ened

noun/adjective. middle, center

Derivatives

• Q. enel “in the middle, between” ✧ VT47/11

Element in

• Q. Endórë “Middle-earth, (lit.) Middle Land” ✧ Let/224; Let/224; Let/384; SA/dôr
• Q. lependë “middle finger” ✧ VT47/11
• S. Enedwaith “Middle-region, Middle-folk” ✧ Let/224
• S. Ennor “Middle-earth” ✧ Let/384
• S. Ennorath “(All) the Middle-lands” ✧ Let/224

Variations

• en/ened ✧ Let/224
• en(ed) ✧ Let/384
• ened/enel ✧ VT47/11 (ened/enel)

ened

root. centre, middle; three

A root for “centre, middle”, it first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√NED with augmented form ᴹ√ENED (Ety/ÉNED, NÉD). The only derivative of its unaugmented form was the Noldorin prefix N. nedh- “mid-”; its usual forms N. enedh/ᴹQ. ende were derived from the augmented form ᴹ√ENED. In notes from the 1950s and 60s, it seems this augmented form became the normal form, as in √EN(ED) “center, middle” (PE17/26) or ened- “middle” (VT47/26).

One complication in the later iterations of the root was the appearance of the word S. Enedwaith “Middle-region” in The Lord of the Rings maps and appendices (LotR/1089). I suspect this form dates from the period in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s where Tolkien decided to represent [ð] as d: compare N. Fanuidol (TI/306) vs. S. Fanuidhol (LotR/283) and N. Galadrim (TI/239) vs. S. Galadhrim (LotR/341). For whatever reason, Enedwaith was never corrected, and in some places Tolkien said this was a mistake and the proper form should be Enedhwaith (PM/328; VT42/20) while in other places he considered revising the root for “middle” to √ENET or √HEN(ET) (VT41/16).

In his notes on numbers and fingers from 1968, Tolkien said the primitive form was ened with variant form enel (VT47/16, 29; VT48/9-10, 24-25), as the result of frequent d/l interchange in Common Eldarin (VT47/29). In these notes this “middle” root was likewise connected to √ENEK “three” as represented by the “middle” finger (VT48/10). In this set of 1968 notes Tolkien also said √ENET was connected to the distinct root √EN “again” and had the sense “one more” (VT47/15; VT48/25). As for the enel “middle” variant, it seems it was used more in Nandorin (VT47/29), but was a factor in some Quenya words such as Q. enelmo “go-between, intervener, intermediary, mediator” (VT47/14).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume the root for “middle” was mainly √ENED, and that Tolkien’s flirtations with √(H)ENET “middle” was a transient idea. I think it is also worth retaining the unaugmented prefix nedh- “mid-” for Neo-Sindarin words, though originating from a lost original vowel rather than a lack of augmentation.

Derivatives

• Nan. enel “in the middle, between” ✧ VT47/29
• Q. enda “heart; center, heart; center, *interior”
• Q. endë “centre, middle, centre, middle; [ᴹQ.] core” ✧ VT48/25
• Q. Endórë “Middle-earth, (lit.) Middle Land” ✧ VT41/16
• Q. enel “in the middle, between” ✧ VT47/29
• ᴺS. enaidh “central, middle”
• S. enedh “centre, middle, centre, middle; [N.] core” ✧ VT48/25
• S. Ennor “Middle-earth” ✧ VT41/16
• T. ened “middle” ✧ VT48/25

Element in

• Q. Endórë “Middle-earth, (lit.) Middle Land” ✧ PE17/026; PE17/026
• Q. enestil “*middle finger” ✧ VT47/26
• S. Ennor “Middle-earth” ✧ PE17/026

Variations

• EN(ED) ✧ PE17/026; PE17/152
• enet ✧ VT41/16 (enet)
• enel/d ✧ VT47/16; VT48/09
• ened ✧ VT47/26
• ened/enel ✧ VT47/29
• ened/l ✧ VT48/10; VT48/25
• ENED/L ✧ VT48/24

enel

root. centre, middle; three

henet

root. middle

Changes

• HENED → HENET ✧ VT41/16

Derivatives

• Q. entya “central, middle” ✧ VT41/16; VT41/16
• S. enaid “central, middle” ✧ VT41/16
• S. enedh “centre, middle, centre, middle; [N.] core” ✧ VT41/16

Variations

• HENED ✧ VT41/16 (HENED)