Q. Vingilótë pn. “Foam-flower”

Q. Vingilótë, pn. “Foam-flower”

Name of the ship of Eärendil, translated “Foam-flower” (S/246). It is a compound of vingë (vingi-) “foam” and lótë “flower”, and often appeared in the shorter form Vingilot.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, always with essentially the same etymology and meaning. In the earliest stories it appeared as ᴱQ. Wingilot (LT1/21), and was ᴹQ. Wingelóte in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/LOT(H), WIG).

Although Tolkien was consistent on the meaning of this name and its elements, he could never quite make up his mind on its exact form. The name appeared in a wide variety of forms, from his earliest to his latest writings. The variations were:

The first of these variation probably reflects Tolkien’s uncertainty on the development of the phoneme [w] in Quenya; in one place Tolkien said it “is in intention formed to resemble and ‘explain’ the name of Wade’s ship Guingelot” (PM/371). The second variation indicates different possible primitive forms of vingë “foam”. The third variation is simply the ordinary variation in the short and long forms of the name, also seen in names like Valinor/Valinórë and Silmaril/Silmarillë.

Vingilot/Vingilótë was the form adopted by Christopher Tolkien for the published Silmarillion, since it replaced earlier forms (sometimes but not always) in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/246).

References ✧ PM/163, 365, 370-371, 392; PMI/Rothinzil, Vingilot; S/246, 259; SA/loth, wing; SI/Rothinzil, Vingilot; WJI/Vingelot

Glosses

Variations

Elements

vingë “foam, spindrift, spray” ✧ PM/370 (Vinga-); SA/wing (wing)
lótë “flower, single blossom” ✧ SA/loth
Nan. **wing “foam, spindrift, spume” ✧ PM/365

Cognates


ᴹQ. Wingelóte pn. “Foam-flower”

See Q. Vingilótë for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/LOT(H), WIG; EtyAC/LOT(H); LR/143; LRI/Vingelot; SD/342, 360; SDI2/Rôthinzil, Vingalótë; SM/149, 155; SMI/Wingelot

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Inflections

Vingelot shortened   ✧ SDI2/Vingalótë; SMI/Wingelot
Vingelot shortened   ✧ SM/155
Wingelot shortened   ✧ Ety/LOT(H); Ety/WIG; SDI2/Vingalótë
Wingelot shortened “Flower of the Foam” ✧ LR/143
Wingelot shortened “Foam-flower” ✧ SM/149; SMI/Wingelot
Wingelot shortened   ✧ SM/155
Wingilot shortened   ✧ EtyAC/LOT(H)
Wingilot shortened   ✧ SM/155; SMI/Wingelot

Elements

winge “foam, crest of wave, crest” ✧ Ety/WIG
lóte “(large single) flower” ✧ Ety/LOT(H)
ᴹ√WIG “*foam” ✧ Ety/LOT(H)
ᴹ√LOT(H) “flower” ✧ Ety/WIG

Cognates


ᴱQ. Wingilot pn. “Foam-flower”

See Q. Vingilótë for discussion.

References ✧ LBI/Wingelot; LT1/21; LT1A/Lindelos, Wingilot; LT1I; LT2I/Vingelot, Wingilot; PE15/7, 29; PME/104; QL/104

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

winge “(blowing) foam, spindrift, froth, scud, spray; wave” ✧ LT1A/Wingilot; QL/104 (’winge); QL/104 (Wingi-)
lóte “flower, bloom, blossom” ✧ LT1A/Lindelos (-lot); LT1A/Wingilot (-lot)

Cognates