A word appearing as an element in the Quenya name Aicanáro for [S.] Aegnor, the third son of Finarfin.

Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. aika first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where it was glossed “broad, vast”, marked as archaic (†), and derived from the early root ᴱ√EI̯KA having to do with distance (QL/29). In this period its Gnomish cognate was G. eg² “far” which was an element in the name G. Egalmoth “Broad-shoulder”, ᴱQ. Aikaldamor (GL/32). In the 1910s, Aegnor was not a part of the Legendarium, but a similar name G. Egnor was used for the father of Beren (LT2/11). Egnor could have been based on eg² “far”, or the homophone eg¹ “point” derived from the early root ᴱ√EKE (GL/31, 32).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. aika “sharp” under the root ᴹ√AYAK “sharp, pointed” with Noldorin cognate N. oeg “sharp, pointed, piercing” (Ety/AYAK). In this period the character of Aegnor was introduced, but his name was initially Egnor whose initial element was N. êg “thorn” derived from the root ᴹ√EK “spear” (Ety/EK). In The Etymologies this root was also the basis for the name N. Ecthelion which contained N. ecthel “point (of spear)” (Ety/EK, STELEG).

The name of Finarfin’s son became Aegnor in the 1950s, was translated “Sharp-flame”, and given the Quenya form Aikanár (MR/323). Tolkien revisited the etymology of this name in the Shibboleth of Feanor written around 1969. In associated notes Tolkien had Q. Ekyanāro and S. Eignor “sharp-flame” (VT41/14), but in the Shibboleth itself Tolkien said his Quenya name Aikanáro mean “Fell Fire” (PM/347), where aika “fell” was derived from primitive ✶gayakā based on the root √GAYA “awe, dread” (PM/363). Tolkien said that “the stem acquired in Quenya a specially high and noble sense ... and aika ... was seldom applied to evil things”.

Tolkien further said that the Sindarin equivalent of this name was not a direct translation, since there “was no Sindarin adjective corresponding to Quenya aika ‘fell, terrible, dire’, though aeg would have been its form if it had occurred” (PM/347). A proper translation would have been Goenor (PM/363). Thus it is possible that Aegnor was a phonetic adaptation, and the translation “Sharp-flame” could have been a false etymology. As further evidence of this, Tolkien gave the names Egalmoth and Ecthelion the primitive forms Ægamloth and Ægthelion in notes from 1970, with Ægamloth translated as “pointed helm-crest” so that its first element aeg appears to mean “sharp, pointed” (WJ/318).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume Q. aica is a blending of ancient *gayakā “fell, dire” and *aikā “sharp”, retaining both meanings. In a 2026-06-06 post to the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), Arael suggested it may also mean “acute” [angle].