hross

noun. foam

n. foam. >> ross

ross

noun. foam

n. foam. >> hross

gwing

noun. foam, spindrift, foam, spindrift, [N.] flying spray; [G.] wave-crest

A noun for foam, sprindrift and flying spray, a derivative of the root ᴹ√WIG (Ety/WIG), most notably an element in the name S. Elwing “Star-spray” (PM/376).

Conceptual Development: This word appeared all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as G. gwing “a wave-crest, crest, foam”, where Tolkien connected it to G. uin “whale” (archaically “a wave”) via a primitive form ᴱ√uı̯u (GL/45, 74). N. gwing “spindrift, flying spray” appeared again in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√WIG (Ety/WIG). In later writings, Tolkien seems to have considered gwing problematic, at various points changing it to a loan word from Nandorin (PM/349) or Beorian (PM/368), but these seem to have been transient ideas: in a very late note from the 1970s he said it was Sindarin (PM/392).

gwingloth

proper name. Foam-flower

Sindarin name of Q. Vingilótë (PM/370), a combination of gwing “foam” and loth “flower” (Ety/LOT(H), WIG).

Conceptual Development: In Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, the elements of this name were inverted as Lothwing(a) “Foam Flower” (GL/46, 55) and also appeared as Gwingalos (GL/46). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, it became N. Gwingloth, and this is the source of the derivation given above (Ety/LOT(H), WIG; EtyAC/LOT(H)).

ross

noun. rain; spindrift, spray, foam, rain; spray, spindrift, foam

The best known Sindarin word for “rain” (MR/155; Ety/ROS¹), also used for “spindrift, spray” (PM/368) and “foam” (PE17/121), derived from the root √ROS (PM/368).

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor to this word may be G. {nôs >>} G. noss or noth “rain” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/60), likely derived from the early root ᴱ√NOSO or ᴱ√NOTO which had Qenya derivatives of similar meaning (QL/67). The Etymologies of the 1930s instead had N. rhoss “rain” derived from the root ᴹ√ROS “distil, drip” (Ety/ROS¹), as seen in names from this period such as N. Celebros “Silver-rain” (Ety/ROS¹; LR/140), N. Silivros “Glimmering Rain” (Ety/ROS¹; LR/210), and N. Rauros “Rush-rain, Roar-rain” (TI/285).

In later writings Tolkien began to translate S. ross as “foam”, in names like S. Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” (LotR/1115; PM/371), S. Elros “Star-foam” (PM/349; Let/448) and S. Celebros “Foam-silver” (WJ/151). This word and its root gave Tolkien considerable difficulty, and in a 1968 essay labeled The Problem of Ros (PM/367-371), Tolkien first gave their meaning as “spray, spindrift”, but then explored the possibility that they were instead loan words from Bëorian. However, he was forced to abandon this line of reasoning when he remembered that S. Andros “Long-foam” has appeared in The Lord of the Rings appendices as a Sindarin word.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use the noun ross mainly with the sense “rain”. I would use gwing for “foam, spindrift”. However, to preserve words like Cair Andros, I would also allow the use of ross for any more or less continuous “spray of water”, such as with waterfalls as indicated by the name Rauros “Roaring Spray” (RC/327).

gwing

noun. foam (properly a flying spume or spindrift blown off wavetops)

falf

foam

(breaker), pl. felf, coll. pl. falvath

faltha

foam

(i faltha, i falthar)

faltha

foam

(verb) faltha- (i faltha, i falthar)

gwing

foam

(i ’wing) (spindrift, spume, spray blown off wave-tops), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwing)

gwing

foam

1) gwing (i **wing) (spindrift, spume, spray blown off wave-tops), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwing), 2) ross (construct ros) (rain, dew, spray [of fall or fountain]), pl. ryss (idh ryss) (Letters:282). Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”polished metal, glitter”, 3) falf (breaker), pl. felf, coll. pl. falvath**

ross

foam

(construct ros) (rain, dew, spray [of fall or fountain]), pl. ryss (idh ryss) (Letters:282). Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”polished metal, glitter”

falas

shore, foaming shore

(pl. felais) (beach, coast, strand, line of surf; the word was especially used of the western seaboard of Beleriand) (VT42:15). Adj.

falas

foaming shore

falas (pl. felais) (beach, coast, strand, line of surf; the word was especially used of the western seaboard of Beleriand). (VT42:15)

falas

foaming shore

(pl. felais) (beach, coast, strand, line of surf; the word was especially used of the western seaboard of Beleriand). (VT42:15)

falacha-

verb. to splash

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, inspired by ᴱQ. palasya- “splash, foam” (QL/72) updated to the later root √PHAL(AS), hence derived from primitive ✱phalasya-. The vowels would become e due to i-affection, and the consonant ch due to the sound change whereby medial sy became ch(y).

gwing

spindrift

gwing (i **wing) (foam, spume, spray blown off wave-tops), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwing**)

gwing

spindrift

(i ’wing) (foam, spume, spray blown off wave-tops), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwing)

ross

rain

ross (construct ros) (foam, dew, spray [of fall or fountain]), pl. ryss (idh ryss). (Letters:282) Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”polished metal, glitter”.

ross

rain

(construct ros) (foam, dew, spray [of fall or fountain]), pl. ryss (idh ryss). (Letters:282) Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”polished metal, glitter”.

falaech

noun. splash

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, a noun variant of ᴺS. falacha- “to splash”, derived from ✱phalas-yē. The final ch is a result of the sound whereby medial sy became ch(y), similar to S. laich < ✶lisyā.

-ruin

suffix. fire

suff. #fire. Q. ruine. >> Angruin

falathren

noun/adjective. of the shore

falathren

noun/adjective. Shore-language (one of the names for Common Speech)

gwing

noun. spindrift, flying spray

naur

fire

_ n. fire. naur an edraith ammen! _'fire [be] for rescue/saving for us'. Q. nár. >> Sammath Naur

naur

noun. fire, fire, [N.] flame

The basic Sindarin word for “fire”, derived from the root √NAR of the same meaning (LotR/942; PE17/38) and very well attested. It is derived from primitive ✱nār- since primitive long ā became au in Sindarin. It appeared as N. naur “flame” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the same derivation (Ety/NAR). As a suffix it usually reduces to -nor, since au usually becomes o in polysyllables. As a prefix, though, it is often Nar- before consonant clusters, no doubt because the ancient long ā was shortened before it could become au.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word for “fire” was G. sâ with archaic form †sai (GL/66) clearly based on the early root ᴱ√SAH(Y)A “be hot” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Sári; QL/81). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the word for “fire” was ᴱN. byr or buir from primitive ᴱ✶ [mburyē] (PE13/139). Tolkien introduced naur in The Etymologies of the 1930s and stuck with it thereafter.

ross

noun. rain

bregedúr

wildfire

(i vregedúr), pl. bregedýr (i mregedýr)

eilia

rain

(vb.) eilia-, impersonal 3rd singular uil "it rains". (In ”Noldorin”, the impersonal form was "oeil" = öil, later eil.)

eilia

rain

impersonal 3rd singular uil "it rains". (In ”Noldorin”, the impersonal form was "oeil" = öil, later eil.)

falathren

of the shore

(pl. felethrin)

faur

shore

(beach), pl. foer, coll. pl. forath (VT46:15)

gôl

noun. wave

A neologism coined by Fiona Jallings based on T. vola < ✱wolā, but I think it is better to use attested N. falf for “wave” (Ety/PHAL).

habad

shore

(i chabad, o chabad), pl. hebaid (i chebaid). Archaic pl. hebeid (LR:386).

narthan

fire-sign

pl. **nerthain** (VT45:20)

naur

fire

1) naur (in compounds nar-, -nor) (flame, sun), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath; 2) ûr (heat), pl. uir. Notice the homophone ûr ”wide”.

naur

fire

(in compounds nar-, -nor) (flame, sun), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath

rhast

shore

(?i thrast or ?i rast – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhaist (?idh raist).

ûr Reconstructed

noun. fire, fire; [ᴱN.] sun

A word for “fire” attested in later writings only as an element in names, such as S. Úrui “August, ✱Hot-one” (LotR/1110). It appeared as N. ûr “fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√UR “be hot”, but this and related words were deleted when Tolkien changed the sense of the root to “wide, large, great” (Ety/UR). However, √UR “heat” was restored in later writings (PE17/148; PE22/160), and primitive ✶ūr “a fire (on hearth)” appeared in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s, though Tolkien did mark it with a “?” (PE21/71 and note #8).

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the first precursor to this word was G. †Uril, an archaic word for the Sun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing beside its modern form G. Aur (GL/75) and clearly a derivative of the early root ᴱ√URU as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Ûr; QL/098). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips revising this document, it became {ŷr >>} hŷr “sun” (PE13/114), and in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. {húr >>} úr “sun”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶ourū̆ (PE13/155).

This in turn became N. ûr “fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under ᴹ√UR “be hot”, but as noted above the meaning of this root was changed in that document (Ety/UR). Although the root √UR “heat” was later restored, it isn’t clear whether Tolkien also restored ûr “fire”, though there is some secondary evidence of it: primitive ✶ūr “a fire (on hearth)” appeared in notes from the early 1950s, as also noted above (PE21/71).

Neo-Sindarin: If S. naur is (like its Quenya cognate Q. nár) more representative of an elemental or abstract notion of fire, then ûr might be used for an individual physical fire such as one in a fireplace.

ûr

fire

(heat), pl. uir. Notice the homophone ûr ”wide”.

fallë

foam

fallë noun "foam" (PHAL/PHÁLAS)

falasta-

verb. to foam, surge, to foam, surge, [ᴱQ.] make a sound like surf

A verb meaning “to foam, surge” (for example, of the sea), used in all versions of the Markirya, both the version from the 1960s and the original from 1931 (and many of its preceding drafts). In the poem, it appeared as an active participle falastala “surging” (MC/222), but in the commentary after the poem it was glossed “foam” (MC/223). In one of the commentaries to the early versions of the poem from around 1930, Tolkien glossed this verb as “make sound as surf” (PE16/75). This verb is probably a derivative of the root √PHAL, perhaps from ✱phalas-tā.

rossë

noun. rain; foam, (fine) rain; [ᴹQ.] dew; *spray, shower; [Q.] foam

An element meaning “foam” (or perhaps “✱spray”) in the name Q. Elerossë “Star Foam” cognate of S. Elros in notes from the late 1960s (PM/349), or “rain” in the name of the waterfall Q. Raurossë “Roaring-rain” cognate of S. Rauros in notes probably from the 1950s (PE19/99). A form rosse “rain” appeared in Eldarin Pronouns, Demonstratives, and Correlatives (EP2) from the early 1950s (PE23/123); in context this form seems to be Primitive Eldarin, but it could be Quenya since the expected primitive form would be ✶rossē (Let/282). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien gave ᴹQ. rosse “fine rain, dew” as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ROS “distil, drip” (Ety/ROS¹).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume this word means a light rain or a continuous spray of water, or the remnants of such water in the form of dew, in other words any persistent collection of small droplets of water either in the air or on the ground, for example from light rain, morning dew or falling mist off a waterfall. This seems to be in keeping with most of its attested glosses.

For more ordinary or heavier rain, I’d use ulo instead, or for a drizzle I’d use mistë, and would reserve rossë only for a light mist-like rain. For a floating mist or fog, I’d use hísë or (if thicker) hiswe. Thus of precipitation, I’d have ulo > mistë > rossë > hísë in decreasing ranks of density, where hísë “mist” is light and/or cold enough not to longer fall. But I think rossë can also refer to “already fallen” droplets in the form of dew.

Raccoon suggested this word may also have the extended meaning “shower”, as posted on 2024-05-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), including the sense “instance of taking a shower”.

vingilótë

proper name. Foam-flower

Name of the ship of Eärendil, translated “Foam-flower” (S/246). It is a compound of vingë (vingi-) “foam” and lótë “flower”, and often appeared in the shorter form Vingilot.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, always with essentially the same etymology and meaning. In the earliest stories it appeared as ᴱQ. Wingilot (LT1/21), and was ᴹQ. Wingelóte in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/LOT(H), WIG).

Although Tolkien was consistent on the meaning of this name and its elements, he could never quite make up his mind on its exact form. The name appeared in a wide variety of forms, from his earliest to his latest writings. The variations were:

• The initial letter could be V- or W-.

• The middle vowel could be i, e or a.

• The final syllable be -lótë or -lot.

The first of these variation probably reflects Tolkien’s uncertainty on the development of the phoneme [w] in Quenya; in one place Tolkien said it “is in intention formed to resemble and ‘explain’ the name of Wade’s ship Guingelot” (PM/371). The second variation indicates different possible primitive forms of vingë “foam”. The third variation is simply the ordinary variation in the short and long forms of the name, also seen in names like Valinor/Valinórë and Silmaril/Silmarillë.

Vingilot/Vingilótë was the form adopted by Christopher Tolkien for the published Silmarillion, since it replaced earlier forms (sometimes but not always) in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/246).

vingë

noun. foam, spindrift, spray, foam, spindrift, spray, [ᴹQ.] wave crest, [ᴱQ.] froth, scud; wave

A noun for “foam” or “spray”, described at one point as “properly a flying splume or spindrift blown off wavetops” (PM/392).

Possible Etymology: This word was derived from primitive ᴹ✶wingē (Ety/WIG) and had a Sindarin cognate S. gwing (PM/376). As such, the expected Quenya form would be vinge, since initial w became v fairly early in Quenya’s phonetic history, but as an independent word Tolkien fairly consistently wrote this word with an initial w-. Its most notable use is in the name of Earendil’s ship Q. Vingilótë or Wingelótë “Foam Flower”, which in one place Tolkien said “is in intention formed to resemble and ‘explain’ the name of Wade’s ship Guingelot” (PM/371), and this resemblance may explain Tolkien’s frequent use of initial w-. Alternately, it could be a hold over from Early Qenya where the primitive form began with gw- (see below).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. ’winge “foam, spindrift, froth, scud” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the root ᴱ√GWIŊI (QL/104). Its stem form was given as {wingi- >>} winge, and in connection to this change Tolkien wrote “winge is [primitive] uiŋē, also = wave”. In the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa Tolkien had winge with the gloss “froth, foam” and stem form wingi- (PME/104). In a glossary for drafts of the poem Earendel from around 1930 Tolkien had winge “blowing foam, spray” as the basis for ᴱQ. wingild- “foam-maiden” (PE16/100).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. winge “foam, crest of wave, crest” derived from primitive ᴹ✶wingē (Ety/WIG). In The Etymologies it was the name of tengwa n (EtyAC/WIG), later named vilya. The same was true in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s where Tolkien had ᴹQ. winge “foam” (PE22/22), and also in the version of this document from the 1940s except he wrote wiñge with an ñ (PE22/51); in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E this tengwa’s name was Q. vilya (†wilya) (LotR/1123). This tengwa is in the series for labialized velars and the téma for (ancient) voiced stops, and thus should represent an ancient gw, but that does not seem to be the case for either winge or wilya.

The word winge appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings as an independent word, always with an initial w-, even though Tolkien usually wrote Vingilótë in this period. In the Markirya poem, however, the form was winga “foam” (MC/222-223). At one point Tolkien considered making this a loan word from Beorian, but he abandoned this idea (PM/368-371).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would write this word as vingë in keeping with its modern pronunciation.

Vingelot

foam-flower

Vingelot, Vingilot, Vingilótë ship-name; "Foam-flower", name of Eärendil's ship (SA:wing, Silm)

Wingelot

foam-flower

Wingelot, Wingelótë ship-name, "foam-flower", name of Earendel's [sic] boat (WIG, LOT(H) )

falasta-

to foam

falasta- vb. "to foam", participle falastala "foaming, surging" in Markirya

winga

foam, spray

winga noun "foam, spray" (Markirya). Also wingë.

wingë

foam, crest of wave, crest

wingë noun "foam, crest of wave, crest" (WIG); "foam, spindrift" (LT1:273). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, wingë was also the name of tengwa #24, which letter Tolkien would later call wilya > vilya instead. - Also winga (so in Markirya).

vingil

noun. *nymph, mermaid, foam-maid, [ᴹQ.] nymph, mermaid, foam-maid

wing(a)

noun. foam, spray

wingil

noun. *nymph, mermaid, foam-maid

wingë

noun. foam, spindrift, spray

wingilot

foamflower, eärendel's boat

wingilot noun "foamflower, Eärendel's boat" (LT1:273; in Tolkien's later Quenya Wingelot, Wingelóte)

falma

(crested/foaming) wave

falma noun "(crested/foaming) wave" (PHAL/PHÁLAS), "a wave-crest, wave" (VT42:15), "foam wave" (PE17:127), "a breaker" (PE17:62), partitive pl. falmali "many waves" (PE17:73), allative falmalinnar "on the foaming waves" in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67); the phrase an i falmalī _(PE17:74) seems to be a paraphrase of this with an independent preposition instead of the allative ending -nna (see an #1). Compounded in Falmari, a name of the Teleri, and Mar-nu-Falmar, "Home/Land under Waves", a name of Númenor after the Downfall. (SA:falas) Falmari "wave-folk", a name of the Teleri (PM:386). In earlier "Qenya", falma was glossed "foam" (LT1:253, cf. MC:213). Compare also the early "Qenya" words falmar "wave as it breaks" (LT1:253), pl. falmari "waves" (MC:216)_

falarya-

verb. to splash, foam

-li

the elves

-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").

wingil

nymph

wingil (wingild-, as in pl. Wingildi) noun "nymph" (WIG, LT1:273, PE16:19); "Qenya" pl. wingildin "foam-fays, foam-maidens" (MC:216)

ailinë

shore, beach

#ailinë (nominative uncertain) noun "shore, beach" (in Tolkien's later Quenya rather hresta). Only attested in inflected forms: sg. ablative ailinello "shore-from" (MC:213), sg. locative ailinisse "on shore" (MC:221), pl. locative ailissen "on beaches" (for *ailinissen?) (MC:221)

falas

shore, beach

falas (falass-), falassë noun "shore, beach" (LT1:253, LT2:339); falassë "shore, line of surf" (SA:falas), "shore especially one exposed to great waves and breakers" (VT42:15), "beach" (PHAL/PHÁLAS); Falassë Númëa place-name "Western Surf" (LT1:253), Andafalassë "Langstrand" (PE17:135)

hresta

shore, beach

hresta noun "shore, beach", ablative hrestallo *"from (the) shore" in Markirya

oaris

mermaid

oaris (oarits-), also oarwen, noun "mermaid" (LT1:263; read perhaps ëar- for oar- in LotR-style Quenya)

ruinë

fire, a blaze

ruinë noun "a fire, a blaze" (PE17:183). Compare nárë.

solmë

wave

solmë noun "wave" (LT1:266)

sá

fire

sá noun "fire" (LT1:265; "Qenya" spelling sâ. Rather nárë in LotR-style Quenya.)

ulo

noun. rain

ulo

noun. rain

A noun for “rain” in Late Notes on Verbs from 1969 given as {ulla >>} ulo in the phrase ulo úva “rain (unwelcome) is coming”, clearly related to the impersonal verb ul- “to rain” appearing in its future form on the same page: uluva “it will rain” (PE22/167).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the noun for “rain” was ᴱQ. úqil, likewise related to the contemporaneous verb ᴱQ. uqin “it rains” (QL/98).

uru

fire

uru noun "fire" (LT1:271)

úr

fire

úr noun "fire" (UR)This stem was struck out in Etym, but a word that must be derived from it occurs in LotR, so it seems that Tolkien restored it. Early "Qenya" also has Ûr, noun "the Sun" (also Úri, Úrinci ("k"), Urwen) (LT1:271). Cf. Úri.

lipsanë

noun. lather

falf

noun. foam, breaker, foam, breaker, [G.] wave

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “foam, breaker” derived from the root ᴹ√PHAL “foam” (Ety/PHAL).

Conceptual Development: An obvious precursor to this word is G. falm “a breaker, a wave” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√fal- (GL/33); in Noldorin/Sindarin the final -m would become -f [-v]. Given the gloss “breaker” from The Etymologies, it seems likely that N. falf can also be used for a “wave”, much like its Quenya cognate Q. falma.

faltha-

verb. to foam

A verb for “to foam” in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing in its infinitive form faltho and derived from ON. phalsa-, where the ancient ls became lth (Ety/PHAL).

gwingloth

proper name. Foam-flower

falf

noun. foam, breaker

faltha-

verb. to foam

gwing

noun. foam (properly a flying spume or spindrift blown off wavetops)

rhoss

noun. rain

esgar

noun. shore

falathren

noun/adjective. of the shore

falathren

noun/adjective. Shore-language (one of the names for Common Speech)

gwing

noun. spindrift, flying spray

rhoss

noun. rain

rhuin

noun. fire

ûr

noun. fire, heat

ûr

noun. fire

rothinzil

proper name. Foam-flower

The Adûnaic name of Eärendil’s ship Vingilótë “Foam-flower”, of the same meaning (S/249). This name appears in earlier writings as Rôthinzil with a long ô (SD/360). Its later form is a violation of the phonetic rules laid out by Tolkien in Lowdham’s Report, which said that the vowels [ē] and [ō] could only be long in Adûnaic (SD/423). The later form could be an Anglicanized or a Westronized form (where a short [o] could appear), or it could indicate that Tolkien changed his mind about Adûnaic phonetic rules. Some linguistic notes from the 1930s suggest Tolkien at one point considered making the name Quenya (P19/49).

rôth

noun. foam, white crest of waves

An element appearing in the name Rothinzil “Foam-flower”, attested in later writings (1968) as roth (PM/369, 376). This later form is incompatible with the earlier phonetic rules of Lowdham’s Report from the 1940s, which allowed only long [ō] in Adûnaic words. If this word were used in the phonetic context of Lowdham’s Report (Middle Adûnaic), it should be rôth, and in these earlier texts, the Adûnaic name of Eärendi’s ship was Rôthinzil with a long ô (SD/360). Even in later writings, Tolkien lists róþ ([rōθ] = rôth) as one of its possible forms (PM/369). See the entry on conceptual-changes-in-late-Adûnaic for further discussion.

zôr Reconstructed

noun. ?fire, ?foam

An element in the names Gimilzôr and Imrazôr. Imrazôr is difficult to translate, but Gimilzôr is equated to two different Quenya names at different periods of Tolkien’s writing: Elros “Star-foam” in the unfinished “Notion Club Papers” story from 1946 (SD/380), and Telemnar in the list of Adûnaic kings in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1035). The name Telemnar is unglossed, but a likely translation would be “✱Silver-fire”. Assuming the element zôr has the same meaning as its Quenya equivalents, could mean either “foam” or “fire”. There is a different Adûnaic word for foam: rôth or roth in Rothinzil “Foam-flower”, so perhaps “fire” is a more useful interpretation, albeit quite speculative.

sakal Reconstructed

noun. shore

This word is attested only in Sakalthôr, whose Quenya name is Falassion (UT/223). The first element of the Quenya name seems to be falassë “shore”, so the first element of his Adûnaic name probably has the same meaning, as suggested by several authors (AAD/22, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/SAK’L).

phal

root. foam, splash

This root was connected to Elvish words for foaming waves for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√FALA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. falas “shore, beach”, ᴱQ. falmar “wave as it breaks” and ᴱQ. falmo “foam” (QL/37). It had a similar set of derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. falm “a breaker, a wave” and G. falos “sea-marge, surf, coast, line, beach; margin, fringe, edge” (GL/33).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√PHAL “foam” with extended form ᴹ√PHÁLAS and derivatives like ᴹQ. falasse/N. falas “beach” and ᴹQ. falma/N. falf “(crested) wave, breaker” (Ety/PHAL). The root appeared a couple of times in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “foam” (PE17/62) and “splash” (PE17/73).

nar

root. fire, fire, [ᴹ√] flame

A root for “fire” first appearing as ᴹ√NAR “flame, fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with derivatives like ᴹQ. nár(e)/N. naur “flame” (Ety/NAR¹). There was also an augmented variant ᴹ√ANÁR that served as the basis for “Sun” words: ᴹQ. Anar and N. Anor (Ety/ANÁR). These roots and the various derivatives continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings in the 1950s and 60s (PE17/38; Let/425), and in one place Tolkien specified that nār- was “fire as an element” as opposed to √RUYU for an actual blaze.

nāro

noun. fire

wing

noun. foam, spindrift, spume

ghâsh

noun. fire