Quenya 

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

Derivations

  • KAL “light; shine, be bright, light; shine, be bright, [ᴱ√] shine golden” ✧ PE17/084

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
CAL > Cala[kala]✧ PE17/084

Variations

  • Cala ✧ PE17/084; RGEO/62
Quenya [PE17/084; PE17/143; RGEO/62; VT39/14] Group: Eldamo. Published by

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

Calmacil

light-sword

Calmacil masc. name, *"Light-sword" or possibly (if haplology of *Calmamacil*) "Lamp-sword" (Appendix A). Cf. cálë, cala, calma, macil**.

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

Element in

Variations

  • kále ✧ MC/222; MC/223
Quenya [MC/222; MC/223] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Sindarin 

calad

gerund noun. light

Sindarin [Ety/362, UT/65] Group: SINDICT. Published by

calad

noun. light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> galad

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:84] < GAL. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

galad

noun. light, radiance, glittering, reflection (from jewels, glass or polished metal, or water)

Sindarin [VT/45:13, PM/347, Letters/425] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galad

light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> calad, Caras Galadon

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:84] < GAL. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

calad

light

_(noun) _1) calad (i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i **aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i **âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calad

light

(i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i ’aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i ’âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

gail

light

(adjective) 1) gail (bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18), 2) lim (clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

gail

light

(bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18)

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer).

glawar

sunlight

(i ’lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

lim

light

(clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

Telerin 

cala

noun. light

Primitive elvish

kalat

noun. light

Derivatives

Variations

  • kalā́t- ✧ PE18/087
Primitive elvish [PE18/087; PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ol

root. *grow, [ᴹ√] grow [into]; *become

This root seems to have served various purposes throughout Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√OLO “tip”, unglossed ᴱ√OLO with derivatives like ᴱQ. olde “very, much” and ᴱQ. olto- “increase, multiply”, as well as ᴱ√OLO whose derivatives had to do with dreams (QL/69). The second root ᴱ√OLO² may have had the sense “✱increase, more”, which may have reemerged in the verb or primitive form ol- “grow” in a deleted entry from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/GAL(AS)). The root ᴹ√OL “grow” was mentioned again in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s (PE22/103). In this document the Quenya verb Q. ol- generally had the gloss “become” (PE22/99-100, 113), even as a derivative of ᴹ√OL “grow” (PE22/103).

The sense “become” for the verb form was mentioned again in Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s (PE22/133-134). There are several more documents from around 1959 that have derivatives connected to the sense “growth”, such as Q. olmen “growth-year”, Q. olmië “growth” and Q. quantolië “maturity” (NM/84, 119-120). However, in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from the late 1960s Tolkien said: “OL as a simple stem seems not to have occurred in Eldarin, though it appears in certain ‘extended’ stems, such as olos/r ‘dream’, olob ‘branch’ (PM/341)”. This lack of ancient meaning was despite the fact that OL was an element in the ancient name Q. Olwë.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume √OL meant “grow, ✱become”, which could easily contribute to the extended forms √OLOS “dream” and √OLOB “branch”. As a root, I think it primarily refers to the growth of people or animals, as opposed to √GAL used for the growth of plants. I think √OL can also be used for more abstract senses of “growth”, include “grow into” and hence “become”.

Derivatives

  • olā- “to become, come into being, turn into (another state)”
    • Q. ola- “to become, to become; [ᴹQ.] to grow (up)”
  • Q. olmië “growth”
  • ᴺS. ol- “to become”

Element in

Variations

  • ol- ✧ PM/340
Primitive elvish [PM/340; PM/341] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

calad

gerund noun. light

Noldorin [Ety/362, UT/65] Group: SINDICT. Published by

calad

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KAL > calad[kalata] > [kalat] > [kalad]✧ Ety/KAL
Noldorin [Ety/KAL; Ety/KIL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galad

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/GAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GAL > galad[galata] > [galat] > [galad]✧ Ety/GAL
Noldorin [EtyAC/GAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gail

noun. bright light

Noldorin [Ety/362] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gal-

prefix. light

Noldorin [galvorn, etc.] Group: SINDICT. Published by

glaur

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

Noldorin [Ety/358, Ety/368] Group: SINDICT. Published by

glor-

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

Noldorin [Ety/358, Ety/368] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Valarin 

ithīr

noun. light

Qenya 

kala

noun. light

Cognates

  • N. glaw “radiance” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶k’lā “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL; PE18/038

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶k’lā́ > kala[kala]✧ Ety/KAL

kalina

adjective. light

Cognates

  • N. calen “green, (orig.) bright-coloured” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KAL > kalina[kalina]✧ Ety/KAL

Doriathrin

gôl

noun. light

A (rejected?) Doriathrin noun for “light” derived from primitive ᴹ✶gālæ appearing in The Etymologies (Ety/KAL, EtyAC/KAL). According to Christopher Tolkien’s notes, it was part of a rejected etymology for the name Thingol, but it isn’t clear whether this noun was rejected or if it was just the etymology. Its long primitive vowel [[ilk|[ā] became [ō]]] as was the norm in Ilkorin.

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶gālæ “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

  • Ilk. ThingolGrey-wise” ✧ Ety/KAL (Thingol*)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶gālæ > gôl[gālæ] > [gāla] > [gōla] > [gōl]✧ Ety/KAL

Variations

  • gôl ✧ Ety/KAL (Dor. gôl); EtyAC/KAL (N. gôl)
Doriathrin [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

gālæ

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivatives

  • Ilk. gôl “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kalat

noun. light

Variations

  • kalat- ✧ PE21/56
Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

k’lā

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL; PE18/038

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. kala “light” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Kalion “Son of Light, Valinorian Elda” ✧ PE21/37 (kalion)

Variations

  • k’lā́ ✧ Ety/KAL
  • klā́ ✧ PE18/038
  • kalĭ ✧ PE21/37 (kalĭ)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL; PE18/038; PE21/37] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

gaul

noun. light

Early Noldorin

glaiw

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KALA “shine golden”
Early Noldorin [PE13/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

kala

root. *grow

Derivatives

  • G. calw “green shoot, sapling, sprout” ✧ GL/25
  • G. clann “branch” ✧ GL/26
  • G. clast “bud, shoot, sprout” ✧ GL/25
  • G. clath “small branch, twig” ✧ GL/25
  • G. côl “herb, vegetable, edible plant; wort” ✧ GL/25; GL/26

Element in

  • G. caltha- “to wax, grow, flourish” ✧ GL/25
  • G. caltha “plant, herb” ✧ GL/25
  • G. calon “grown (of plants), budd[ing], in blade (of corn)” ✧ GL/25
  • G. calwed “flourishing, adolescent” ✧ GL/25

Variations

  • cala ✧ GL/25
  • cala- ✧ GL/26
  • cal- ✧ GL/26
Early Primitive Elvish [GL/25; GL/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by