Friday, January 15, 2010

Spouse, in my words

cenacg : spouse

The Illunse word for spouse is cenacg.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for spouse which is conjux (spouse / mate / consort; husband / wife / bride / fiancee / intended; concubine), and the Old English word for spouse which is gemæcca (mate, equal, one of a pair, comrade, companion; husband, wife).

When looking in the dictionaries for Latin and Old English words for wife and husband, I found these words spouse. I wasn't originally planning to make a word for spouse, but I thought these words were too good not to be used. As well as meaning spouse, cenacg in Illunse will be translatable to mate, consort, life partner and significant other.

Tolkien doesn't seem to have words in Quenya or Sindarin with quite this meaning, which applies to either husband or wife.

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