S. Lefnui loc. “Fifth”

S. Lefnui, loc. “Fifth”

A river in Gondor, the fifth in the region of Lebennin (LotR/750), and so translated “Fifth” (VT42/14). It is simply lefnui “fifth” uses as a name and was thus pronounced [levnui], but Tolkien preferred the spelling Lefnui because “v” rarely appears before consonants in English (VT42/14).

Conceptual Development: When first mentioned in maps for the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was first given as N. Lhefned >> Lhefneg (WR/437, TI/312), apparently earlier Noldorin words for “fifth”.

References ✧ LotRI; TI/312; TII; UTI; VT42/9, 14; WRI/Lhefneg

Glosses

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levnui “fifth”

N. Lhefneg loc. “Fifth”

See S. Lefnui for discussion.

References ✧ TI/312; TII/Lefnui, Lhefneg; WR/436-437; WRI

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

lheben “five”
-eg² “suffix for ordinal numbers”