Q. vanima¹ adj. “beautiful, fair” (Category: Beautiful)
A word for “beautiful, fair” derived from the root √BAN of similar meaning (PE17/55, 143, 150, 165). Tolkien specified that this word was used “only of living things, especially Elves or Men” (PE17/150). Tolkien further stated that this would did not mean only “fair (blond)”, because it was applicable to Arwen who had dark hair (PE17/165). Thus it applied to any physically beautiful living creature.
Conceptual Development: The first appearance of this word was the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. {vana >>} vanĭma was glossed “proper, right, as it should be, fair” under the early root ᴱ√VANA (QL/99). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹQ. vanima “fair” under the root ᴹ√BAN (Ety/BAN). In this document it was the basis for ᴹQ. Vanimo “the Beautiful”, indicating that by the 1930s its base meaning had shifted from “proper” to “beautiful”.
Neo-Sindarin: In the “Neologism of the Day” (NotD) series on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server as posted 2023-05-30, Delle pointed out that this word was not specifically feminine, so could also mean “*handsome” when applied to males.
References ✧ PE17/55-57, 143, 149-150, 165; PE22/156; VT39/14
Glosses
Variations
Related
Elements
| †vanë | “fair” | stem | ✧ PE17/56 (vanĭ-) |
| ✶bani | “fair” | ✧ PE17/57 (vanĭ) | |
| -ima | “-able, possibility” | ✧ PE22/156 |
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √ɃAN > vanima | [banima] > [βanima] > [vanima] | ✧ PE17/149 |
| √BAN > vanima | [banima] > [βanima] > [vanima] | ✧ PE17/150 |
| √BAN > vanima | [banima] > [βanima] > [vanima] | ✧ PE17/165 |
ᴹQ. vanima adj. “fair” (Category: Beautiful)
Reference ✧ Ety/BAN ✧ “fair”
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√BAN > vanima | [banima] > [βanima] > [vanima] | ✧ Ety/BAN |