lasso | [lassēo] ? [lasso] | ✧ PE21/9 |
ᴱQ. lasse n. “leaf; petal” (Category: Leaf)
References ✧ GL/52; LT1A/Gar Lossion; MC/213, 216, 220; PE16/62, 72, 74-75, 77, 80, 90, 92, 139; PME/51; QL/51; VT40/8
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| lasselin | nominative plural | “leaves” | ✧ PE16/75 |
| lasser | plural | ✧ VT40/8 | |
| lasselindon | similative plural | “like leaves” | ✧ MC/213; MC/220; PE16/62 |
| lasselindon | similative plural | ✧ PE16/74; PE16/77 | |
| lässelindon | similative plural | ✧ PE16/72 | |
| lasse- | stem | ✧ QL/51 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations