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Q. linquë¹ n. “(leaf of a) hyacinth” (Category: Lily)

Q. linquë¹, n. “(leaf of a) hyacinth, *grass or grass-like leaf” (Category: Lily)

A word appearing as an element in a couple of untranslated labels for 1960s plant drawings by Tolkien: linquë súrissë “?grass in the wind” and ranalinque “?moon-grass” (TMME/184, 198). This word was also mentioned in a discussion of lassë “leaf” in some Notes on Galadriel’s Song (NGS) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said “It [lasse] is only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62). As pointed out by Helge Fauskanger, it is not clear from this note whether linque refers to a “hyacinth” or a “leaf of a hyacinth”. Given the grass-like nature of the two drawings where it appears, I think linque likely means “*grass or grass-like leaf”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would assume linque applies mainly to grass and grass-like leaves but also to “hyacinth” as an example of a plant with such leaves. If you want to distinguish them, though, Tamas Ferencz proposed the neologism ᴺQ. iasintë “hyacinth” as a loan word from Latin “jacintus”.

References ✧ PE17/62; TAI/197; TMME/184

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