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S. lass n. “leaf” (Category: Leaf)

S. lass, n. “leaf; ⚠️[G.] petal” (Category: Leaf)

The basic Sindarin word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS¹ (PE17/62, 153; PE22/166). It appeared as both lass and las, but I believe the latter is the suffixal form, the result of the Sindarin sound change whereby final ss shortened in polysyllables (LotR/1115). Its plural form was lais, which is of interest because normally consonant clusters prevent i-intrusion; compare nern and resg the plurals of narn and rasg. I am of the opinion that the ss was a particular “weak” cluster and allowed intrusion anyway; see the entry on Sindarin plural nouns for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: G. lass “a leaf” appeared all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but there Tolkien said it was sometimes used for “petal” = G. tethlas (GL/52). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. lhas “leaf” (PE13/148) and N. lhass “leaf” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶lassē under the root ᴹ√LAS¹ (Ety/LAS¹). These 1920s-30s forms were due to the Noldorin sound change whereby initial l was unvoiced to lh. Tolkien abandoned this sound change in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so that lass “leaf” was restored.

References ✧ Let/282; PE17/49, 62, 97; PE22/166; RC/760

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

lais plural   ✧ PE17/62
lais plural “leaves” ✧ PE17/97

Element In

Cognates

Derivations


N. lhass n. “leaf” (Category: Leaf)

See S. lass for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/LAS¹; PM/135

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

lais soft-mutation plural ✧ PM/135

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ✶lassē > lhass [lassē] > [lasse] > [lass] > [l̥ass] ✧ Ety/LAS¹

ᴱN. lhas n. “leaf” (Category: Leaf)

See S. lass for discussion.

Reference ✧ PE13/148 ✧ “leaf”


G. lass n. “leaf; petal” (Category: Leaf)

See S. lass for discussion.

References ✧ GL/27, 30, 36, 42, 52, 55, 68; LT1A/Gar Lossion

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

lassion genitive plural ✧ GL/30
#las suffix ✧ GL/27; GL/36; GL/42; GL/68

Element In

Cognates

Derivations