gloss

adjective. snow-white, dazzling-white

gloss

adjective. (dazzling) white, (dazzling) white, [N.] snow-white, [G.] clear white; [N.] snow

Derivations

• √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ RGEO/61; VT42/18

Element in

• S. uilos “white flower like a star”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√los > glos(s)	[glosse] > [gloss]	✧ RGEO/61
√(G)LOS > gloss	[glosse] > [gloss]	✧ VT42/18

Variations

• glos(s) ✧ RGEO/62

loss

noun. snow

The usual Sindarin word for “snow” (Let/278; PE17/161; RGEO/62), especially fallen and long-lying snow (VT42/18), derived from primitive ✶lossē (PE17/161) based on the root √(G)LOS (PE17/26; RGEO/62). It sometimes appeared in a shorter form los (PE17/26, 161). See the entry on [s] for a discussion of these long vs. short variations; for purposes of Neo-Sindarin loss is probably preferable.

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest iteration of this word was G. glui “snow” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, likely related to nearby words like G. gloss “white” (GL/40). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. gloss from the root ᴹ√GOLOS was both noun “snow” and adjective “snow-white” (Ety/GOLÓS), but in later writing Tolkien split these into S loss “snow” (see above) and S. gloss “(dazzling) white” (RGEO/62; VT42/18).

Cognates

• Q. lossë “snow, fallen snow; snow-white, snowy” ✧ PE17/026; PE17/161; SA/los; RGEO/61

Derivations

• √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ PE17/026; RGEO/61; SA/los; VT42/18
• ✶lossē “snow” ✧ PE17/161
  • √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ PE17/161; VT42/18

Element in

• S. Aeglos “Snow-point” ✧ SA/los
• S. aeglos “icicle, (lit.) snow-point; snowthorn (a plant)”
• S. Amon Uilos “Hill of Ever-snow” ✧ SA/los
• S. Fanuilos “Bright (Angelic) Figure upon Uilos” ✧ Let/278
• S. Lossarnach “Flowery Arnarch” ✧ VT42/18
• S. lossen “snowy” ✧ RGEO/62
• S. Lossoth “Snowmen” ✧ PE17/161; RGEO/62
• S. Nimphelos “Pale ?Snow”
• S. Uilos “Ever-snow”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√LŎS > los	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ PE17/026
✶lossē > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ PE17/161
√los > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ RGEO/61
√los > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ SA/los
√(G)LOS > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ VT42/18

Variations

• los ✧ PE17/026
• lŏs ✧ PE17/161
• Loss ✧ VT42/18

loss

noun. snow (especially fallen or long-lying snow)

loss

noun. snow

_ n. _snow. Q. losse. >> glos, glosui, los, Loss(h)oth

los

noun. snow

los

snow

{ŏ}_ n. _snow. Q. losse. >> glos, glosui, loss, Loss(h)oth

uilos

noun/adjective. always white, ever white as snow

uilos

noun/adjective. a small white everlasting flower also called simbelmynë or "evermind"

fain

noun/adjective. cloud

glân

adjective. white, [bright shining] white; [N.] clear; [G.] pure, †bright; [ᴱN.] clean

Derivations

• ᴹ√GALAN “bright”

Element in

• S. Curunír ’Lân “Saruman the White” ✧ UT/390

silivren

adjective. (white) glittering

faen

white

(radiant). No distinct pl. form.

fain

noun/adjective. white

fain

white

; no distinct pl. form.

nim

white

_adj. _white. >> Nimbrethil

nim

white

_adj. _white (usual word). >> nimp, nimras

nim

adjective. white

Cognates

• Q. ninquë “white; chill, cold; pallid” ✧ SA/nim

Derivations

• At. nimbi “white” ✧ PE17/019
  • ✶ninkwi “white, pale”
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• ✶ninkwi “white, pale” ✧ PE17/168
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• S. nimp “pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly” ✧ SA/nim
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
  • ✶nimpĭ “small” ✧ VT48/18
  • √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” ✧ VT48/18

Element in

• S. Barad Nimras “White Horn Tower” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Ered Nimrais “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimbrethil “Silver-birches” ✧ PE17/019; PE17/019; SA/nim
• S. Nimloth “White Blossom, Pale Blossom” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimras “White Horn” ✧ PE17/168
• S. Nimrodel “Lady of the White Cave”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
At. nimbi > nim	[nimbi] > [nimbe] > [nimb] > [nimm] > [nimm] > [nim]	✧ PE17/019

nimp

white

(nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.  

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

gloss (in compounds -los), lenited loss; pl. glyss.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

gloss (in compounds -los), lenited loss; pl. glyss.

gloss

dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss

loss

snow

(construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.).

loss

snow

(fallen snow) loss (construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.).

lossen

snowy

(pl. lessin, for archaic lössin). Adj.

lossoth

snow-men

(a coll. pl.)

glân

white

1) glân (clear), lenited lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”. 2) nimp (nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) faen (radiant). No distinct pl. form. 4) fain; no distinct pl. form.

glân

white

(clear), lenited ’lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”.

silivren

glittering white

(lenited hilivren; pl. *silivrin**). *Verb

nínim

snowdrop

(”white tear”), no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nínimmath. – The niphredil seems to be a flower similar to the snowdrop (no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. niphrediliath)