Q. [ᴹQ.] ilfirin, adj. “immortal”

See ᴹQ. ilfirin for discussion.

Cognates

• S. alfirin “immortal, (lit.) not dying; a species of flower”

ᴹQ. ilfirin adj. “immortal”

An adjective for “immortal” appearing in the Etymologies of the 1930s as a negation of the adjective firin “dead (by natural cause)” (Ety/PHIR). Its initial element is the negative prefix ᴹQ. il-.

Conceptual Development: Neither this word or its elements appear in Tolkien’s later writings, but its Sindarin cognate S. alfirin “immortal” does appear as the name of a flower (LotR/875, PE17/100, Let/402). Tolkien may have revised the etymology and meaning of the Sindarin word, however.

Reference ✧ Ety/PHIR ✧ “immortal”

Elements

il-	“no, not”
firin	“dead (by natural cause)”	✧ Ety/PHIR.003

Derivations

• < ᴹ✶ilpirin “immortal” ✧ Ety/PHIR.020