ᴱN. bail n. “sheath” (Category: to Hold)
A word appearing as G. bail “sheath, case, cover; pod” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, probably based on the early root ᴱ√Baʒ̔- (GL/21). Compare ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (GL/21). It was originally translated as “a garment”, but it seems Tolkien transferred that sense to G. baith. ᴱN. bail “sheath” reappeared in Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/138).
Neo-Sindarin: The later version of ᴱ√VAẎA seems to be ᴹ√WAY “enfold” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/WAY), so I would adapt this word as ᴺS. gwael “sheath, case, cover; pod” < *wailē for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
References ✧ PE13/138
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| bailiath | plural | ✧ PE13/138 |
Derivations