legolas's hair

[Galin]

** I've asked Carl Hostetter whether there's a note on the meaning of Vanyar which is any earlier than Q&E.

Carl will certainly know better, but we do have a base BAN- in Etymologies from which Q. vanya beautiful and 'Cf. vanima 'fair' (also noting Aragorn's words in Lothlorien about Arwen).

And as far back as the early Qenya Lexicon we have 'vane (i) fair, lovely.' I didn't stumble across anything in these earlier accounts (quick search however) that certainly noted 'pale, light coloured' as we find connected to the Q&E stem WAN (where it's noted that the implication of beauty was secondary).

In Words Phrases And Passages Tolkien notes BAN- 'beauty' and a distinct stem WAN- 'fair-haired (yellow to golden). This was reason for name of the Mindi. But since later Q wanya/vanya, late Q vanya became almost an exact synonym of English 'fair' = just, good, right, prosperous, blessed, fine (weather) -- blond [but it never meant 'moderate, mediocre'] For 'beautiful' late Q used vanya.'

This is probably somewhat connected to Q&E I think. Also see note 4 to Dangweth Pengolodh (Banyai)