latin

open, free, cleared (of land)

latin, latina adj. "open, free, cleared (of land)" (LAT). According to VT41:5, the adjective latina "is used rather of freedom of movement, of things not encumbered with obstacles".

láta

open

láta adj. "open" (VT39:23), "open, not closed" (PE17:159, VT41:5)

panta

open

panta adj. "open" (PAT)

lat

noun. flap, small hinged door, lid

Derivations

• √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry; low, lowlying, at ground level, open, unenclosed, free to entry, [ᴹ√] lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area); [√] low, lowlying, at ground level”

laden

adjective. open, cleared

edra-

verb. to open

edra-

verb. open

_ v. _open (out). >> edro

edro

verb. open!

blab

flap

blab- (i vlâb, i mlebir) (beat), pa.t. blamp

blab

flap

(i vlâb, i mlebir) (beat), pa.t. blamp**

laden

open

(adj.) laden (plain, flat, wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

laden

open

(plain, flat,  wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

edra

open

(verb) 1) *edra- (i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro. 2) panna- (i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.

edra

open

(i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro.

panna

open

(i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.

lat

root. fall (to the ground)

Element in

• S. lanthir “waterfall”

Variations

• Lat ✧ VT47/29

lat

root. open, unenclosed, free to entry; low, lowlying, at ground level, open, unenclosed, free to entry, [ᴹ√] lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area); [√] low, lowlying, at ground level

This root has a lengthy history in Tolkien’s development of the Elvish languages.

Its development seems to have begun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with unglossed ᴱ√LAHA which had derivatives like ᴱQ. lá “moor, heath, open space” and ᴱQ. lāta- “spread, extend, lie (of country)” (QL/50). This root was compared to a variety of other roots: ᴱ√ALA, ᴱ√AŘA, ᴱ√ṆŘṆ, ᴱ√LAŘA and ᴱ√LATA, but the last of these was a later addition, both to the list and as an entry in the lexicon (QL/51). This newer entry had derivatives like ᴱQ. latwa “smooth, glossy” and ᴱQ. latsin(a) “level, smooth”, the latter transferred from ᴱ√LAHA. This new root also had Gnomish derivatives such as G. lad “a level, a flat; fair dealing” and G. ladin “level, smooth; fair, equitable” (GL/52).

After the 1910s it seems ᴱ√LAHA “✱open” faded out of use (though it may have remerged much later as √LAƷ “cross, pass over, go beyond”: PE17/91), but ᴱ√LATA “✱level, smooth” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√LAT “lie open” with derivatives like ᴹQ. latin(a) “open, free, cleared (of land)” and N. lhand “open space, level” (Ety/LAT). It is also evident in N. -lad “plain” from names like N. Lithlad “Plain of Ash” and N. Dagorlad “Battle Plain” from Lord of the Rings drafts (TI/208, 389), both of which reappeared in the published version (LotR/243, 636).

The root appeared again in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s with the gloss “be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” and a Quenya verb ᴹQ. lat- of similar meaning (PE22/126). In this document it was compared to ᴹ√LAD “lie flat, be flat”, and Tolkien said the two roots were confused in Noldorin as a way of explaining N. laden “flat (and wide)”.

The next appearance of √LAT is in etymological notes from 1959-60 with the gloss “open, unenclosed, free to entry” and contrasted with √PAK “shut” (VT41/5-6). In these notes the derivative Q. latina also reappeared with a meaning similar to the one it had in The Etymologies: “free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles”. The last appearance of √LAT in currently published materials is in 1968 notes on D/L variations in Common Eldarin, where it was glossed “at ground level, low; lowlying” and compared to √DAT “fall down” (VT48/24); in this document it had no derivatives.

All this amounts to considerable conceptual variation in the meaning of this root. To summarize:

• 1910s ᴱ√LATA “✱level, smooth” as alternate to ᴱ√LAHA “✱open” (QL/50-51).

• 1930s ᴹ√LAT “lie open” compared to (unglossed) ᴹ√LAD (Ety/LAD, LAT).

• 1940s ᴹ√LAT “be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” contrasted with ᴹ√LAD “lie flat, be flat” (PE22/126).

• 1959-60 √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry” contrasted with √PAK “shut” (VT41/5-6).

• 1968 √LAT “at ground level, low; lowlying” contrasted with √DAT “fall down” (VT48/24).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume this root has the sense “(lie) open, be extended, unenclosed”, as this is consistent with the largest number of derivatives of the root.

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. lat “flap, small hinged door, lid”
• Q. láta “open (not closed)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• ᴺQ. latil “key”
• Q. latina “free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles, free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles, [ᴹQ.] open, cleared (of land)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• ᴺQ. latsë “area, space, room”
• ᴺQ. lattin “window”
• Q. latya “opening”
• Q. latya- “to open anything (so as to allow entry)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• S. lad “plain, valley, plain, valley; [G.] a level, a flat; fair dealing”
• ᴺS. lad- “to stretch, extend (in length)”
• ᴺS. ledia- “to open; unlock (transitive)”
• ᴺS. ledil “key”

Element in

• Q. avalatya- “to close, shut” ✧ PE17/171; VT41/06
• Q. imbilat “*deep valley”

Variations

• LAT ✧ PE17/159; PE17/159; PE17/171; VT48/24; VT48/30
• lat ✧ VT41/05; VT41/06

lhaden

adjective. open, cleared

edra-

verb. to open

panna-

verb. to open, to enlarge

edro

verb. open!