The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.
Middle Primitive Elvish
ala
root. *blessed
ala
root. no, not; to be not
alakanda
noun. alakanda
alam
root. ALAM
alat
root. large, great in size
la
root. no, not; to be not
ala-
prefix. very
alakarƀǝ
adjective. very active
alarʒǝ
adjective. very dread
alar-si
interjection. hail!
galā-
verb. to grow
alā́ri
noun. bliss
gālæ
noun. light
galad
root. tree
(l)alam
root. elm-tree
galadā
noun. tree
kalat
noun. light
álākō
noun. rush, rushing flight, wild wind
(a)lak
root. swift, rushing
k’lā
noun. light
(g)lawar
root. *gold
ar
root. day
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “day” with various derivatives like ᴹQ. are, N. aur “day” and ᴹQ. arin “morning” (Ety/AR¹). In Tolkien’s later writings, the Quenya word for “day” became aurë (RC/727; S/190), and in 1957 Quenya Notes he devised a new etymology for these day-words from the root √UR “heat” as in ✶auri “heat, period of sun” (PE17/148). That opens the question whether the various 1930s Quenya “morning” words from ᴹ√AR remain valid, but many Neo-Quenya writers (including me) retain them since there aren’t really any good alternatives. They might be salvageable as derivatives of the later root √AS “warmth” (so that “day” = “hot” and “morning” = “warm”).
ari
noun. day
auluta-
verb. [unglossed]
bay
root. [unglossed]
epe
preposition. after
glā
noun. radiance
golā-
verb. to grow
gū
root. no, not
gū̆-
interjection. no, not
iw
root. [unglossed], [ᴱ√] *fish
kaltwa
?. [unglossed]
karpa
root. ?
khlip
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root in a rejected paragraph from the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) written in 1948 (PE22/112 note #78).
kōmā
noun. [unglossed]
lak
root. swift
lakra
adjective. swift, rapid
maiga
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root appearing in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) to illustrate certain patterns of root formation (PE18/66). It may have serving as the basis for ᴹQ. Maia, though this word was given different derivations later.
nyol
root. ring
ol
root. grow
ortā-
verb. to raise
patnā
adjective. wide
phan
root. [unglossed]
A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/PHAN).
rāmā
noun. wing
skil
root. [unglossed]
A root mentioned in passing in as a variant of ᴹ√KIL “divide” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but it had no derivatives and appeared nowhere else (Ety/KIL).
stin
root. [unglossed]
stā
root. [unglossed]
torōmā
noun. [unglossed]
uruk
root. [unglossed]
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/URUK).
us
root. [unglossed]
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/US).
ñgolda
adjective. wise
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “large, great in size” with only two derivatives: the adjective ᴹQ. alta of the same meaning, and ᴹQ. Alataire “Great Sea” (Ety/ÁLAT), the Quenya equivalent (but not direct cognate) of S./N. Belegaer/Belegoer. The Quenya name appears nowhere else other than The Etymologies. There are quite a few words in Tolkien’s later writings that also mean “great, large”, but there is nothing that directly contradicts the continued validity of this root either.