Primitive elvish

del

root. will

A root in etymological notes from 1968, meaning “to will with conscious purpose, immediate or remote”; it was distinct from “be willing, to assent, consent, agree”, which partakes of the will but also involves accident or change (NM/231). Given the many other uses to which √DEL was assigned, odds are this was a transient idea.

Primitive elvish [NM/231] Group: Eldamo. Published by

del

root. walk, go, proceed, travel

This root appears in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 with the sense “walk, go, proceed, travel” (WJ/360). Its derivatives were S. Edhel “Elf” and Q. †Eldo which blended with Elda “Elf”, both originally with the sense “one who goes” (✶edelō): those who left lake Cuiviénen to travel to Valinor. It is also the basis of several words meaning “to go”: T. delia- and Q. lelya-.

Many of Quenya derivatives of this root actually derive from an inversion √LED of the original √DEL. According to the Quendi and Eldar essay, this inversion only occurred in Quenya (WJ/363). In earlier writings like The Etymologies, however, ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” was the basic root in all languages. It seems that Tolkien revised ᴹ√LED >> √DEL, preserving √LED only as a Quenya variant. The strongest sign of this change was Tolkien’s consistent alteration of N. Eledh >> S. Edhel.

This leaves open the question of what happened to the other non-Quenya derivatives of ᴹ√LED, such as S. edlen(n) “exile”. It is possible that they were transferred to a new root √LEN, which was the basis for S. lembas “way bread” (PE17/60). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer to assume the verb [N.] †ledh- “go, fare, travel” did exist, but was archaic and survived only as an element in other verbs like [ᴺS.] edledhia- “go into exile” and [N.] neledh- “enter”.

Primitive elvish [WJ/360; WJ/363; WJ/392] Group: Eldamo. Published by

del

root. *fair

A root meaning “delicate” or “fair of form” that appears in a couple distinct etymological note from 1959; in one of them it was the basis for Q. Elda/S. Edhel (PE17/159). Given the revised etymologies for words for “Elf” in the Quendi and Eldar essay written soon thereafter, this root may have been short lived.

Primitive elvish [PE17/145; PE17/151] Group: Eldamo. Published by

del

root. thick, dense

A rejected root meaning “thick, dense” that appeared in rough etymological notes for the name of S. Glorfindel < glaur-phin-dela = “gold-hair-thick” (PE17/17). One of the proposed Quenya forms was nelya beside lelya, indicating Tolkien was considering strengthening the root form to √NDEL.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it would be worth salvaging this root in this strengthened form ᴺ√NDEL “thick, dense”, since I know of no other good options for words meaning “dense”.

Primitive elvish [PE17/017; PE17/151] Group: Eldamo. Published by

delya-

verb. walk, go, proceed, travel

Primitive elvish [WJ/360] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ndel

root. thick, dense

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

(ñ)guruk

noun. horror

Primitive elvish [WJ/389; WJ/390; WJ/415] Group: Eldamo. Published by

bani

adjective. fair

Primitive elvish [PE17/057] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ngur

root. horror

wanyā

adjective. fair

Primitive elvish [WJ/380; WJ/383] Group: Eldamo. Published by