ᴹQ. líve n. “sickness” (Category: Sick; Sickness)
A noun appearing as ᴹQ. líve “sickness” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶slīwē under the root ᴹ√SLIW “sickly” (Ety/SLIW). The ancient initial sl became voiceless hl, which was then voiced to l as was generally the case in The Etymologies. The root had a deleted variant ᴹ√LIW “be sickly, ill”, where líve appeared with the gloss “disease” (EtyAC/LIW).
Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writing, he usually retained hl- in spelling if not pronunciation; see the entry on how initial voiceless nasals and liquids were voiced for discussion. As such, most Neo-Quenya writers adapt this word as ᴺQ. hlívë. Given the gloss “disease” for its deleted form, I would further assume hlívë specifically refers to sickness by disease.
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had the word ᴱQ. leume “sickness” under the similar but earlier root ᴱ√LEẆE (QL/53).
References ✧ Ety/SLIW; EtyAC/LIW
Glosses
Variations
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
ᴹ✶slīwē > líve | [slīwē] > [l̥īwē] > [līwē] > [līwe] > [līve] | ✧ Ety/SLIW |