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Q. leper n. “finger” (Category: Finger)

Q. leper, n. “finger” (Category: Finger)
Q. leuta “finger”
ᴱQ. tenna “finger”

The Quenya word for “finger” appearing in various notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968, derived from the root √LEP “pick up” (VT47/10; VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: The Quenya “finger” words went through quite a few conceptual changes, but they were always based on the root √LEP. The earliest of these was ᴱQ. let (lept-) “finger” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√LEPE with plural form lepsi (QL/53). In Qenya word lists of the 1920s, however, this became ᴱQ. lepta “finger”, still with the plural lepsi (PE15/72; PE16/137).

The form was ᴹQ. let (leps-) in the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s (PE21/19, 26), expanded to ᴹQ. lepse “finger” in The Etymologies written around 1937, based on the root ᴹ√LEPET of the same meaning (Ety/LEPET). This form demonstrated the 1930s sound change whereby pt became ps (PE19/44 note #44). Tolkien revised this sound change so that the result remained pt (PE19/44), and in 1940s drafts to The Lord of the Rings Tolkien used the word ᴹQ. rakkalepta “*claw-fingered” in Treebeard’s description of orcs (SD/68), though in the published version this word only appeared in English.

In the Outline of Phonology from the 1950s (OP1) Tolkien considered restoring the sound change pt > ps (PE19/84 note #75), and Q. lepsë appeared in notes from the late 1950s or early 60s on the tree name S. lebethron, so named because “its leaves (like chestnut) [were] shaped like a fingered hand” (PE17/89). However, he again abandoned this, clarifying that the actual result of [pt] was a spirantal [ɸt] (spelled pt to represent the bilabial pronunciation), and that in Tarquesta pronunciation (Exhilic Quenya of the first age) the [ɸ] vocalized to [u̯] so that ✶lepta > leꝑta > Q. leu̯ta “finger” (PE19/84). Q. lepta appeared in several words in the 1960s: Q. leptafinya “clever-fingered” (PE17/17) and Q. Tyelpelepta “*silver-fingered” (VT47/27).

In drafts of the 1968 notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals, lepta reappeared as an independent word, but with the gloss “thumb” (VT47/27). In the final versions of these notes, however, Tolkien used leper for “finger”, as noted above.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use leper for “finger”, but would retain lepta as an adjective meaning “fingered”, especially in compounds like [ᴹQ.] raccalepta “claw-fingered”.

References ✧ VT47/3-4, 10, 24; VT48/5

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

Leperi plural “fingers” ✧ VT47/4
leperi plural “fingers” ✧ VT47/3
leperi plural   ✧ VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/5

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

leper- > leper [leper] ✧ VT47/10
leper- > leper [leper] ✧ VT47/24
leper > leper [leper] ✧ VT48/5

Q. lepsë n. “*finger” (Category: Finger)

See Q. leper for discussion.

Reference ✧ PE17/89 ✧ lepse

Related


ᴹQ. lepse n. “finger” (Category: Finger)

See Q. leper for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/LEP; PE19/42

Glosses

Variations

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ√LEPET > lepse [lepti] > [lepte] > [lepse] ✧ Ety/LEP
ᴹ✶lepti > lepse [lepti] > [lepte] > [lepse] ✧ Ety/LEP
ᴹ✶lepta > †lehta [lepta] > [lexta] ✧ PE19/42
ᴹ✶lepta > lepsa [lepta] > [lepsa] ✧ PE19/42

ᴹQ. let (leps-) n. “finger” (Category: Finger)

See Q. leper for discussion.

References ✧ PE21/19, 26

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

lepsullo ablative ✧ PE21/26
lepsulo ablative ✧ PE21/26
lepsullut ablative dual ✧ PE21/26
[leps]illon ablative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsa accusative ✧ PE21/26
lepsut accusative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsi accusative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsa allative; assimilated ✧ PE21/26
lepsata allative ✧ PE21/26
lepsunta allative ✧ PE21/26
lepsatau allative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsullut allative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsuntau allative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsintan allative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsen dative ✧ PE21/26
lepsu dative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsir dative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepso genitive ✧ PE21/26
lepsuhta genitive dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsion genitive plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsanen instrumental ✧ PE21/26
lepsumet instrumental dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsínen instrumental plural ✧ PE21/26
[leps]usset locative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsesset locative dual ✧ PE21/26
[leps]issen locative plural ✧ PE21/26
let nominative ✧ PE21/26
lepsunt nominative dual ✧ PE21/26
lepsin nominative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsulin nominative plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsíka partitive-plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsuva possessive ✧ PE21/26
lepsinwa possessive plural ✧ PE21/26
lepsanon similative ✧ PE21/26
lepsundon similative ✧ PE21/26
[leps]indon similative plural ✧ PE21/26
leps- stem ✧ PE21/19
lept- stem ✧ PE21/19

ᴱQ. let (lept-) n. “finger” (Category: Finger)

See Q. leper for discussion.

References ✧ PME/53; QL/53

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

lept- stem “finger” ✧ PME/53
lept- stem   ✧ QL/53

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴱ√LEPE > let [lept] > [let] ✧ QL/53