Eldamo : Primitive Elvish : LI

√LI root. “many”

√LI root. “many”

This root was connected to words for “many” throughout Tolkien’s life. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s it appeared as ᴱ√LĪ, with variant ᴱ√ILI² “many” and extended form ᴱ√LIYA (LI + ya) “unite many as one” with derivatives like ᴱQ. lia- “entwine” and ᴱQ. liante “tendril” (QL/42, 53). In later writings there is no sign of the inversion √IL “many” (later √IL meant “all”), whereas ᴱ√LIYA seems to have shifted to unrelated ᴹ√SLIG with derivatives like ᴹQ. lia “fine thread, spider filament” and ᴹQ. liante “spider” (Ety/SLIG).

The base root ᴹ√LI “many” did reappear in The Etymologies of the 1930s, however (Ety/LI), and √LI “many” appeared again in etymological notes from the late 1960s (VT48/25). The long-standing connection between this root and the Quenya (partitive) plural suffixes indicates its stability in Tolkien’s mind.

Reference ✧ VT48/25 ✧ “many”

Derivatives

> ᴹQ. lia¹ “(not) a few, several”
> ᴺQ. !lina “many”
> ᴺQ. !lio “much”
⇒ ᴺQ. !lita- “to multiply”
> ✶-lī “many”
> Q. -li “partitive plural (suffix); many, some, a lot of”
> Q. lië “people, folk”
- ⇒ 20 compounds
> Q. #li(n)- “many”
- ⇒ 13 compounds
> S. lî “people (of one kind or origin)”

ᴹ√LI root. “many; large people”

See √LI for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/DÓRON, LI, RIM, YEN; EtyAC/LI; PE21/57; PE23/100

Glosses

“large people” ✧ PE21/57 (LĪ-)
“many” ✧ Ety/LI
“many, much” ✧ PE23/100 (lī̆-); PE23/100 (lĭn(i))
“number, plenty” ✧ PE21/57 (LĪ-)

Variations

LI ✧ Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI; Ety/RIM; Ety/YEN
LIƷ/LIÑ ✧ EtyAC/LI
LĪ- ✧ PE21/57; PE21/57 (LĪ-)
lī̆- ✧ PE23/100
lĭn(i) ✧ PE23/100

LIƷ/LIÑ alternate forms of LI “many” ✧ EtyAC/LI
N. -rim “plural” ✧ Ety/RIM

Changes

LĪ- “number, plenty” >> LĪ- “large people” ✧ PE21/57

Derivatives

⇒ ᴹ✶lai- “*many” ✧ EtyAC/LI
- > N. lhae “great number” ✧ EtyAC/LI
- > N. lhaew “frequent, many” ✧ EtyAC/LI
> ᴹ✶-lī “partitive”
- > ᴹQ. -li “plural (suffix)”
> ᴹ✶lī “number” ✧ EtyAC/LI
- > ᴹQ. -li “plural (suffix)” ✧ PE21/19
> ᴹQ. -li “plural (suffix)” ✧ Ety/LI; PE23/100
> ᴹQ. lie “people, folk” ✧ Ety/LI
- ⇒ 7 compounds
> ᴹQ. li(n)- “many” ✧ Ety/DÓRON; Ety/LI; Ety/YEN; PE23/100
- ⇒ 15 compounds
> ON. -lin “many” ✧ Ety/LI

ᴱ√ILI² root. “many”

See √LI for discussion.

References ✧ QL/42, 53

Glosses

“many” ✧ QL/42

LĪ compare ili ✧ QL/53
LI+ya “unite many as one” possibly ILI ✧ QL/53

Derivatives

> ᴱQ. ille “throng, crowd” ✧ QL/42
- ⇒ ᴱQ. illia “in multitudes” ✧ QL/42
> ᴱQ. li(n)- “many” ✧ QL/42
- ⇒ 8 compounds

ᴱ√LĪ root. “*many”

See √LI for discussion.

References ✧ GL/54; LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/42, 53-54

Variations

lī- ✧ GL/54; LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/42; QL/53
Lî ✧ QL/54

LĪ compare ili ✧ QL/53
LIMI cp. Lî ✧ QL/54

Derivatives

> ᴱ✶lē
- > ᴱN. lhî “many, a number” ✧ PE13/148
> ᴱ✶leyé
- > ᴱN. lhai “folk, host, people” ✧ PE13/148
- > ᴱQ. lie “people, folk” ✧ PE13/148
  - ⇒ 6 compounds
> ᴱ√LIYA “unite many as one”
- > ᴱQ. lia- “to entwine” ✧ QL/53
- > ᴱQ. lia “twine” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/53
- > ᴱQ. liante “tendril, vine” ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti; QL/53
  - ⇒ 4 compounds
- > ᴱQ. líne “thread, cotton” ✧ QL/53
- > G. lind “twine”
- > G. -liont “*tendril”
  - ⇒ G. Gungliont ✧ GL/54
> ᴱQ. -li “many, multiplicative suffix” ✧ QL/53
- ⇒ ᴱQ. saiwali “summer” ✧ QL/81
> ᴱQ. lia(r) “many” ✧ QL/53
> ᴱQ. lie “people, folk” ✧ QL/53
- ⇒ 6 compounds
> ᴱQ. limba “many” ✧ QL/53
> ᴱQ. limbe “a number” ✧ QL/53
> ᴱQ. li(n)- “many” ✧ QL/53
- ⇒ 8 compounds
> G. lî “folk, many people, ‘they’, a crowd of folk”
> G. lieg “the folk, the citizens”
- ⇒ G. lieglest “a folk moot” ✧ GL/54
> G. lim¹ “many”
- ⇒ G. Goldothrim “People of the Gnomes” ✧ GL/54; GL/54
> G. lind “twine” ✧ GL/54; LT1A/Ungwë Lianti
⇒ G. Ungoliont ✧ LT1A/Ungwë Lianti