cat-

verb. to shape, fashion

Derivations

• √KAT “shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make” ✧ PE18/090

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√KAT > cat-	[kat-]	✧ PE18/090

finta-

to make, finish off, or decorate a thing with delicate work

finta- (1) vb. "to make, finish off, or decorate a thing with delicate work" (PE17:17)

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

carasta-

verb. to build, to build, construct

Derivations

• √KAR “do, make, build, do, make, build, [ᴹ√] construct” ✧ PE17/084

Element in

• ᴺQ. amacarastië “upbuilding”
• ᴺQ. carastanyarro “beaver, (lit.) build-rat”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√CAR > carasta	[karasta-]	✧ PE17/084

Variations

• carasta ✧ PE17/084

venië

shape, cut

venië noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

venwë

shape, cut

venwë noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

car-

make, do, build, form

car- (1) vb. "make, do, build, form" (1st pers. aorist carin "I make, build"; the aorist is listed with all pronominal endings in VT49:16, also in pl. and dual forms carir, carit). Regarding the form carize- (PE17:128), see -s #1. Pa.t. carnë (KAR, PE17:74, 144). The infinitival aorist stem carë ("k") (by Patrick Wynne called a "general aorist infinitive" in VT49:34) occurs in ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (VT49:34), also in áva carë "don't do it" (WJ:371) and uin carë (PE17:68); in the last example Tolkien calls carë an example of the "simplest aorist infinitive", the same source referring to carië as the "general infinitive" of the same verb. Pl. aorist carir "form" in the phrase i carir quettar ("k") "those who form words" (WJ:391, cf. VT49:16), continuative cára, future caruva (PE17:144), carita ("k"), infinitive/gerund "to do" or "doing" (VT42:33), with suffixes caritas "to do it" or "doing it", caritalya(s) "your doing (it)" in VT41:13,17, VT42:33. Past participle #carna, q.v.; VT43:15 also gives the long form carina ("k"), read perhaps *cárina. (Carima as a passive participle may be a mistake, VT43:15.) PE17:68 refers to a "simple past passive participle" of the form carinwa ("kari-nwa"). "Rare" past participle active (?) cárienwa* ("k") "having done" (PE17:68), unless this is also a kind of passive participle (the wording of the source is unclear). Some alternative forms in Fíriel's Song: past tense cárë ("káre") "made"; this may still be an alternative to the better-attested form carnë (LR:362) even in LotR-style Quenya. Cf. ohtacárë "war-made", made war (see #ohtacar-). Also cárië with various suffixes: cárier ("kárier") is translated "they made"; in LotR-style Quenya this could be seen as an augmentless perfect, hence "they have made", "they" being simply the plural ending -r. The literal meaning of cárielto* ("k") must also be "they made" (cf. -lto). Derived adjectives urcárima and urcarnë "hard to make / do", urucarin "made with difficulty" (PE17:154), saucarya "evil-doing" (PE17:68).

cir-

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

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

Derivations

• √KIR “cut, cleave, pass swiftly through; shave; skim (surface), slip along, glide quickly”

Element in

• Q. aucir- “to cut off (and get rid of or lose a portion)” ✧ WJ/365
• ᴺQ. cirila “cutting”
• Q. hócir- “to cut off (so as to have or use a required portion)” ✧ WJ/368
• Q. métima hrestallo círa “leave the last shore” ✧ MC/221
• ᴺQ. oscir- “to circumcise, (lit.) around-cut”

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.

eccat-

verb. to fashion, make

Cognates

• S. echad- “to form, make, shape, cut out; (lit.) to shape out, to form, make, shape, cut out, [N.] fashion; [S.] (lit.) to shape out”

tan-

verb. to make, fashion

Derivations

• √TAN “construct, make with tools, construct, make with tools, [ᴹ√] make, fashion”

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.

auth

noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition

cant

noun. shape, shape; [N.] outline

Derivations

• √KAT “shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make”

Element in

• S. cannas “[abstract] shape”
• ᴺS. dorgant “landscape, scene, *(lit.) land-shape”
• S. morchant “shadow cast by light, (lit.) dark shape” ✧ VT42/09

rista-

verb. to rend, rip

Rest

noun. cut

rista-

verb. to cut

echad

fashion

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

echad

fashion

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

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.

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)

cad-

z2# verb. to shape; mold

Derived from the primitive root '√KAT' found in compound of 'etkat-': Out-Shape (later becoming Sindarin Echad: To Fashion). Cognate of Quenya Cat-.

car

make

(i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (do, build) (WJ:415)

car

make

1) car- (i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (do, build) (WJ:415), 2) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, shape), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

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)

echad

make

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

rest

cut

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

criss

cut

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

mag- Speculative

verb. to build

A hypothetical verb from which the agental-formation magân “wright, ✱builder” is derived, itself attested only as an element in the name Balkumagân “Shipwright”. It may be related to the Elvish root ᴹ√MAG “use, handle”, as suggested by Andreas Moehn (EotAL/MAG).

Derivations

• √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp”

Element in

• Ad. magân “wright, *builder”

kanta

noun. shape; fashion

Derivations

• √KAT “shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make” ✧ PE18/089

Derivatives

• Q. canta “shape, framework, shape, framework, [ᴹQ.] frame; shaped”

Variations

• kantă ✧ PE21/76

tan

root. construct, make with tools, construct, make with tools, [ᴹ√] make, fashion

Changes

• TAN → TAM “construct” ✧ PE17/107
• TAN → TAM ✧ PE17/107

Derivatives

• ✶tandā ✧ PE17/108
• ᴺQ. tan- “to make, fashion”

Element in

• Q. calmatan “lampwright” ✧ PE17/096
• Q. Tintallë “(Star) Kindler” ✧ PE17/069
• S. calardan “lampwright” ✧ PE17/096
• ᴺS. tallam “conlang”

Variations

• TAN ✧ PE17/069 (TAN); PE17/096; PE17/107; PE17/108; PE17/108 (TAN); PE17/186

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).

Derivatives

• ✶aktō “artificer, artificer, [ᴹ✶] maker, wright” ✧ PE18/085; PE18/085; PE18/087
  • ᴺQ. ahto “wright, maker”
  • Q. ahto “wright, maker” ✧ PE18/085
• ✶kanta “shape; fashion” ✧ PE18/089
  • Q. canta “shape, framework, shape, framework, [ᴹQ.] frame; shaped”
• ✶kat- “to shape” ✧ PE18/095
• ✶katal “carving tool”
• Q. canta “shape, framework, shape, framework, [ᴹQ.] frame; shaped” ✧ PE18/090
• Q. cat- “to shape, fashion” ✧ PE18/090
• Q. canwa “face”
• S. cant “shape, shape; [N.] outline”

Element in

• ᴺQ. cacátu- “to design, shape or fashion slowly”
• S. echad- “to form, make, shape, cut out; (lit.) to shape out, to form, make, shape, cut out, [N.] fashion; [S.] (lit.) to shape out”

kat-

verb. to shape

Derivations

• √KAT “shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make” ✧ PE18/095

Element in

• ✶etkat- “to form, (lit.) out-shape, to form, [ᴹ✶] fashion, [✶] (lit.) out-shape” ✧ PE17/042

tam

root. construct, construct; [ᴹ√] knock, [ᴱ√] beat; smelt, forge

There were two roots in competition for “construction” words in Tolkien’s later writing: √TAM and √TAN. The first appearance of these was ᴱ√TAMA “(beat) smelt, forge” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tambe “copper” and ᴱQ. tamin “forge” (QL/88). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. tăm “copper” and G. tambos “cauldron” (GL/69).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the early root reappeared as ᴹ√TAM “knock” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tamba-/N. tamma- “knock” and ᴹQ. tambaro/N. tavor “woodpecker, knocker” (Ety/TAM; EtyAC/TAM). However, for “construction” words Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√TAN “make, fashion” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tano “craftsman, smith”, ᴹQ. tanwe “craft, thing made, device, construction” and ᴹQ. kentano/N. cennan “potter” (Ety/TAN). The root ᴹ√TAN was the basis for several names: ᴹQ. Martan(o) “Earth-smith”, ᴹQ. Tintánie “Star-maker”, and ᴹQ. Cirdan “Shipbuilder” (Ety/TAN).

The root √TAN appeared several times in Tolkien’s later writings with the glosses “make with tools” (PE17/96) and “construct” (PE17/106). But the names ᴹQ. Martan(o) and ᴹQ. Tintánie became Q. Martamo (LT1A/Talka Marda) and Q. Tintallë (PE21/85; LotR/377), and in notes from 1968 or 1969 Tolkien had {√TAN >>} √TAM “construct” with derivatives like Q. taman/S. tavn “a thing made by handicraft” and Q. tamo “smith” (PE17/107-108). However, in this same note Tolkien said “in Sindarin the base appeared mostly in form √TAN owing to contact with √PAN arrange, set in order”, most likely because he wanted to retain names like S. Círdan.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume the root √TAM originally had the sense “beat, knock”, from there becoming the basis for “forge” words and then a general root for tool and handicraft words, but with a Sindarin-only variant √TAN as noted above. I would use the root √TAN for “indicate, show”, see that entry for details.

Derivatives

• ✶taman- “a thing made by handicraft” ✧ PE17/107
  • Q. taman “thing made by handicraft” ✧ PE17/107
  • S. tavn “a thing made by handicraft” ✧ PE17/107
• ✶tamō “craftsman, smith” ✧ PE17/107
  • Q. tamo “smith, builder” ✧ PE17/107
  • S. tân “builder, smith, wright, artificer”
• ᴺQ. tambë “bronze, copper”
• ᴺQ. tambin “cauldron”
• Q. tamma “tool” ✧ PE17/107
• Q. tamna “artificial; artifact” ✧ PE17/107
• ᴺQ. tampo “well”
• ᴺS. tammos “cauldron”

Element in

• Q. martan “dwelling-house” ✧ PE17/107
• ᴺQ. tamin “forge”
• Q. tamma “tool”

echad-

verb. to fashion, make

echad-

verb. to fashion, shape; make

Derivations

• ᴹ✶etkat- “to fashion” ✧ Ety/KAT

Element in

• N. im Narvi hain echant “I Narvi made them” ✧ TI/182

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶et-kat > echedi	[etkat-] > [ekkat-] > [ekkʰat-] > [exxat-] > [exxad-] > [exad-]	✧ Ety/KAT

Variations

• echedi ✧ EtyAC/KAT

rhista-

verb. to cut

rhista-

verb. to rend, rip

rhista-

verb. to cut

Cognates

• ᴹQ. rista- “to cut” ✧ Ety/RIS²

Derivations

• ᴹ✶rista- “cut” ✧ Ety/RIS²
  • ᴹ√RIS “slash, rip” ✧ Ety/RIS²

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶rista- > rhisto	[rista-] > [r̥ista-]	✧ Ety/RIS²

rhest

noun. cut

rhest

noun. cut

Cognates

• ᴹQ. rista “cut” ✧ Ety/RIS²

Derivations

• ᴹ√RIS “slash, rip” ✧ Ety/RIS²

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√RIS > rhest	[rista] > [resta] > [rest] > [r̥est]	✧ Ety/RIS²

osgar-

verb. to cut round, to amputate