Ilk. gwelo n. “air, lower air” (Category: Air, Ether)
A noun for “air” or “the lower air”, derived from the same primitive form ᴹ✶wilwā as its Quenya equivalent ᴹQ. Wilwa (Ety/WIL). Here the initial [w] became [gw]. Furthermore, after the final [a] was lost, the final [w] became [u] and then became [o], as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Ilkorin/gwelo).
Conceptual Development: In the Addenda and Corrigenda to The Etymologies, Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne indicated the Tolkien revised this form to gwelm at the same time as he change its primitive to ᴹ✶wilmā and the Quenya form to ᴹQ. Wilma (EtyAC/WIL). This entry keeps the earlier Ilkorin form gwelo because Tolkien never revised ᴹQ. Wilwa in the narratives of this period.
References ✧ Ety/WIL; EtyAC/WIL
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
ᴹ✶wilwā > gwelu > gwelo | [wilwā] > [wilwa] > [welwa] > [gwelwa] > [gwelw] > [gwelu] > [gwelo] | ✧ Ety/WIL |
ᴹ✶wilmā > gwelm | [wilmā] > [wilma] > [welma] > [gwelma] > [gwelm] | ✧ EtyAC/WIL |