lossë

blossom

lossë (2) noun "blossom" ("usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom") (LOT(H) )

losta-

to bloom

losta- vb. "to bloom" (VT42:18)

losta-

verb. to bloom, to bloom, *blossom

A verb for “to bloom” appearing in notes from the late 1960s as a derivative of √LOT(H), but in that document it was deleted (PE17/26). However losta- “to bloom” reappeared in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1969 with the same derivation, and in that document it was not deleted (VT42/18).

Conceptual Development: The verb ᴱQ. {lōta- >>} lōto- “to bloom” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√LO’O (QL/55). Some possible inflected forms for this Early Qenya verb appeared (untranslated) in one of the initial versions of the Oilima Markirya poem (PE16/57-58).

Cognates

• ᴺS. losta- “to bloom, blossom”

Derivations

• ✶lotta- “bloom” ✧ VT42/18
  • √LOT(H) “flower” ✧ VT42/18

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶lotta- > losta	[lotta-] > [losta-]	✧ VT42/18

Variations

• losta ✧ PE17/026 (losta); VT42/18

lós

flower

lós (þ?) noun "flower" (PE17:26). If this is to be the cognate of Sindarin loth, as the source suggests, the older Quenya form would be *lóþ.

lóte

noun. flower

lótë

flower

lótë noun "flower", mostly applied to larger single flowers (LOT(H), LT1:259, VT42:18). (The shorter form -lot occurs in compounds, e.g. fúmellot, q.v.) In the names Ninquelóte *"White-flower" (= Nimloth), Vingilótë "Foam-flower", the name of Eärendil's ship (SA:loth), also in Lótessë fifth month of the year, "May" (Appendix D). See also olótë, lotsë.

olótë

bloom, the flowers collectively of a single plant

olótë noun "bloom, the flowers collectively of a single plant" (VT42:18)

olótë

noun. bloom, the flowers collectively of a single plant

A word in notes from the late 1960s glossed “bloom, the flowers collectively of a single plant” (VT42/18), a combination of o- “together” and lótë “flower”.

Elements

Word	Gloss
o-	“together”
lótë	“flower, single blossom, flower, single blossom; [ᴱQ.] bloom”

alma

flower

alma (2) "flower" (PE17:153), said to be the "usual Quenya word" or "general Quenya word" (i.e. for flower), but its coexistence with #1 is problematic. Compare lós, lótë, lotsë, indil.

alma

noun. flower

A word for “flower” derived from primitive ✶galmā in notes on flowers in the same bundle containing Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 (PE17/153). Initially Tolkien said alma meant both “a blessed thing and a flower”, then said that Q. almë was “a blessed thing” and alba was “flower” (< √GAL-AB), before saying that alma was “flower”. Tolkien implied that alma was a usual or general word for “flower” in Quenya. These same notes also said the word alda < ✶galadā was used mainly of flowering trees. It seems in this instance Tolkien connected the root √GAL (normally just “grow, flourish”) specifically to flowers, giving it the gloss “bloom” along with other glosses like “grow, flourish, be vigorous”.

Neo-Quenya: Elsewhere alda was the general word for a “tree” and √GAL had no special connection to flowers. I think alma as a “flower” word was a transient idea. I would use lótë “flower” instead for purposes of Neo-Quenya, since it is much better established.

Changes

• alma → almë “a blessed thing and a flower” ✧ PE17/153
• alba → alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153

Cognates

• S. alf “flower” ✧ PE17/153

Derivations

• ✶galmā “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • √GALAM “elm”
  • √GAL “grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive” ✧ PE17/153
• √GALAB “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • √GAL “grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive” ✧ PE17/153

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶galmā > alma	[galmā] > [ɣalmā] > [almā] > [alma]	✧ PE17/153
√GAL-AB > alba	[galba] > [ɣalba] > [ɣalβa] > [alβa] > [alba]	✧ PE17/153

Variations

• alba ✧ PE17/153 (alba)

alba

noun. flower

insil

noun. flower

TQ. flower, lily

locta-

sprout, put forth leaves or flowers

locta- _("k")_vb."sprout, put forth leaves or flowers" (LT1:258; this would have to become *lohta- in LotR-style Quenya, but later forms like losta- "to bloom" and tuia- "to sprout, spring" are to be preferred.)

rincë

flourish, quick stroke

rincë ("k") (stem *rinci-, given the primitive form ¤rinki) noun "flourish, quick stroke" (RIK(H); the Etymologies as printed in LR reads "quick shake", but according to VT46:11 the correct reading is "quick stroke")

tuima

sprout, bud

tuima noun "sprout, bud" (TUY)

tuia-

sprout, spring

tuia- vb. "sprout, spring" (Tolkien's gloss is actually "sprouts, springs", since tuia is also the 3rd pers. sg. present tense [or aorist]) (TUY)

glawar

blossom

n. (golden) blossom. Q. loar, lávar.

lúth

noun. blossom

_ n. Bot. _blossom, inflorescence. >> Lúthien

loth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

loth

noun. flower

_n._flower, a single bloom. Q. lóte, lōs.

edlothia-

verb. to blossom, flower

The sentence from WR/293 is hardly legible and is not translated, but this word is however a plausible form

alf

noun. flower

Cognates

• Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153

Derivations

• √GALAB “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • √GAL “grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive” ✧ PE17/153

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√GAL-AB > alf	[alba] > [alva] > [alv]	✧ PE17/153

elanor

noun. a flower, a kind of enlarged pimpernel bearing golden and silver flowers

elloth

noun. (single) flower

lotheg

noun. (single) flower

mallos

noun. a golden flower

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, gladden

niphredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

edlothia

blossom

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

edlothia

blossom

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

loth

blossom

loth (see

loth

blossom

(see

edlothiad

blossoming

(flowering), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.

losta-

verb. to bloom, blossom

A neologism for “to bloom, blossom” coined by Elaran, inspired by Q. losta- of the same meaning.

Cognates

• Q. losta- “to bloom, to bloom, *blossom”

Derivations

• √LOT(H) “flower”

Element in

• ᴺS. lostad “blooming, florescence”

loth

flower

loth, pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

flower

pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

edlothia

flower

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

flower

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

goloth

flower

(i ’oloth) (collection of flowers), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. Also in the form gwaloth (i ’waloth), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth.

lotheg

single flower

lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”).

gwaloth

collection of flowers

(i ’waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i ’oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18). Specific flowers, see

edlothiad

flowering

(blossoming), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.**

tui

sprout

(noun) tui or (older) tuiw (i dui[w], o thui[w]) (bud), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thui[w])

tui

sprout

or (older) tuiw (i dui[w], o thui[w]) (bud), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thui[w])

tuia

sprout

(verb) tuia- (i duia, i thuiar) (swell, spring)

tuia

sprout

(i duia, i thuiar) (swell, spring)

lotta-

verb. bloom

Derivations

• √LOT(H) “flower” ✧ VT42/18

Derivatives

• Q. losta- “to bloom, to bloom, *blossom” ✧ VT42/18
• S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ VT42/18

galmā

noun. flower

Derivations

• √GALAM “elm”
• √GAL “grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive” ✧ PE17/153

Derivatives

• Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153

lotho/a

noun. flower

Derivations

• √LOT(H) “flower” ✧ PE17/026

Derivatives

• S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ PE17/026

lotse

noun. flower

Derivations

• √LOT(H) “flower” ✧ VT42/18

Derivatives

• Q. lotsë “small (single) flower” ✧ VT42/18
• S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ VT42/18

galab

root. flower

Derivations

• √GAL “grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive” ✧ PE17/153

Derivatives

• Q. alalmë “inflorescence” ✧ PE17/153
• Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153
• S. alf “flower” ✧ PE17/153

Variations

• GAL-AB ✧ PE17/153 (GAL-AB)

lot(h)

root. flower

This root and ones like it were connected to flowers for all of Tolkien’s life. The earliest manifestation of this root was ᴱ√LOHO or ᴱ√LO’O from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s; the entry for ᴱ√LOHO appears immediately below ᴱ√LO’O, and Tolkien indicates they are related roots, both extended from ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/55). These roots include derivatives like ᴱQ. lōte “flower”, ᴱQ. lotōrea “flourishing” and ᴱQ. lokta- “sprout, bud, put forth leaves or flowers”. There are also derivatives of these roots in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. lost “blossom, bloom”, G. lothli “floret”, G. luitha- “to bloom” (GL/54-55), though G. lôs “flower” was said to be unrelated, connected to G. lass “leaf” instead (GL/55). ᴱQ. losse “rose” probably had a similar derivation (QL/56).

This confusion of √LOT(H) and √LOS carried forward into Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LOT(H) was given as the root for “flower” (Ety/LOT(H)), but this entry originally included a variant ᴹ√LOS (EtyAC/LOT(H)). Tolkien then said ᴹQ. losse “blossom” (< ᴹ√LOT(H)) was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H)), where ᴹQ. olosse was derived from ᴹ√GOLOS “✱snow, white” (Ety/GOLÓS). This intermingling carried forward into etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said (PE17/26):

> The stems √LŎS, √LOTH, √LOT are much entangled both for formal reasons, and because of actual associations of meaning (probably from beginning of Primitive Quendian and explaining the approach of the forms). Quenya word for “flower, a single bloom” is lóte, but S loth (< lotho/a), but Quenya also has lōs. Q. for snow is losse (S los).

These associations were also mentioned in etymological notes on roots for flowers from this same period, where Tolkien clarified that √LOT, √LOTH were the roots for “flower” and √LOS for “snow” (PE17/160-161). These roots were mentioned again in notes associated with The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from the late 1960s (VT42/18):

> S. loss is a derivative of (G)LOS “white”; but loth is from LOT. Sindarin used loss as a noun, but the strengthened form gloss as an adjective “(dazzling) white”. loth was the only derivative of LOT that it retained, probably because other forms of the stem assumed a phonetic shape that seemed inappropriate, or were confusible with other stems (such as LUT “float”), e.g. ✱lod, ✱lûd. loth is from a diminutive lotse and probably also from derivative lotta-.

In this last note, Tolkien seems to have abandoned √LOTH, explaining S. loth “flower” as derived from √LOT via ✱lotse. In any case, starting in the 1930s Tolkien was consistent that the roots for “flower” and “snow” were distinct but often confused, and that snow-words were derived from roots like √(G)LOS and flower words from roots like √LOT(H), though he waffled a bit on the exact details.

Derivatives

• ✶loth “inflorescence” ✧ PE17/160
  • Q. lós “inflorescence, mass of flowers” ✧ PE17/160
  • S. lûth “blossom, inflorescence, blossom, inflorescence [on a single plant]” ✧ PE17/160
• ✶lotho/a “flower” ✧ PE17/026
  • S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ PE17/026
• ✶lotse “flower” ✧ VT42/18
  • Q. lotsë “small (single) flower” ✧ VT42/18
  • S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ VT42/18
• ✶lotta- “bloom” ✧ VT42/18
  • Q. losta- “to bloom, to bloom, *blossom” ✧ VT42/18
  • S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ VT42/18
• Q. lótë “flower, single blossom, flower, single blossom; [ᴱQ.] bloom” ✧ PE17/026; PE17/160; VT42/18
• Q. lotsë “small (single) flower” ✧ PE17/160
• Q. lós “inflorescence, mass of flowers” ✧ PE17/026
• ᴺS. losta- “to bloom, blossom”
• S. loth “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” ✧ PE17/160

Element in

• ✶ñwa-lōth “inflorescence, mass of flowers (on one plant)” ✧ PE17/160

Variations

• LOTH ✧ PE17/026; PE17/160; PE17/160; PE17/161
• LOT ✧ PE17/026; PE17/160; PE17/160; PE17/161; VT42/18

gal

root. grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, grow (like plants), flourish, be healthy, be vigorous, bloom, [ᴹ√] thrive

A root meaning “grow, flourish” used in both Quenya and Sindarin, though in Quenya it was influenced by other roots such as √AL(A) “good, blessed”. Its precursors in the earliest versions of Tolkien’s languages seem to be ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29) and a Gnomish-only root ᴱ√cala [kala], unglossed but with derivatives like G. calw “green shoot, sapling, sprout” and G. caltha- “wax, grow, flourish” (GL/25).

The root ᴹ√GALA first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with various glosses, the last being “thrive” (Ety/GALA). The relevant entries went through considerable revision. For example, the meaning of this root was first given as “grow”, but this meaning was rejected and Tolkien said the verb for “grow” was ol- (EtyAC/GAL(AS)). This new verb seems to be based on a variant root ✱ᴹ√GOL, as indicated by ᴹQ. ola- “grow” < ᴹ✶golā- “grow” appearing in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s as a replacement for ᴹQ. ala- < ᴹ✶galā- (PE22/113, note #80), though the new root might also have been ᴹ√OL “grow” as indicated earlier in the same document (PE22/103). Since ᴹ√GALA was retained in The Etymologies, most likely the meaning of this root was changed from “grow” to “thrive” in the 1930s and 40s.

It seems ᴹ√OL “grow” survived into the 1950s (NM/84, 119-120), often with the sense “become” as well (PE22/134); see the entry on √OL for discussion. However, the sense “grow” as also restored to √GAL, but limited mainly to plants. For example, Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s had the primitive verbs ✶galā- “grow (of plants)” vs. ✶olā- “become, come into being, turn into (another state)” (PE22/134). This definition of √GAL as “growth” (along with “flourish” and “be healthy”) appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings, though it was often limited primarily to plants, especially in its connection to ✶galadā, the basis for tree words (PE17/25, 135, 153).

Derivatives

• √GALAB “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • Q. alalmë “inflorescence” ✧ PE17/153
  • Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • S. alf “flower” ✧ PE17/153
• ✶galā- “to grow (of plants)” ✧ PE22/133
  • Q. ala- “to plant, grow, to grow (of plants) [intr. and trans.], plant; *to thrive, flourish (of other creatures)” ✧ PE22/164
  • S. gala- “to grow” ✧ PE17/131
• ✶galadā “great plant, tree” ✧ Let/426; PE17/025; PE17/135; PE17/153; PE17/153
  • Nan. galad “tree” ✧ PE17/050
  • Q. alda “tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch” ✧ Let/426; NM/352; PE17/025; PE17/050; PE17/063; PE17/135; PE17/153; PE17/153; VT39/07
  • S. galadh “tree” ✧ Let/426; NM/349; NM/352; PE17/025; PE17/050; PE17/063; PE17/135; PE17/153; PE17/153; UT/266
  • T. galada “tree” ✧ NM/352
• ✶galmā “flower” ✧ PE17/153
  • Q. alma “flower” ✧ PE17/153
• Q. ala- “to plant, grow, to grow (of plants) [intr. and trans.], plant; *to thrive, flourish (of other creatures)”
• Q. alalmë “inflorescence” ✧ PE17/153
• Q. alda “tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch” ✧ PE22/160
• ᴺQ. almo “shoulder, back”
• ᴺS. gal- “well, blessedly”
• S. gala- “to grow”
• ᴺS. galen “grown (esp. of plants)”
• ᴺS. galf “back [of a body], shoulders [collectively]”

Element in

• S. galenas “pipeweed, nicotiana, *tobacco”

Variations

• GAL ✧ Let/426; PE17/059; PE17/135; PE17/146; PE17/153; PE17/153; PE17/153; PE17/153; PE22/133; PE22/153; PE22/160
• GALA ✧ PE17/025; PE17/153; PE17/169

lothod

noun. (single) flower

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

gwaloth

noun. blossom, collection of flowers

This form replaced deleted goloth in the manuscript of The Etymologies, see VT/45:29. The deleted form is however also later attested in VT/42:18

tuia-

verb. to sprout, spring

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

tuia-

verb. to swell

tui

noun. a sprout, bud

tuiw

noun. a sprout, bud