galā-

verb. to grow

gālæ

noun. light

gal

root. grow, thrive

glā

noun. radiance

galad

root. tree

The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.

galas

root. joy, be glad

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “joy, be glad” that is an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAS). Its two most notable derivatives were ᴹQ. alasse and N. glass “joy”. The appearance of Q. alassë “happiness” in the so-called “Merin Sentence” (MS), probably written after the publication of The Lord of the Rings, indicates that this root may have remained valid.

galadā

noun. tree

galan

root. bright

glam

root. *noise, echo

A (Noldorin-only) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a strengthened form of the root ᴹ√LAM which was the basis of general sound words (Ety/GLAM). The derivatives of ᴹ√GLAM include N. glamm “shouting, confused noise” and N. glavra- “babble” but also N. glamor “echo” and N. glamren “echoing”, the last of these seen in N. Dorlamren, the pure Noldorin form of N. Dor-lómen “Land of Echoes”, which incorporates the Ilkorin word lómen “echoing” (LR/249; Ety/LAM).

The word S. glam “din, uproar, the confused yelling and bellowing of beasts” reappeared in the Quendi and Eldar essay written in 1959-60, where it was an element (as it was earlier) in the collective name for orcs: S. Glamhoth “Din-horde” (WJ/391). This strongly indicates that the “confused sounds” aspect of this root survived into Tolkien’s later conception of the language. However, the “echo” portion seemed to have been transferred to the unstrengthened form of this root √LAM as with (West) Sindarin loven “echoing” vs. North Sindarin lómin, which remained an element in Dor-lómin “Land of Echoes”, albeit reconceived of as a North Sindarin name (PE17/133).

anār

noun. Sun

golā-

verb. to grow

kalat

noun. light

k’lā

noun. light

lot(h)

root. flower

ol

root. grow