Eldamo : Primitive Elvish : WE

√WE root. “dual”

√WE root. “dual”

A primitive “dual” element mentioned in notes on numbers from the late 1960s, contributing to the forms of primitive ✶enekwe “six” and ✶yun(e)kwe “twelve” in the Quenya branch of Elvish, as well as the ancient 1st person inclusive pronoun ✶ñwe (VT48/10). It was probably related to the ancient dual suffix ✶-ū (Let/427). It was also likely a later iteration the dual root ᴱ√WI¹ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s which was likewise connected to dual U (QL/33). This early root was mentioned in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon as ᴱ✶u̯i (GL/45).

Reference ✧ VT48/10 ✧ we “dual”

we “dual” is only otherwise used as dual in ñwe ✧ VT48/10
enekwe “6” might contain we “dual” ✧ VT48/10
yun(e)kwe “2 sixes” might contain we “dual” ✧ VT48/10

ᴱ√WI¹ root. “dual”

See √WE for discussion.

References ✧ QL/33

Glosses

“dual” ✧ QL/33

Variations

WI- ✧ QL/33
U ✧ QL/33

ATA the root of many dual forms together with WI- “dual” ✧ QL/33

Derivatives

> ᴱ✶u̯i
- > ᴱQ. *ui “*two”
  - ⇒ ᴱQ. uiven “twenty” ✧ QL/33
- > G. gwi- “twi-, bi-, di-” ✧ GL/45
- > G. uith “both”
- > G. -wi¹ “dual” ✧ GL/45
  - ⇒ G. gadwi “twins” ✧ GL/37
    - ⇒ G. hethgadwi “twins” ✧ GL/37