velicë

great

velicë ("k") adj. "great" _(LT1:254; probably not valid in Tolkien's later Quenya; in the context of the Etymologies it would have to be derived from _BEL, but it is stated that this stem was "not found in Q". Perhaps Tolkien rejected velicë because it was too similar to the Russian word that clearly inspired it.)

túra

big, great

túra adj. "big, great" (PE17:115), related to words for power and apparently referring to a more abstract greatness than words like haura "huge". Cf. taura, túrëa. Apparently initial element of Túrosto.

túra

adjective. big, great, great, big

@@@ is at odds with the other meanings of this root, which generally have to do with mastery, conquest and non-physical power

Derivations

• √TUR “dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power, dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power; [ᴹ√] victory; [ᴱ√] am strong” ✧ PE17/115

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√TUR > tūra	[tūra]	✧ PE17/115

Variations

• tūra ✧ PE17/115

velca

adjective. large, great, big

Cognates

• S. beleg “great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• ✶(m)belek- “large, great, big, large, great, big, [ᴹ✶] huge; mighty”
  • √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Variations

• velka ✧ PE17/115 (velka)
• velke ✧ PE17/115 (velke)

alta

large, great in size

alta (1) adj. *"large, great in size" (root meaning)(ÁLAT). Alat- in Alatairë, q.v.

úra

large

úra (2) adj. "large" (UR), probably obsoleted by #1 above

-on

suffix. augmentative, great

Element in

• Q. airon “ocean” ✧ PE17/027
• Q. ëaren “ocean, great sea” ✧ PE17/027
• ᴺQ. yulmon “chalice”

alat-

large, great in size

alat- prefix "large, great in size". (ÁLAT, cf. VT45:5). In Alatairë.

melehta

mighty

melehta adj. "mighty" (PE17:115), cf. meletya

melehta

adjective. mighty

An adjective for “mighty” derived from the root √MBELEK in a page of notes having to do with “large & small” words, probably from the late 1960s (PE17/115), apparently from the primitive form ✱✶mbelektā (with [kt] > [ht]). A variant form meletya appears with the 2nd-plural possessive suffix -lda as Meletyalda “your mighty” in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/369), likely from the primitive form ✱✶mbelekya (with [kj] > [tj]). This variant form has a more typical primitive adjective suffix ✶-ya, but is inconsistent with the attested Sindarin cognate S. belaith, so I’d stick with melehta for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

Cognates

• S. belaith “mighty” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• Q. Aran Meletyalda “king your mighty” ✧ WJ/369

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√mbelek > melehta	[mbelekta] > [melekta] > [melexta]	✧ PE17/115

meletya

mighty

#meletya adj. "mighty", isolated from meletyalda adjective with suffix "your mighty" = "your majesty" (see -lda; meletya = *"mighty"). In full Aran Meletyalda "king your mighty" = "your majesty" (WJ:369). Compare melehta.

meletya

adjective. mighty

polda

big

polda adj. "big" (PE17:115), "strong, burly" (POL/POLOD)

polda

adjective. big, big; [ᴹQ.] strong, burly; [ᴱQ.] mighty, powerful

Derivations

• √POL “can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); pound up, break up small, reduce to powder, can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have stength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder” ✧ PE17/115

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. poldavë “strongly”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√pol > polda	[polna] > [polda]	✧ PE17/115

Variations

• polya ✧ PE17/115 (polya)

landa

wide

landa (2) adj. "wide" (LAD). Maybe in landatavárë = *"wide-wood"? (TI:415)

otos

cardinal. seven

otso

cardinal. seven

otso cardinal "seven" (SA:sîr, OT/OTOS/OTOK, VT48:6); otsëa ordinal "seventh" (VT42:25)

otso

cardinal. seven

Changes

• otso → otos ✧ PE17/095
• oxo → otso ✧ VT47/42

Cognates

• S. odog “seven” ✧ PE17/095; SA/sîr; VT47/42; VT47/42; VT48/06
• T. otos “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42; VT48/06

Derivations

• √OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42; VT47/42

Element in

• ᴺQ. otoquain “seventy”
• ᴺQ. otoquëan “seventy”
• Q. otoquë “seventeen”
• Q. o(to)sta “one seventh”
• Q. otsëa “seventh”
• ᴺQ. otsola “(seven-day) week”
• ᴺQ. otsollumë “seven times”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√otok > osko	[otoko] > [otko] > [oθko] > [osko]	✧ VT47/42
√otok > otko > osko > oxo	[otoko] > [otko] > [oθko] > [osko] > [okso]	✧ VT47/42
√otos > otso	[otso]	✧ VT47/42

Variations

• otos ✧ PE17/095
• osko ✧ VT47/42
• oxo ✧ VT47/42 (oxo)

yanda

wide

yanda adj. "wide" (PE17:115); variant of yána #1, q.v.

yanda

adjective. wide

Cognates

• S. iand “wide” ✧ PE17/115

-úmë

large

-úmë (3) suffix "large" (of quantity)", as in liyúmë "host" (VT48:32)

nerdo

large, strong man

nerdo noun "large, strong man" (compare nér) (VT47:33)

osco

cardinal. seven

palla

wide, expansive

palla adj. "wide, expansive" (PAL)

taura

mighty, masterful

taura adj. "mighty, masterful" (TUR, PE17:115), "very mighty, vast, of unmeasured might or size" (VT39:10). Cf. túrëa.

yonda

wide, roomy, extensive

yonda adj."wide, roomy, extensive" (PE17:43), also (as alternative form of yonna) glossed "enclosed", with the latter meaning perhaps intended as the passive participle of the verb yor-

pol

large, big (strong)

pol (2) adj. "large, big (strong)". Since this would be the sole example of a monosyllabic Quenya adjective, it may be that Tolkien is here citing the root POL rather than a complete word. Cf. polda.

daer

adjective. great

daer

adjective. great, large

Derivations

• ✶daira “large, great” ✧ VT42/11
  • √DAY “*great” ✧ VT42/11

Element in

• S. Athrad Dhaer “Great Ford” ✧ WJ/338
• S. Daeron ✧ VT42/11
• S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror”
• S. Dor-na-Daerachas “Land of Great Dread”
• S. Duin Dhaer ✧ WJ/191
• S. Lô Dhaer “Great Fen” ✧ VT42/14
• S. Lond Daer “Great Haven”
• S. Lond Daer Enedh “Great Middle Haven” ✧ UT/264

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶daira > daer	[daira] > [dair] > [daer]	✧ VT42/11

Variations

• Daer ✧ UT/264; WJ/335
• daer ✧ VT42/11

beleg

adjective. great, mighty

belaith

adjective. mighty

adj. mighty. Q. melehta.

belaith

adjective. mighty

An adjective for “mighty” derived from the root √MBELEK in a page of notes having to do with “large & small” words, probably from the late 1960s (PE17/115), apparently from the primitive form ✱✶mbelektā with the ekt vocalizing to eith and then the ei becoming ai in the final syllable.

Cognates

• Q. melehta “mighty” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√mbelek > belaith	[mbelektā] > [mbelekta] > [mbelektʰa] > [mbelexθa] > [belexθa] > [beleiθa] > [beleiθ] > [belaiθ]	✧ PE17/115

-on

suffix. augmentative suffix

@@@ most clear in gaearon

Element in

• S. Ardhon “The World”
• S. gaearon “ocean, (lit.) great sea”
• S. gardhon “province”
• S. Rodon “Vala”
• ᴺS. saegon “famine, (great) hunger”
• ᴺS. ylvon “chalice”

Variations

• -on ✧ PE17/043

-os

suffix. augmentative suffix

-oth

suffix. augmentative suffix

Element in

• S. Carcharoth “Red Maw, ?(lit.) Great Red Fang”
• S. daedelos “horrible fear” ✧ PE17/151
• S. deloth “abhorrence, abhorrence, [N.] detestation, loathing”
• S. faloth “large foamy wave”
• ᴺS. gonnos “great rock”
• S. goroth “horror, dread”
• S. Lammoth “Great Echo” ✧ S/106
• S. Nogoth “[Greater] Dwarf” ✧ PE17/045

Variations

• os ✧ PE17/151

beleg

adjective. great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge

The primitive form of this word in later writings is unclear. The development in Quenya seems indicates a primitive initial ✶mb- and a primitive form of ✶mbeleke, as in ✶Mbelekōro or ✶Mbelekōre > Q. Melkor (PE17/115, WJ/402). However, the nasal mutation meleg appears in Taur-i-Melegyrn “Forest of the Great Trees”, indicating a primitive initial ✶b- and a primitive form of ✶beleke. It is possible the soft mutation veleg appears Arveleg, also indicating a primitive initial ✶b-. @@@ Also Cûl Veleg.

It may be that the strengthening of √BEL ⇒ √MBEL occurred only in Quenya, and the Sindarin form developed from the original √BEL instead. Since The Etymologies state that √BEL was “not found in Q[uenya]”, this seems a likely scenario to me.

Cognates

• Q. velca “large, great, big” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• ✶(m)belek- “large, great, big, large, great, big, [ᴹ✶] huge; mighty” ✧ PE17/115
  • √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115
• √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• S. Arveleg
• S. Beleg ✧ SA/beleg
• S. Belegaer “Great Sea” ✧ SA/beleg
• S. Belegorn “*Great-tree”
• S. Belegost “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress” ✧ SA/beleg
• S. Belegund “*Great-prince”
• S. Belegûr “He who arises in Might, (lit.) Mighty Arising”
• S. Belegurth “Great Death”
• S. Cûl Veleg “Bigload” ✧ RC/536
• S. Laer Cú Beleg “Song of the Great Bow” ✧ S/209; SA/beleg
• S. Taur-i-Melegyrn “Forest of the Great Trees” ✧ WJI/Taur-i-Melegyrn

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mbelek- > beleg	[mbelek] > [belek] > [beleg]	✧ PE17/115
√mbelek > beleg	[mbelek] > [belek] > [beleg]	✧ PE17/115

Variations

• Beleg ✧ S/209

land

adjective. wide, broad

iand

adjective. wide

Cognates

• Q. yanda “wide” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• √YAN “wide, extensive, large, vast, huge; extend” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• S. -ian(d) “-land, country” ✧ PE17/115

iaun

adjective. large

adj. large, extensive, wide, vast, huge. Q. yāna-. >> -ion

odog

cardinal. seven

odog

cardinal. seven

Cognates

• Q. otso “seven” ✧ PE17/095; SA/sîr; VT47/42; VT47/42; VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶otoso “seven” ✧ RC/384; VT42/25
  • √OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ VT42/24
• √OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42

Element in

• S. linnod “type of poetic meter, (lit.) ?seven-chant”
• ᴺS. odophaen “seventy”
• ᴺS. odobaen “seventy”
• S. othui “seventh” ✧ VT42/25
• ᴺS. paenodog “seventeen”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶Otos > odo-	[otoso] > [otoho] > [otoh] > [odoh] > [odo]	✧ RC/384
✶otoso > odo	[otoso] > [otoho] > [otoh] > [odoh] > [odo]	✧ VT42/25
√otok > odog	[otoko] > [otok] > [odok] > [odog]	✧ VT47/42
√otok > odog	[otoko] > [otok] > [odok] > [odog]	✧ VT47/42

Variations

• odo- ✧ RC/384
• odo ✧ SA/sîr; VT42/25; VT42/31 (odo)
• odo(g) ✧ VT48/06

beleg

adjective. large

adj. large, great. Q. melek-.

beleg

adjective. large

adj. large, great, big. . This gloss was rejected.

odo

cardinal. seven

odo

cardinal. seven

#dae

great

#dae (lenited nae, no distinct pl. form). Isolated from daedhelos "great fear". Note: Homophones mean "shadow, shade" and also "very, exceedingly".

beleg

great

beleg (mighty), lenited veleg, pl. belig

beleg

great

(mighty), lenited veleg, pl. belig

dae

great

(lenited nae, no distinct pl. form). Isolated from daedhelos "great fear". Note: Homophones mean "shadow, shade" and also "very, exceedingly".

daer

great

daer (large), lenited dhaer, no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means "bridegroom", but has a different lenited form.

daer

great

(large), lenited dhaer, no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means "bridegroom", but has a different lenited form.

beleg

mighty

1) beleg (great), lenited veleg, pl. belig; 2) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

beleg

mighty

(great), lenited veleg, pl. belig

taur

mighty

(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

odothui

seventh

othui, also ochui (VT47:42)

palan

over a wide area

(far off)

ball

adjective. worthy, important; great, mighty

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. BALAD “worth, value”

daer

large

daer (great), lenited dhaer, no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means "bridegroom", but has a different lenited form.

daer

large

(great), lenited dhaer, no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means "bridegroom", but has a different lenited form.

laden

wide

1) laden (plain, flat, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT), 2) land (plain), pl. laind. Also used as noun ”open space, level”. 3) pann (i bann, o phann, construct pan), pl. pain (i phain). Since the pl. form clashes with *pain ”all” (mutated phain, SD:129), other terms may be preferred for clarity. 4) ûr (pl. uir). Notice the homophone ûr ”fire, heat”.

laden

wide

(plain, flat,  open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

land

wide

(plain), pl. laind. Also used as noun ”open space, level”.

odog

cardinal. seven

odog (also odo in Doriathrin Sindarin).

odog

seven

(also odo in Doriathrin Sindarin).

pann

wide

(i bann, o phann, construct pan), pl. pain (i phain). Since the pl. form clashes with ✱pain ”all” (mutated phain, SD:129), other terms may be preferred for clarity.

ûr

wide

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

duin

large river

(i dhuin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nuin), coll. pl. duinath (Names:179, PM:54)

otos

cardinal. seven

Changes

• otok(o) → otos(o) “seven” ✧ VT47/42

Cognates

• Q. otso “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42; VT48/06

Derivations

• √OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42

Variations

• otok(o) ✧ VT47/42 (otok(o))
• otos(o) ✧ VT47/42
• okko ✧ VT47/42
• osko ✧ VT47/42

búbhosh

noun/adjective. great; dung-heap, muck heap

Element in

• Bs. Uglúk u bagronk sha pushdug Saruman-glob búbhosh skai “Uglúk to the cesspool, sha! the dungfilth, the great Saruman-fool, skai; Uglúk to torture chamber with stinking Saruman-filth, dung-heap, skai” ✧ LotR/0445; PE17/079; PM/083

hazad

noun. seven

A number translated as “seven”, appearing in the form hazad in the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/247), but in the form hazid in Lowdham’s Report (SD/427-8). Helge Fauskanger suggested (AL/Adûnaic) it may be related to the dwarvish word Khazâd “Dwarves”, who were divided into seven houses.

Element in

• Ad. balîk hazad an-Nimruzîr azûlada “seven ships of Elendil [went] eastward” ✧ SD/247
• Ad. gimlî hazid “seven (of) stars” ✧ SD/427; SD/428

Variations

• hazid ✧ SD/427; SD/428

gabil Reconstructed

adjective. great

Element in

• Kh. Gabilân “Great River”
• Kh. Gabilgathol “Great Fortress”

day

root. *great

The root √DAY appeared in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 beside √NDAY “dreadful, abominable, detestable”, possibly having that same meaning (PE17/151). In this note Tolkien said that in Quenya √DAY was not used, and that the strengthened form √NDAY was in Quenya blended with √NAY “cause bitter pain, grief”.

I suspect that the “dreadful” meaning applied only to the strengthened form √NDAY, since the unstrengthened form √DAY is the most likely basis for the adjective ✶daira > S. daer “great, large” (VT42/11), as seen in names such as S. Athrad Dhaer “Great Ford” (WJ/338) and S. Lond Daer “Great Haven” (UT/263). In the sense “great”, √DAY may have been a restoration of the rejected root ᴹ√DAƷ “great” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/DAƷ).

Whether √DAY meant “great” or “dreadful”, it seems to have replaced another root from The Etymologies of the 1930s: ᴹ√DAY “shadow” (Ety/DAY). The Noldorin word N. dae “shadow” was an element in the 1930s names Daedhelos “Shadow of Fear” and Dor-Daideloth “Land of the Shadow of Dread” (LR/405). But in the aforementioned 1959 note, Tolkien derived S. daedelos from √NDAY and translated it as “horrible fear” (PE17/151), consistent with the Sindarin name for Mirkwood: Taur e-Ndaedelos “Forest of the Great Fear” (LotR/1134). Likewise in later versions of the Silmarillion, S. Dor Daedeloth was translated “Land of Great Dread” (WJ/183) with no mention of “shadow”. Thus it seems ᴹ√DAY “shadow” was abandoned.

Derivatives

• ✶daira “large, great” ✧ VT42/11
  • S. daer “great, large” ✧ VT42/11
• ᴺQ. lai “very”
• ᴺS. dae “very”

Element in

• √NDAY “dreadful, abominable, detestable” ✧ PE17/151

daira

adjective. large, great

Derivations

• √DAY “*great” ✧ VT42/11

Derivatives

• S. daer “great, large” ✧ VT42/11

(m)belek-

adjective. large, great, big, large, great, big, [ᴹ✶] huge; mighty

Derivations

• √MBELEK “mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large” ✧ PE17/115
  • √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Derivatives

• Q. velca “large, great, big”
• S. beleg “great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• ✶Mbelekōre “Might(y) Arising”

Variations

• mbelek- ✧ PE17/115 (mbelek-)

melek

root. great, mighty, powerful, strong

khaw

root. big

Changes

• KHAW → KHAWA ✧ PE17/115

Derivatives

• Q. haura “huge” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. höa “big, large” ✧ PE17/115

Variations

• KHAWA ✧ PE17/115; PE17/157
• KHAW ✧ PE17/115 (KHAW)

yad

root. wide

otos/otok

root. seven

Tolkien used similar Elvish words for “seven” for much of his life. The earliest derivation for this number appears in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. otso “seven” is given under the root ᴱ√OTO “knock”, though the etymological relationship is unclear and Tolkien marked ᴱQ. otso with a “?”; the root also has the derivatives ᴱQ. otoke “beating of breasts, wailing” and ᴱQ. otto- “knock” (QL/71). G. odin “seven” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is probably related (GL/62).

The “knock” sense may have lived on in roots like ᴹ√TON, ᴹ√TAM and √TOM (PE22/103; Ety/TAM; PE17/138), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s, words for “seven” were derived from the root ᴹ√OT with two distinct extensions ᴹ√OTOS and ᴹ√OTOK, producing respectively ᴹQ. otso and N. odog “seven” (Ety/OT). This primitive otos/otok variation reappeared in Tolkien’s writings on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s (VT47/42; VT48/6), though at various points Tolkien considered deriving the Quenya word from ✶otok (VT47/42) and the Sindarin word from ✶otos (RC/384; VT42/25). In his later writings, Tolkien seems to have favored ✶otos as the “true” ancient root for seven, explaining S. odog as variant produced by analogy with other forms like eneg “six” after the final s was lost (VT42/25, 31 note #61).

Derivatives

• ✶otoso “seven” ✧ VT42/24
  • S. odog “seven” ✧ RC/384; VT42/25
• Q. otso “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42; VT47/42
• S. odog “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42
• ᴺS. odob “seventeen”
• ᴺS. odoph “seventeen”
• T. otos “seven” ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42

Variations

• ot-os ✧ VT42/24; VT48/10
• otos ✧ VT47/12; VT47/15; VT47/16; VT47/16; VT47/42
• otok ✧ VT47/42; VT47/42 (otok)

otoso

ordinal. seven

Derivations

• √OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ VT42/24

Derivatives

• S. odog “seven” ✧ RC/384; VT42/25

Element in

• ✶otsōyā “seventh” ✧ VT42/25
• S. Ossir “Seven-rivers” ✧ RC/384
• S. Ossiriand “Land of Seven Rivers”

Variations

• Otos ✧ RC/384

mbelek

root. mighty, powerful, strong; power as force or strength; great, large

The most notable uses of this root were as the basis for the name Q. Melkor and (sometimes) the adjective S. beleg “great”. This root first appeared as ᴱ√mbelek, belek or melek in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, with Gnomish name G. Belcha vs. Qenya name ᴱQ. Melko; its other derivatives indicate the meaning of the root was “✱flame” (GL/20). The Qenya noun ᴱQ. velka “flame” indicates that unstrengthened ᴱ√belek was used along with strengthened ᴱ√mbelek, but there are no obvious derivatives of ᴱ√melek in this period.

There is no evidence of this root in The Etymologies of the 1930s; in this period ᴹQ. Melko was derived from ᴹ√MIL(IK) “✱greed, lust” (Ety/MIL-IK). The root appears a number of times in Tolkien’s later writings, always as the basis for Q. Melkor. The root melk- was mention in notes associated with the essay Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth from around 1959, where Tolkien said it “means ‘power’ as force and strength” (MR/350). The root appears as √MELEK “great, mighty, powerful, strong” (rejected) or mbelek “large, great” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, connected to both S. beleg and Q. Melkor (PE17/115). The root √MBELEK is implied by Tolkien’s etymology of Q. Melkor in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, being derived from ✶Mbelekōre “He who arises in Might” (WJ/402).

It seems Tolkien vacillated on whether Q. Melkor and S. beleg were related. The root may have been √MELEK, unrelated to √BEL. Alternately, it may have been √MBELEK, but the various mutations of S. beleg “great” show no signs of primitive initial mb-. Thus, it seems the strengthening to mb- either occurred only in Quenya, or it enhanced the meaning of the root from “large, great” to “powerful, mighty”.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer the last of these theories.

Derivations

• √BEL “*strong, [ᴹ√] strong” ✧ PE17/115

Derivatives

• ✶(m)belek- “large, great, big, large, great, big, [ᴹ✶] huge; mighty” ✧ PE17/115
  • Q. velca “large, great, big”
  • S. beleg “great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. melehta “mighty” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. melehtë “might, power (inherent)” ✧ PE17/115
• ᴺQ. meletya- “to magnify”
• Q. Melkor “He who arises in Might; (lit.) Mighty Arising” ✧ MR/350
• S. belaith “mighty” ✧ PE17/115
• S. beleg “great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge” ✧ PE17/115
• ᴺS. beleitha- “to extol, magnify”

Element in

• ✶Mbelekōre “Might(y) Arising” ✧ PE17/115; PE17/115

Variations

• melk- ✧ MR/350
• MELEK ✧ PE17/115 (MELEK); PE17/165
• mbelek ✧ PE17/115

beleg

adjective. great, large

Cognates

• Ilk. Beleg “Strong” ✧ Ety/BEL
• ᴹT. belka “excessive” ✧ Ety/BEL

Derivations

• On. beleka “mighty, huge, great” ✧ Ety/BEL
  • ᴹ✶bélekā “mighty, huge, great” ✧ Ety/BEL
  • ᴹ√BEL “strong” ✧ Ety/BEL

Element in

• N. Beleghir “Great River”
• N. Belegoer “Great Sea” ✧ Ety/BEL
• N. Belegast “Void”
• N. Belegol “Great Aule” ✧ Ety/BEL
• N. Belegost “Great Fortress, Great City” ✧ Ety/BEL
• N. Belegund
• N. Carnbeleg “Ruddyhorn”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. beleka > beleg	[beleka] > [belek] > [beleg]	✧ Ety/BEL

daur

adjective. great, large

Derivations

• ᴹ✶daʒrā “great, large” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ
  • ᴹ√DAƷ “great” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶daʒrā > daur	[daɣrā] > [dārā] > [dāra] > [dǭra] > [doura] > [daura] > [daur]	✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

beleg

adjective. great, mighty

lhand

adjective. wide, broad

lhann

adjective. wide, broad

lhann

adjective. wide, wide, [ᴱN.] broad

Cognates

• ᴹQ. landa “wide, wide, [ᴱQ.] broad” ✧ Ety/LAD

Derivations

• ᴹ√LAD “lie flat, be flat” ✧ Ety/LAD

Element in

• N. camland “palm of hand” ✧ Ety/LAD
• N. Lhandroval “Wide-winged”
• N. Lhothlann “Empty and Wide” ✧ Ety/LAD

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√LAD > lhand > lhann	[landa] > [land] > [l̥and] > [l̥ann]	✧ Ety/LAD

odog

cardinal. seven

odog

cardinal. seven

Cognates

• ᴹQ. otso “seven” ✧ Ety/OT

Derivations

• ᴹ√OT/OTOS/OTOK “seven” ✧ Ety/OT

Element in

• N. Edegil “Seven Stars” ✧ Ety/OT
• N. Odothui “Seventh”
• N. Odotheg “Seventh”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√OT/OTOS/OTOK > odog	[otoko] > [otok] > [odok] > [odog]	✧ Ety/OT

pann

adjective. wide

pann

adjective. wide

Derivations

• ᴹ✶patnā “wide” ✧ Ety/PAT
  • ᴹ√PAT “*open, [ᴱ√] open, wide, spreading” ✧ Ety/PAT

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶patnā > pann	[patnā] > [padnā] > [padna] > [panna] > [pann]	✧ Ety/PAT

Variations

• pann ✧ Ety/PAT

taur

adjective. mighty, vast, overwhelming, huge, awful, high, sublime

ûr

noun. wide

ûr

adjective. wide

Changes

• ûr → ûr “large” ✧ Ety/UR

Cognates

• ᴹQ. úra “large” ✧ Ety/UR

Derivations

• ᴹ√UR “wide, large, great” ✧ Ety/UR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√UR > ûr	[ūra] > [ūr]	✧ Ety/UR

Variations

• ûr ✧ Ety/UR; EtyAC/UR (ûr)