Quenya 

laurë

gold

laurë noun "gold", but of golden light and colour, not of the metal: "golden light" (according to PE17:61 a poetic word). Nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). In Etym defined as "light of the golden Tree Laurelin, gold", not properly used of the metal gold (LÁWAR/GLÁWAR, GLAW(-R), VT27:20, 27, PE17:159). In early "Qenya", however, laurë was defined as "(the mystic name of) gold" (LT1:255, 258) or simply "gold" (LT1:248, 268). In Laurelin and Laurefindil, q.v., Laurenandë "Gold-valley" = Lórien (the land, not the Vala) (UT:253) and laurinquë name of a tree, possibly *"Gold-full one" (UT:168). Laurendon "like gold" or "in gold fashion" (but after citing this form, Tolkien decided to abandon the similative ending -ndon, PE17:58).

Tar-culu

gold

Tar-culu ("k"), name listed in the Etymologies but not elsewhere attested. The second element is apparently culu "gold" (a word Tolkien seems to have abandoned); Hostetter and Wynne suggest that this may be an alternative name of Tar-Calion (= Ar-Pharazôn "the Golden"); see VT45:24.

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

Derivations

  • KAL “light; shine, be bright, light; shine, be bright, [ᴱ√] shine golden” ✧ PE17/084

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
CAL > Cala[kala]✧ PE17/084

Variations

  • Cala ✧ PE17/084; RGEO/62
Quenya [PE17/084; PE17/143; RGEO/62; VT39/14] Group: Eldamo. Published by

culo

gold

[culo, culu ("k")noun "gold" (substance)] (KUL, VT49:47; the word culu_ also occurred in early "Qenya" [LT1:258], but in the Etymologies it was struck out; the regular Quenya word for "gold" is apparently _malta. In another version, culo meant "flame" [VT45:24], but this is apparently also a word Tolkien abandoned.)

malta

gold

malta noun "gold", also name of tengwa #18 (Appendix E). The Etymologies (entry SMAL) instead has malda, q.v. for discussion, but according to VT46:14, the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Also compare the root MALAT listed in PM:366.

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

Element in

Variations

  • kále ✧ MC/222; MC/223
Quenya [MC/222; MC/223] Group: Eldamo. Published by

calima

bright

calima adj. "bright" (VT42:32); cf. ancalima; in PE17:56, arcalima appears as another superlative "brightest" (see ar- #2).

Sindarin 

glaur

noun. gold [light or colour]

Derivations

  • glaware “sheen of gold” ✧ PE17/017; PE17/017

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
glawar > glaur[glawar] > [glaur]✧ PE17/017

Variations

  • glaur- ✧ PE17/017
Sindarin [PE17/017; PE17/159; UT/253; VT41/10] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galad

noun. light, radiance, glittering, reflection (from jewels, glass or polished metal, or water)

Sindarin [VT/45:13, PM/347, Letters/425] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galad

light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> calad, Caras Galadon

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:84] < GAL. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

glân

adjective. bright, shining white

The word is deduced from its mutated form, but it is worth mentioning that a stem GALÁN "bright", with glan "daylight" (and later "clear") as derivative, is listed in the Etymologies (not included in the published text, but see VT/45:13). Most of the words meaning "white" in the Indo-Eureopean languages come from the original notion of "brightness", e.g. Greek leukós "white" is cognate with Latin lucere "to shine", lux "light". This association of sense is also found in Gnomish, PE/11:39 (glan "clean, pure", from "bright" originally) and in Early Noldorin (PE/13:144, glann "clean"). The similarity with Welsh glan (where the vowel, incidentally, is also long, though this is concealed by Welsh orthographic convention) is also striking

Sindarin [Curunír 'Lân UT/390] Group: SINDICT. Published by

malt

noun. gold, gold (as metal)

Cognates

  • Q. malta “gold (metal), gold as material” ✧ PE17/050

Derivations

Element in

Sindarin [PE17/050; VT42/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

calad

gerund noun. light

Sindarin [Ety/362, UT/65] Group: SINDICT. Published by

calad

noun. light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> galad

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:84] < GAL. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**)

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**).

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer).

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer)

glawar

sunlight

(i ’lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

gail

bright

gail (light), lenited ngail; no distinct pl. form (VT45:18). The adj. calen etymologically means "bright", but is used = "green" (q.v.).

gail

bright

(light), lenited ngail; no distinct pl. form (VT45:18). The adj. calen etymologically means "bright", but is used = "green" (q.v.).

gail

light

(adjective) 1) gail (bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18), 2) lim (clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

gail

light

(bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18)

malad

gold

(as metal) 1) malad (i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl. 2) malt (i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i **lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10) GOLD (COLOUR?) *mall (i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

malad

gold

(i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl.

mall

gold

(i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

malt

gold

(i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i ’lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) (VT41:10)

calad

light

_(noun) _1) calad (i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i **aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i **âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calad

light

(i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i ’aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i ’âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

gîl

bright spark

(i ngîl = i ñîl, construct gil) (star, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. *giliath** (RGEO, MR:388)*

lim

light

(clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

Telerin 

glavarë

noun. golden light

Cognates

  • Nan. lóri “gold”
  • Q. laurë “gold (light or colour)” ✧ NM/351

Derivations

  • (G)LAWAR “golden light” ✧ NM/351

Variations

  • glavare ✧ NM/351

cala

noun. light

Nandorin 

lóri

noun. gold

Cognates

  • Q. laurë “gold (light or colour)” ✧ NM/347; PE17/048
  • T. glavarë “golden light”

Element in

  • Nan. Lórinand “Valley of Gold(en Light)” ✧ NM/347; PE17/048

Variations

  • lōri ✧ NM/347
  • lór- ✧ PE17/048
Nandorin [NM/347; PE17/048] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Adûnaic

pharaz

noun. gold

A noun meaning “gold”, the only Adûnaic word defined in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1114).

Conceptual Development: This noun also appears in “Lowdham’s Report on the Adunaic Language” from the 1940s (SD/426).

Element in

Adûnaic [LotR/1114; PE17/120; SD/426] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive elvish

(g)lawar

root. golden light

Tolkien’s Elvish words for “gold” were fairly stable in his conception of the languages, resembling Q. laurë and S. glaur for most of his life. The main exception was the Early Noldorin and Gnomish forms of the 1910s and 20s, which were ᴱN./G. glôr (PE13/144; GL/40). These early forms survived to some degree in Tolkien’s later conceptions, because in Sindarin compounds au often reduced to o, and thus the name Glorfindel “Golden-hair” retained the same form and meaning for Tolkien’s entire life despite the revision of G. glôr >> S. glaur.

Tolkien’s first primitive root for these words was ᴱ√LOU̯RI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/51). This reflected the Early Qenya sound change whereby [[eq|[ei], [ou] became [ai], [au]]]; later on these ancient diphthongs usually became [ī], [ū]. In this earliest conception, the root and its derivatives referred to the physical substance of “gold”, though not quite its mundane nature: Tolkien said that ᴱQ. laure was the “mystical” or “magic” name of gold as opposed to its more mundane name ᴱQ. kulu (QL/42; LT1/100).

Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√GLAWAR or ᴹ√LAWAR for these words in The Etymologies of the 1930s, along with the modified form for its Noldorin derivative N. glaur (Ety/GLAW(-R), LÁWAR). Tolkien said that ᴹ✶laurē referred to the “light of the golden tree Laurelin” (Ety/LÁWAR), indicating a conceptual shift in the meaning of the root to “golden light or colour” rather than “mystical gold”. Indeed, in etymological notes Tolkien wrote sometime around 1960, Tolkien said of √LAWAR: “The application to gold of this stem was poetic and referred to colour primarily ... not to material (malta)” (PE17/159).

Tolkien’s representation of this root as both √GLAWAR and √LAWAR indicates some uncertainty on whether the initial gl- was from Common Eldarin or was only a later Ancient Telerin innovation. However, in later writings Tolkien typically represented the primitive word as ✶glawar(e) (PE17/17; PE21/80; VT41/10), and in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s Tolkien gave the Ancient Quenya word AQ. alaurē “sheen of gold” whose vowel augment arose from an abnormal vocalization of the ancient spirantalized initial g-: ✱glawarē > glaurē > ʒlaurē > alaurē (PE19/79). This strongly indicates the primitive root was √GLAWAR.

Derivatives

  • glaware “sheen of gold”
    • Aq. alaurē “sheen of gold” ✧ PE19/079
    • Q. laurë “gold (light or colour)” ✧ PE19/079; PE21/80; VT41/10
    • S. glaur “gold [light or colour]” ✧ PE17/017; PE17/017
    • S. glawar “gold (light or colour), gold (light or colour); [N.] sunlight, radiance (of Laurelin)” ✧ VT41/10
  • Q. laurë “gold (light or colour)” ✧ NM/351; PE17/159
  • Q. lávar “(golden) blossom” ✧ PE17/159
  • S. glawar “gold (light or colour), gold (light or colour); [N.] sunlight, radiance (of Laurelin)” ✧ NM/351; PE17/159
  • T. glavarë “golden light” ✧ NM/351

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
LAW“flourish (green), grow, flourish (green), grow, [ᴹ√] abound; warm”

Variations

  • (g)lawar- ✧ NM/351
  • LAWAR ✧ PE17/159
  • glawar ✧ VT41/10
Primitive elvish [NM/351; PE17/159; VT41/10] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mal

root. gold, yellow, gold

This was the root for Elvish words meaning “yellow” for much of Tolkien’s life, though with some minor variations. It appeared as ᴱ√MALA “yellow” (usually mali-) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. malina “yellow” and ᴱQ. malikon “amber” (QL/58). It also appeared in a list of M-roots at the end of that section (QL/63). It had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. malon “yellow” and G. malthos “butter cup” (GL/56).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems Tolkien first gave this root as ᴹ√MAL (EtyAC/MAL) but rejected this and replaced it with ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). It had derivatives like ᴹQ. malina/N. malen “yellow”, ᴹQ. malta/N. malt “gold (as metal)” and ᴹQ. malo/N. hmâl “pollen, yellow powder” (< ᴹ✶smalu), with some revisions in Noldorin forms as Tolkien vacillated on whether or not primitive sm- resulted in voiceless nasal hm- or a voiced nasal m-.

This √SMAL vs. √MAL variation seems to have continued into Tolkien’s later writings, as seen in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s where ✶malu >> ✶smalu “dust, grit” (PE21/80), probably a later iteration of ᴹ✶smalu “pollen, yellow powder” from The Etymologies. But it seems Tolkien settled on √MAL as evidenced by the extended root √MALAT “gold” from The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/366).

Derivatives

  • malnā “yellow, of golden colour”
    • Q. malina “yellow, of golden colour” ✧ PE17/051
  • malu “dust”
  • smalu “dust, grit, [ᴹ✶] pollen, yellow powder; [✶] dust, grit”
  • S. mallen “golden, golden, [N.] of gold”

Element in

Variations

  • mal- ✧ SA/mal
Primitive elvish [SA/mal] Group: Eldamo. Published by

malat

root. gold

Derivatives

  • mal(a)tā “gold (as metal)”
    • Q. malta “gold (metal), gold as material”
  • S. malt “gold, gold (as metal)”

Elements

WordGloss
MAL“gold, yellow, gold”
Primitive elvish [PM/366] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kalat

noun. light

Derivatives

Variations

  • kalā́t- ✧ PE18/087
Primitive elvish [PE18/087; PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kalinā

adjective. bright

Derivatives

  • Q. calina “light, bright, sunny, (lit.) illumined”

Elements

WordGloss
kal-“to shine, be bright”
-nā“adjective suffix; passive participle”
Primitive elvish [PE22/136] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

glaur

noun. gold

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. laure “gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR

Element in

  • N. Glorfindel ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
  • N. gloriel “golden” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
  • N. Inglor “*Heart of Gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
  • N. Maglor “Gold-cleaver” ✧ Ety/MAK

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GLAW(-R) > glaur[glawre] > [glaure] > [glǭre] > [gloure] > [glaure] > [glaur]✧ Ety/GLAW(-R)
ᴹ√GLÁWAR > glaur[glawre] > [glaure] > [glǭre] > [gloure] > [glaure] > [glaur]✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Variations

  • glor-/lor- ✧ EtyAC/LÁWAR
Noldorin [Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR; Ety/MAK; EtyAC/LÁWAR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

glaur

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

Noldorin [Ety/358, Ety/368] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galad

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/GAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GAL > galad[galata] > [galat] > [galad]✧ Ety/GAL
Noldorin [EtyAC/GAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

glor-

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

Noldorin [Ety/358, Ety/368] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gail

noun. bright light

Noldorin [Ety/362] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gail

adjective. bright, light

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶galyā “bright, light” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶galyā > gail[galjā] > [galja] > [galia] > [geli] > [geil] > [gail]✧ Ety/KAL
Noldorin [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gal-

prefix. light

Noldorin [galvorn, etc.] Group: SINDICT. Published by

calad

gerund noun. light

Noldorin [Ety/362, UT/65] Group: SINDICT. Published by

calad

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KAL > calad[kalata] > [kalat] > [kalad]✧ Ety/KAL
Noldorin [Ety/KAL; Ety/KIL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

côl

noun. gold (metal)

Noldorin [Ety/365] Group: SINDICT. Published by

malt

noun. gold (as metal)

Noldorin [Ety/386, VT/46:14, VT/42:27, Tengwestie/20031207] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mallen

adjective. of gold, golden

Noldorin [Ety/386, RC/625, VT/46:14, Tengwestie/20031207] Group: SINDICT. Published by

malthen

adjective. of gold, golden

Noldorin [Ety/386, RC/625, VT/46:14, Tengwestie/20031207] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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!

Valarin 

ithīr

noun. light

Qenya 

laure

noun. gold

Cognates

  • N. glaur “gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR
  • Ilk. laur “gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
  • Dan. laur “gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R)
  • ᴹ✶laurē “light of the golden tree Laurelin” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
    • ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Laurelin “Song of Gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R) (Laurelin); Ety/LÁWAR
  • ᴹQ. Makalaure “Gold-cleaver”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GLAW(-R) > laure[glaurē] > [ɣlaurē] > [laurē] > [laure]✧ Ety/GLAW(-R)
ᴹ✶laurē > laure[laurē] > [laure]✧ Ety/LÁWAR
Qenya [Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR; PE19/037; PE22/019; PE22/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kala

noun. light

Cognates

  • N. glaw “radiance” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶k’lā “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL; PE18/038

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶k’lā́ > kala[kala]✧ Ety/KAL

kalina

adjective. light

Cognates

  • N. calen “green, (orig.) bright-coloured” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KAL > kalina[kalina]✧ Ety/KAL

Doriathrin

laur

noun. gold

A Doriathrin noun for “gold” developed from primitive ᴹ✶laurē, properly golden light rather than the metal (Ety/LÁWAR).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. laure “gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶laurē “light of the golden tree Laurelin” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
    • ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶laurē > laur[laurē] > [laure] > [laur]✧ Ety/LÁWAR
Doriathrin [Ety/LÁWAR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gôl

noun. light

A (rejected?) Doriathrin noun for “light” derived from primitive ᴹ✶gālæ appearing in The Etymologies (Ety/KAL, EtyAC/KAL). According to Christopher Tolkien’s notes, it was part of a rejected etymology for the name Thingol, but it isn’t clear whether this noun was rejected or if it was just the etymology. Its long primitive vowel [[ilk|[ā] became [ō]]] as was the norm in Ilkorin.

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶gālæ “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

  • Ilk. ThingolGrey-wise” ✧ Ety/KAL (Thingol*)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶gālæ > gôl[gālæ] > [gāla] > [gōla] > [gōl]✧ Ety/KAL

Variations

  • gôl ✧ Ety/KAL (Dor. gôl); EtyAC/KAL (N. gôl)
Doriathrin [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gelion

adjective. bright

An adjective meaning “bright” derived from the root ᴹ√GAL, the basis of the river name Gelion (Ety/GYEL). There isn’t enough information to deduce its primitive form, but Helge Fauskanger suggested ✱✶galjānā (AL-Ilkorin/gelion), which seems reasonably plausible.

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/GYEL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GAL > gelion[galjānā] > [galjāna] > [galjōna] > [galiōna] > [geliōna] > [geliōn] > [gelion]✧ Ety/GYEL
Doriathrin [Ety/GYEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ossriandric

laur

noun. gold

A noun for “gold” developed from primitive ᴹ✶laurē, and one of the few words explicitly marked as Ossiriandic (Ety/LÁWAR). In this word the long final vowel was lost. Unlike the rules described in the Comparative Tables, this [[dan|[au] did not become [ō]]], so perhaps Tolkien changed his mind on the development of [au] in Ossiriandic.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. laure “gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶laurē “light of the golden tree Laurelin” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
    • ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶laurē > laur[laurē] > [laur]✧ Ety/LÁWAR
Ossriandric [Ety/LÁWAR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

galan

root. bright

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. ala “day” ✧ EtyAC/GAL¹
  • ᴹQ. alan “daytime” ✧ EtyAC/GAL¹
  • ᴺS. glaen “serene, clear, fair (espec. of weather)”
  • S. glân “white, [bright shining] white; [N.] clear; [G.] pure, †bright; [ᴱN.] clean”
  • N. glan “clear” ✧ EtyAC/GAL¹
  • ᴺS. glanna- “to cleanse, purify, purge, *to clear, make clear”

Variations

  • GALÁN ✧ EtyAC/GAL¹
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/GAL¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gālæ

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivatives

  • Ilk. gôl “light” ✧ Ety/KAL
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

k’lā

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL; PE18/038

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. kala “light” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Kalion “Son of Light, Valinorian Elda” ✧ PE21/37 (kalion)

Variations

  • k’lā́ ✧ Ety/KAL
  • klā́ ✧ PE18/038
  • kalĭ ✧ PE21/37 (kalĭ)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL; PE18/038; PE21/37] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galyā

adjective. bright, light

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivatives

  • N. gail “bright, light” ✧ Ety/KAL
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kalat

noun. light

Variations

  • kalat- ✧ PE21/56
Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

glaur

adjective. light, bright

gaul

noun. light

glarw(ed)

adjective. bright, light

Changes

  • glarglarw ✧ GL/39

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KALA “shine golden”

Variations

  • glarw ✧ GL/39
  • glarwed ✧ GL/39
  • glar ✧ GL/39 (glar)
  • glaur ✧ PE13/114
Gnomish [GL/39; PE13/114] Group: Eldamo. Published by

glôr

noun. gold

Cognates

  • Eq. laure “(mystic name of) gold” ✧ GL/40; LT2A/Glorfalc; PE15/25; LT1A/Laurelin; QL/051

Derivations

  • ᴱ√LOURI “*gold” ✧ QL/051

Element in

  • G. Glorund ✧ GL/40; LT2A/Glorfalc
  • G. Glorfindel “Gold-tress, Goldlocks” ✧ GL/40; LT2A/Glorfalc; PE15/25
  • G. glôriol “golden, like gold” ✧ GL/40; LT1A/Laurelin
  • G. glôrin “golden, of gold” ✧ GL/40; LT1A/Laurelin
  • G. glo(r)nethlin “meadowgold, buttercup” ✧ GL/40
  • G. Glorvent “Ship of Gold” ✧ GL/40; LT1A/Glorvent
  • G. Glorfalc “Golden Cleft” ✧ GL/40; LT2A/Glorfalc; PE15/25

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√LOU̯RI > glôr[louri] > [lōri] > [lōr] > [glōr]✧ QL/051

Variations

  • Glor- ✧ LT1A/Glorvent
  • Glor ✧ LT2A/Glingol; LT2A/Glorfalc; PE15/22; PE15/25
Gnomish [GG/12; GL/40; LT1A/Glorvent; LT1A/Laurelin; LT2A/Glingol; LT2A/Glorfalc; PE15/22; PE15/25; QL/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

culu

noun. gold

Cognates

  • Eq. kulu “gold” ✧ LT2A/Glingol; PE15/22

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KULU “gold” ✧ LT1A/Kulullin

Element in

  • G. Culugorm “disc of gold” ✧ GL/27
  • G. Culugrithnir “ring of gold” ✧ GL/27
  • G. Culuvrad “wain of gold” ✧ GL/27
  • G. culwin “golden” ✧ GL/27
  • G. Glingol “Singing Gold” ✧ LT2A/Glingol; PE15/22

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√KULU > culu[kulū] > [kulu]✧ LT1A/Kulullin

Variations

  • Culu ✧ GL/27 (Culu); LT2A/Glingol (Culu); PE15/22 (Culu)
  • Culon ✧ LT2A/Glingol (Culon); PE15/22 (Culon)
Gnomish [GG/14; GL/26; GL/27; GL/38; LT1A/Ilsaluntë; LT1A/Kulullin; LT2A/Glingol; PE15/22] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

glarweb

adjective. bright, light

Changes

  • gladglaid ✧ PE13/126

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
glarw“ray, radiance”

Variations

  • glaid ✧ PE13/126 (glaid)
  • glad ✧ PE13/126 (glad)
Early Noldorin [PE13/126; PE13/141] Group: Eldamo. Published by

glaiw

noun. light

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KALA “shine golden”
Early Noldorin [PE13/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

glôr

noun. gold

Element in

Variations

  • glór ✧ PE13/144
Early Noldorin [PE13/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

kulu

root. gold

Derivatives

  • ᴱ✶kulū “gold”
  • Eq. kulu “gold” ✧ QL/049
  • G. cluim “warm, cosy”
  • G. culu “gold” ✧ LT1A/Kulullin

Element in

  • Eq. Kulullin “Gold-song” ✧ LT1A/Kulullin
Early Primitive Elvish [LT1A/Kulullin; QL/049] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kulū

noun. gold

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KULU “gold”
Early Primitive Elvish [PE14/071] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

kulu

noun. gold

Cognates

  • G. culu “gold” ✧ LT2A/Glingol; PE15/22

Derivations

  • ᴱ√KULU “gold” ✧ QL/049

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√KULU > kulu[kulū] > [kulu]✧ QL/049

Variations

  • Kulu ✧ LT2A/Glingol; PE15/22
Early Quenya [LT1/100; LT1A/Laurelin; LT2A/Glingol; LT2A/Parma Kuluinen; MC/220; PE14/046; PE14/050; PE14/071; PE14/083; PE14/084; PE14/110; PE15/22; PE15/72; PE15/73; PE16/057; PE16/060; PE16/062; PE16/072; PE16/074; PE16/077; PME/049; QL/049; QL/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

selka

adjective. bright

Derivations

  • ᴱ√SELE “*bright” ✧ QL/083

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√SELE > selka[selkā] > [selka]✧ QL/083
Early Quenya [PME/083; QL/083] Group: Eldamo. Published by