rissë

cut

rissë noun? The word is not clearly glossed but apparently means "cut" or "cleft" (ravine), the cognate of the final element of Imladris, Sindarin name of Rivendell. (PE17:87)

rista

cut

rista (2) noun "cut" (RIS), cf. #1 above.

rista

noun. *cut, [ᴹQ.] cut

#nac-

hew, cut

#nac- ("k") vb. "hew, cut" (nacin "I hew, cut", VT49:24) or "bite" (NAK); compare nahta #2.

(a)nacca

noun. narrows, defile, pass, cut

A noun appearing in etymological notes from around 1964 (DD) with the glosses “narrows, defile, pass, cut” as a derivative of √NAKH “narrow, thin” (PE17/166).

hóciri-

cut off

hóciri- vb. "cut off" (cut of a required portion, so as to have it or use it) (WJ:366, 368) (Normal aorist probably *hócirë*, present/continuative tense hócíra**, past tense *hócirnë)

venië

shape, cut

venië noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

venwë

shape, cut

venwë noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

cir-

verb. to cut, to cut, [ᴱQ.] cleave; *to sail

@@@ Helge Fauskanger suggested that it means “sail” in Markirya: (QQ/círa).

aucir-

verb. to cut off (and get rid of or lose a portion)

hócir-

verb. to cut off (so as to have or use a required portion)

nac-

verb. to hew, cut, to hew, cut; [ᴹQ.] to kill, slay; to hate

nacca

noun. narrows, defile, pass, cut

laica

keen, sharp, acute, piercing

laica (2) ("k")adj."keen, sharp, acute, piercing" _(LAIK, LT2:337 in the Etymologies as printed in LR, the final vowel is misread as -_e instead of -a, VT45:25). Possibly obsoleted by #1 above. Compare aica #1.

macil

noun. sword, forged sword blade, cutting sword, sword, forged sword blade, cutting sword, [ᴱQ.] broadsword

címa

noun. edge of a cutting weapon/tool

címa

noun. edge of a cutting weapon/tool

ripta-

verb. to cut in strips, tear up; to stripe, mark in parallel lines; to flay, flog

au-

off, *away

au- (1) a verbal prefix "off, *away", as in auciri ("k") "cut off" (so as to get rid of or lose a portion); contrast hóciri (WJ:366, 368). Compare au as a variant of the stem awa "away from" (VT49:24) and the adverb au (see #2 below).

canta

shape

canta (2) _("k") noun"shape" (PE17:175), also used as adj._ "shaped", also as quasi-suffix -canta ("k") "-shaped" (KAT)

cat-

verb. shape

shape, fashion

ciris

cleft, crack

ciris _("k")_noun "cleft, crack" (LT2:337 - obsoleted by cirissë?)

cirissë

slash, gash

cirissë ("k")noun "slash, gash" (KIRIS; the glosses "cleft" and maybe ?"crevasse" occurred in deleted material, VT45:23)

falqua

cleft, mountain pass, ravine

falqua ("q") noun "cleft, mountain pass, ravine" (LT2:341)

hyar-

cleave

#hyar- vb. "cleave" (1st pers. aorist hyarin "I cleave") (SYAD). Pa.t. probably *hyandë since the R of hyar- was originally D; cf. rer- "sow", pa.t. rendë, from the root RED.

hyar-

verb. cleave

hyatsë

cleft, gash

hyatsë noun "cleft, gash" (SYAD), apparently changed by Tolkien from hyassë (VT46:16)

macil

sword

macil ("k")noun "sword" (MAK, LT1:259, VT39:11, VT45:32, VT49:17); macilya "his (or their) sword" (PE17:130), see -ya #4.

pelecta-

hew

pelecta- ("k")vb. "hew" (this "Qenya" word may be adapted to LotR-style Quenya as *pelehta-)(LT2:346)

sanca

cleft, split

sanca (þ) ("k") noun? (or adj, or both?) "cleft, split" (STAK)

yelca

sword

[yelca noun ?"sword" - Tolkien's gloss is not certainly legible, and the word was struck out anyway. (VT45:11)]

rhest

noun. cut

rhest

noun. cut

criss

noun. cleft, cut, slash; pass

rhista-

verb. to cut

criss

noun. cleft, cut, slash

osgar-

verb. to cut round, to amputate

osgar-

verb. to cut round, amputate

rhista-

verb. to cut

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

lhaeg

adjective. keen, sharp, acute

lhoeg

adjective. keen, sharp, acute

cîl

noun. cleft, pass between hills, gorge

draf-

verb. to hew

drava-

verb. to hew

lhoeg

adjective. keen

maethon

noun. sword

magl

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

rhista-

verb. to rend, rip

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

Rest

noun. cut

rest

noun. *cut, [N.] cut

criss

noun. cleft, cleft, [N.] cut, slash, [G.] gash; [N.] pass, [G.] gully, ravine

A word for a “cleft, cut, slash” (PE21/81; Ety/KIRIS) derived from √KIRIS, a blend of the roots √KIR and √RIS (PE17/87).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it was probably already a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KIRISI as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/27; LT2A/Cris Ilbranteloth). In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien gave cris with the definition “a cleft, ravine, or narrow way of waters with high walls” (PE15/21), and in this period it typically appeared in this shorter form within names like G. Cris Ilbranteloth or G. Cris Thorn.

N. criss appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cleft, cut, slash” under the root ᴹ√KIRIS “cut” (Ety/KIRIS). It also appeared under the root ᴹ√KIR with the gloss “cleft, pass”, but this instance was deleted (EtyAC/KIR). S. criss “cleft” was mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure (EVS2) from the early 1950s as derived from primitive ✶kirissi (PE21/80-81), and it was mentioned as a blending of roots in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s as described above (PE17/87). Its use in names diminished over time, however, the only remnant in the final version of The Silmarillion being S. Crissaegrim (S/121).

Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems this word was principally used as for a “cleft, cut, slash” independent of geography. I would assume the same is true for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since criss is used only in a single geographic name in Tolkien’s later writings; S. cirith was use more broadly in geographic features. I would also assume it was a larger and more violent cut (a “gash” or “slash”) compared to S. rest for simple cuts.

cirith

noun. cleft, high climbing pass, narrow passage cut through earth or rock, ravine, defile

echad-

verb. to form, make, shape, cut out; (lit.) to shape out, to form, make, shape, cut out, [N.] fashion; [S.] (lit.) to shape out

rista-

verb. to cut

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

laeg

adjective. keen, sharp, acute

Rest

cut

(noun) 1) rest (ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist), 2) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

criss

cut

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

rest

cut

(ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist)

crista-

verb. to slash, cut, slice

rista-

verb. to cut; to rend, rip

osgar

cut round

osgar- (i osgar, in esgerir for archaic in ösgerir) (amputate). Also spelt oscar-.

osgar

cut round

(i osgar, in esgerir for archaic in ösgerir) (amputate). Also spelt oscar-.

cirith

cutting

cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cleft, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cirith

cutting

(i girith, o chirith) (cleft, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

lang

cutlass

lang (sword), pl. laing

lang

cutlass

(sword), pl. laing

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

rist

cutter

(sword) rist (cleaver), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleft”.

rist

cutter

(cleaver), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleft”.

criss

cleft

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”

criss

slash

criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, cleft), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

criss

slash

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, cleft), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

rest

cleft

(ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)

rist

cleft

(noun) 1) rist (-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”, 2) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 3) cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”. 4) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”, 5) rest (ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 6) (deep cleft) falch (ravine[?]), pl. felch

cirith

cleft

(i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

laeg

keen

laeg (sharp, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”.

laeg

keen

(sharp, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”.

lang

sword

(cutlass), pl. leng.

megil

sword

1) megil (i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32). 2) magol (i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language. 3) lang (cutlass), pl. leng.

rist

cleft

(-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”

auth

noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition

cant

noun. shape, shape; [N.] outline

ego

interjection. be off!

falch

noun. deep cleft, ravine

fân

shape

_n._shape, with the added notion of light and whiteness. It was thus often used where we might use 'a vision' (of something beautiful and sublime). Q. fana-. Tolkien notes that "Yet being elvish, though it may be used of things remote, it has no implication either of uncertainty or unreality" (PE17:26). In the name Fanuilos of Elbereth, the Fân was the vision of majesty of Elbereth upon the mountain where she dwelt.

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

_ n. _sword. i·arben na megil and 'The Knight of the Long Sword'.

riss

adjective. cleft

_ adj. _cleft, cloven, separate. Q. rista, risse, rinse. >> Imladris

rista-

verb. to rend, rip

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

cant

shape

(noun) cant (i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i **chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint**; see SHADOW.

cant

shape

(i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint; see SHADOW.

cîl

cleft

(i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”.

drava

hew

drava- (i dhrava, in dravar), pa.t. †dramp, later apparently dravant; passive participle drammen (VT45:8)

drava

hew

(i dhrava, in dravar), pa.t. †dramp, later apparently dravant; passive participle drammen (VT45:8)

echad

shape

(verb) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

echad

shape

(i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

falch

cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch

hathel

broadsword blade

(i chathel, o chathel) (axe blade), pl. hethil (i chethil)

magol

sword

(i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language.

megil

sword

(i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32).

thanc

cleft

(adj.) thanc (forked, split), pl. thainc

thanc

cleft

(forked, split), pl. thainc

rista

noun. *cut

kir

root. cut, cleave, pass swiftly through; shave; skim (surface), slip along, glide quickly

Tolkien used √KIR and roots like it for “cut, cleave” for most of his life. The earliest of these are ᴱ√KIŘI [KIÐI] and ᴱ√KISI “cut, split” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the latter with an extended form ᴱ√KIRISI (QL/47). These forms apparently were all blended together in Qenya, but the most notable Gnomish derivatives from this period seem to all be based on ᴱ√K(I)RISI, such as G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” and G. crist “knife; slash, slice” (GL/27).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root became ᴹ√KIR “cleave” with extended forms ᴹ√KIRIK (unglossed but probably meaning “✱reap”) and ᴹ√KIRIS “cut”, the latter by way of combination with ᴹ√RIS “slash, rip” (Ety/KIR, KIRIK, KIRIS, RIS). One of the notable derivatives of this root was ᴹQ. kirya “ship” (Ety/KIR), a word that appeared as far back as the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/46). Noldorin and Sindarin cognates of this word also appeared, varying from N. ceir “ship” to S. cair due to shifts in Tolkien’s conception of the phonetic development of diphthongs in the Sindarin branch of Elvish.

√KIR “cut” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/73, 87; VT42/13; WJ/392), and the validity of the extended forms √KIRIK and √KIRIS is indicated by Tolkien’s continued use of words like Q. Valacirca “Sickle of the Valar” (S/48) and S. Orcrist “Orc-cleaver” (LotR/280). One later derivative of interest was S. certh “rune” (LotR/1123), which in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 Tolkien said was derived from √KIR, the vowel change being the result of a-affection, and the Quenya form Q. certa being a loan from Sindarin (WJ/396). Rather cryptically in this essay Tolkien gave the primitive form as ✶kirtē “cutting”, so perhaps the Sindarin word was derivative from an adjectival variant.

Tolkien revisited the question of the origin of S. certh in notes from 1969:

> certar, LR III 395, could be emended in text to cirtar, and Certhas be held a late formation as it was. ... Phonology cannot be altered, since we have elenī > elin not ilin.

KIR. rather a mess here. LR has certar = cirth, and we have Angerthas, therefore √KER is indicated, & comparison with kirya is not in point of fact likely! Easy to say √KER = cut with tool/weapon, but √KIR = ? shave; skim (surface), slip along, glide quickly, and kirya is really an adj. = swift gliding. But what of Cirith. {Here we could say -itt.} e > i only before vanishing ī/j (PE22/150 and note #37).

Here Tolkien seems to be troubled again by the fact that Q. certa and S. certh are not direct cognates, and considered reorganizing the roots as √KER “cut” and √KIR “glide” (to allow the continued use of cirya “ship”), but then immediately recognized a problem with S. cirith “cleft, ravine” as in Cirith Ungol. Thus he seems to have abandoned this line of reasoning, leaving the 1959-60 notion that Q. certa is a loan from Sindarin as the most likely explanation. It is rather shocking to see how far he thought about going to “resolve” this problem, even considering a change in the basic rules of Sindarin phonology to allow i-affection of e > i in syllables other than those immediately before final i, which would have made keritt(e) > cirith possible.

ris

root. cut, cleave, cut, cleave; [ᴹ√] slash, rip

This root first appeared as ᴹ√RIS “slash, rip” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivative N. risto “rend, rip” (Ety/RIS¹). Tolkien then created a new entry for ᴹ√RIS without deleting the prior entry, with derivatives like ᴹQ. rista/N. rhest “a cut” and ᴹQ. rista-/N. rhista- “cut” (Ety/RIS²); this seems to reflect a conceptual shift of “slash, rip” >> “cut”. Indeed, the root √RIS reappeared in Tolkien’s later writings with the gloss “cut” (PE17/87). Christopher Tolkien gave this root the gloss “cleave” in the Silmarillion Appendix (SA/ris).

mak

root. cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); ️[√] forge metal; kill, slay

This root was the basis for “sword” words throughout Tolkien’s life, but the meaning of the root itself shifted over time. The first appearance of this root was as ᴱ√MAKA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with derivatives like ᴱQ. mak- “slay”, ᴱQ. makil “sword”, and ᴱQ. makka “slaughter” (QL/57-58). The root was also given the gloss “slay” in a section of the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon along with etymologies of names of the various Valar, but this section was deleted (GL/18). Derivatives of this root appeared elsewhere in the Gnomish Lexicon, however, such as G. mactha- “slay, kill” and G. magli “a great sword” (GL/55). Thus, the meaning of this root in the earliest period seems to be “slay”.

The root ᴹ√MAK appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but the entry went through quite a few revisions. The gloss apparently was “cleave” >> “kill, cleave with sword” >> “sword, or verbal [stem] fight with sword, cleave” >> “sword, or as verb-stem: fight (with sword), cleave” (EtyAC/MAK; Ety/MAK). Thus the 1930s root was more directly connected with swords and wielding swords, and its derivatives included ᴹQ. makil/N. magol “sword” and ᴹQ. mahta-/N. maetha- “fight” (Ety/MAK).

In Tolkien’s later writings, the words for “sword” remained nearly the same: Q. macil and S. megil (PE17/130, 147), but the gloss of the root √MAK varied considerably based on whatever linguistic puzzle Tolkien was trying to solve at that particular moment. In notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, its gloss was very similar to that from The Etymologies: “cut, hew with a sharp edge” (VT39/11). In notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien glossed {m(b)aka- >>} maka- as “forge metal” as part of a new etymology of the name S. Maglor as an adaptation Q. Makalaure “Forging Gold” (PM/353; VT41/10). In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien gave √MAK “strike” as the basis for ✶makwā > S. mâb “hand”, but this idea was rejected immediately (VT47/19). This was part of Tolkien’s rather surprising decision to abandon the long-standing root √MAP (VT47/20 note #13); elsewhere in these notes he said √MAK meant “kill, slay” as it did in the 1910s (VT47/20).

Lokyt suggested in a Discord chat from 2018 that there may be a common underlying meaning for all these glosses, referring to “the movement one does when chopping with a tool”. Assuming this is true, the other associations of the root (“sword; slay; fight; forge”) may be the result of a narrowing of the meaning of the root in more specific contexts. While it is hard to know whether Tolkien himself interpreted the root this way, I think this is the best way to treat the root for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, as it allows us to retain the largest set of derivatives of the root.

sten

root. cut short, limit, confine, cramp

A root appearing in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 glossed “cut short, limit, confine, cramp” with derivatives Q. senna/S. thenn “short” (PE17/185). As pointed out by Christopher Gilson, it was likely a later iteration of the “root” ᴹ√STINTĀ (actually a primitive word) from The Etymologies of the 1930s with gloss “short” and derivatives like ᴹQ. sinta/N. thent “short” (Ety/STINTĀ).

kiris

root. cleave, cleave, [ᴹ√] cut, [ᴱ√] split

ker

root. cut with tool/weapon

kat

root. shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make

The root ᴹ√KAT “shape” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. kanta- “to shape”, ᴹQ. kanta “shaped”, and N. echad- “fashion, shape” (Ety/KAT). All these derivatives reappeared in Tolkien’s later writings, though Q. canta was more typically used as the noun “shape” (PE17/175; PE18/84, 90). The root appeared frequently in both the first and second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa as an example of a biconsonantal root (TQ1: PE18/34, 46, 62; TQ2: PE18/84-85, 87, 89-90, 95).

kirissi

noun. cleft

makla

noun. sword