S. Lefnui loc. “Fifth”
A river in Gondor, the fifth in the region of Lebennin (LotR/750), and so translated “Fifth” (VT42/14). It is simply lefnui “fifth” uses as a name and was thus pronounced [levnui], but Tolkien preferred the spelling Lefnui because “v” rarely appears before consonants in English (VT42/14).
Conceptual Development: When first mentioned in maps for the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was first given as N. Lhefned >> Lhefneg (WR/437, TI/312), apparently earlier Noldorin words for “fifth”.
References ✧ LotRI; TI/312; TII; UTI; VT42/9, 14; WRI/Lhefneg
Glosses
Variations
Elements
| levnui | “fifth” |
N. Lhefneg loc. “Fifth”
References ✧ TI/312; TII/Lefnui, Lhefneg; WR/436-437; WRI
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Elements
| lheben | “five” |
| -eg² | “suffix for ordinal numbers” |