pica (1) ("k")noun "small spot, dot" (PIK)
Primitive elvish
dot
root. drop, fall
Quenya
tixe
noun. dot
pí
noun. small insect, fly, small insect, fly, *mite, gnat; [ᴱQ.] speck, spot, dot, mote
pica
small spot, dot
tixë
dot, tiny mark, point
tixë ("ks")noun "dot, tiny mark, point" (TIK)
Noldorin
peg
noun. dot, small spot
A word for “dot, small spot” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ON. pika under the root ᴹ√PIK having to do with tiny things (Ety/PIK). The word peg “dot” also appeared in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/031; PE23/22).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. pî “anything very small, a bit, mote” (GL/64), probably based on the early root ᴱ√PĪ (QL/73). The Gnomish Lexicon also had G. teg “point, dot, spot” (GL/69), probably based on the early root ᴱ√TEKE “make marks” (QL/90).
peg
noun. small spot, dot
Sindarin
pêg
dot
pêg (i bêg, construct peg) (small spot), pl. pîg (i phîg)
pêg
dot
(i bêg, construct peg) (small spot), pl. pîg (i phîg)
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!
Early Primitive Elvish
ðoto
root. drop, fall
A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “drop, fall” but with no Qenya derivatives (QL/86). In the Qenya Lexicon Tolkien gave the root as SOTO with ÐOTO in parenthesis, but Gnomish cognates like G. dod- “to fall down, drop” and G. dont “fall, bump, drop” make it clear the true form was ÐOTO.
Neo-Eldarin: I think it is worthwhile to salvage this root as ᴺ√DOT in the more limited sense “drop” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, so we can salvage Gnomish words such as dod- “to drop” and dod “berry”. This hypothetical ᴺ√DOT could be a variant of √DAT “fall”.
soto
root. drop, fall
Middle Primitive Elvish
tik
root. *dot
Qenya
amatikse
noun. dot or point placed above the line of writing
tikse
noun. dot, tiny mark, point
unutikse
noun. dot or point placed below the line of writing
Gnomish
teg
noun. point, dot, spot
Early Quenya
pí
noun. speck, spot, dot, mote
Old Noldorin
pika
noun. small spot, dot
A noun for a “small insect, fly” appearing in notes from 1968 as an example of a primitive monosyllabic noun that survived in modern Quenya (VT47/35). Its primitive form was originally glossed “small bird”. I think it might apply to other tiny insects like mites or gnats, based on its conceptual precursors. Likely it is related to the root √PI(N) for tiny things.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had ᴱQ. pī “speck, spot, dot, mote” and ᴱQ. pin or pink “a little thing, mite”, the latter also serving as a diminutive ending, all under the early roots ᴱ√PINI, ᴱ√PIKI, or ᴱ√PĪ (QL/73). It is unclear whether or not ᴱQ. pin(k) “mite” could refer to an insect or only a tiny thing. In the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. mí “fly” (PE21/40).