N. #neledh- v. “*to go in, enter” (Category: to Enter)
The form neledhi appeared in the phrase N. lheben teil brann i annon ar neledh neledhi gar godrebh “five foot high the door and three may walk abreast”, appearing on a preliminary sketch of Thrór’s Map from 1936 (TAI/92, 150 and note #6). The interpretation of this phrase is difficult; Tolkien also wrote an Old English translation of the phrase which ended “þrie maeg samod þurghgangend” = “three may together through-go”, which is inconsistent with its Modern English translation.
Didier Willis (PED-TAI) and David Salo (GS/217) suggested this form is the Noldorin-style infinitive neledhi of a verb neledh- “to enter”, so that neledhi gar = “*may enter”, distinct from both English and Old English translations. They further suggested this verb is a combination of N. ne- “in” and N. ledh- “go”, seen respectively as elements in N. nestag- “stick in” (Ety/STAK) and N. egledhia- “go into exile” (Ety/LED) in The Etymologies of the 1930s, the latter based on ON. led- “to fare”. The entry for the full phrase has a discussion of alternate theories.
References ✧ TAI/150
Inflections
neledhi | infinitive | “walk” | ✧ TAI/150 |
Elements
#ne- | “in” | |
#ledh- | “*to go, fare, travel” | ✧ TAI/150 (#ledh-) |
Element In