Eldamo : Noldorin : dess

N. †dess n. “young woman” (Category: Girl)

⚠️N. †dess, n. “young woman” (Category: Girl): S. gwend “maiden, *young woman”

An archaic word in The Etymologies of the 1930s for “young woman” derived from ON. ndissa under the root ᴹ√NDIS (Ety/NDIS), where the i became e via a-affection. Tolkien said of dess that it “does not [survive] except as contributing to sense ‘woman’: cf. bess properly ‘wife’” (EtyAC/NDIS). Hence this word was no longer used in modern language.

References ✧ Ety/BES, NDIS; EtyAC/NDIS, NIS

Glosses

“young woman” ✧ Ety/NDIS; Ety/BES (†dess); EtyAC/NIS (†dess)

†dess does not survive except as to contributing to sense “woman” of bess “woman” ✧ EtyAC/NDIS
bess “woman” shift in sense from “wife” assisted by blending with †dess “young woman” ✧ Ety/BES
bess blended with dess “young woman” ✧ Ety/NDIS
bess “woman” assisted in conversion of sense by †dess “young woman” ✧ EtyAC/NIS
dîs blend of †dess ✧ EtyAC/NDIS
dîs “bride” has s readded or was formed in early Exilic under influenc of †dess ✧ EtyAC/NDIS

Cognates

ᴹQ. nis “woman” ✧ Ety/NDIS (nisse)
ON. ndissa “young woman” ✧ Ety/NDIS

Derivations

< ON. ndissa “young woman” ✧ Ety/BES (dissa); Ety/NDIS; EtyAC/NDIS (dissa); EtyAC/NDIS (dissa); EtyAC/NIS (dissa)
- < ᴹ√NDIS “*bride” ✧ Ety/NDIS (NDIS-SĒ/SĀ)
  - < ᴹ√NĪ¹/INI “female” ✧ Ety/BES (NĪ¹)
  - < ᴹ√NIS “woman” ✧ Ety/NIS

Phonetic Developments

ON. dissa > †dess

[dissa] > [dessa] > [dess]

✧ Ety/BES