_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). Q. vea. >> gwaew
Sindarin
gwath
noun. shade, shadow, dim light
gwath
noun. stain
gwath
noun. shadow, dim light, shadow, dim light, [N.] shade
Cognates
- Q. vasar “veil” ✧ VT42/09
Derivations
Element in
- S. Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade, (lit.) Horror of Night-shadow” ✧ SA/gwath
- S. dúath “night shadow, dark/black shadow, night shadow, dark/black shadow, [N.] night-shade” ✧ SA/gwath
- S. Eryd-wethion “Mountains of the Region of Shadows”
- S. Gwathir “River of Shadow” ✧ UT/263
- S. Gwathló “Greyflood” ✧ SA/gwath; UT/261; UT/263; VT42/09
- S. gwathren “shadowy, dim”
- S. gwathui “*shadowy, of shadow”
- S. Núath “?Under Shadow”
- S. Thuringwethil “Woman of Secret Shadow”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶wath > gwath [watʰa] > [waθa] > [gwaθa] > [gwaθ] ✧ PE17/041 √Wath > Gwath [watʰa] > [waθa] > [gwaθa] > [gwaθ] ✧ VT42/09 √WATH > Gwath [watʰa] > [waθa] > [gwaθa] > [gwaθ] ✧ VT42/09 Variations
- Gwath ✧ UT/263; VT42/09 (Gwath); VT42/09
gwae
wind
gwae
noun. wind
The normal Sindarin word for “wind”, usually appearing as gwae but sometimes as gwaew, most frequently derived from √WAY “blow” but also a bewildering variety of other roots (NM/237; PE17/33-34, 189); see the entry for √WĀ for further discussion.
Conceptual Development: The earliest form of this word was G. gwâ “wind” from both Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GG/14; GL/43). The form ᴱN. gwá “wind” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s (MC/217), but in the Nebrachar poem from circa 1930 the form was gwaew “wind” (MC/217). It was N. gwaew “wind” in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√WAIWA (Ety/WĀ), and appeared a number of times in later writings as both gwae and (more rarely) gwaew, as noted above.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer using only gwae for “wind”, reserving gwaew for “storm”.
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶wā-yo > gwoe > gwae [wājo] > [wǭjo] > [wǭio] > [woio] > [gwoio] > [gwoi] > [gwoe] > [gwae] ✧ NM/237 √WAYA > gwae [wajā] > [waja] > [waia] > [gwaia] > [gwai] > [gwae] ✧ PE17/033 ✶waiwe > gwae(w) [waiwe] > [gwaiwe] > [gwaiw] > [gwaew] ✧ PE17/033 √WIW > gwae(w) [waiwe] > [gwaiwe] > [gwaiw] > [gwaew] ✧ PE17/034 ✶wāyā > gwoe > gwae [wājā] > [wāja] > [wǭja] > [wǭia] > [woia] > [gwoia] > [gwoi] > [gwoe] > [gwae] ✧ PE17/034 √WAYA > Gwae [wajā] > [waja] > [waia] > [gwaia] > [gwai] > [gwae] ✧ PE17/189 Variations
- gwaew ✧ PE17/033 (gwaew)
- gwae(w) ✧ PE17/033 (gwae(w)); PE17/034
- Gwae ✧ PE17/189
gwaew
wind
_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). >> gwae
guruthos
noun. the shadow of death, death-horror
dae
noun. shadow
dae
noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade
Element in
- S. Daeron ✧ SA/dae
- S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror” ✧ SA/dae
fain
dim
adj. dim, dimmed (applied to dimmed or fading lights or to things seen in them); filmy, fine-woven, etc. (applied to things that only partially screened light, such as a canopy of young still half-transparent leaves, or textures that veiled but only half-concealed a form).
rîf
noun. bark
rîf
noun. bark
A word for “bark” (or possibly “skin”) appearing only in the name S. Fladrif “Skinbark” (LotR/474).
Conceptual Development: Earlier “bark” words include G. padhwen “bark” (GL/63) and G. dafros “bark, skin, peel” (GL/29) from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. {daus >>} dâf “bark” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/112), and ᴱN. {gwath “bark” >>} gwadh “bark, skin, peel” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/146).
Element in
- S. Fladrif “Skinbark” ✧ LotR/0474
Variations
- rif ✧ LotR/0474 (rif)
sûl
noun. wind
sûl
noun. wind, [strong] wind, *gust
A noun for “wind” appearing in names like Amon Sûl, derived from the root √SŪ “blow, move with audible sound (of air)” (NM/237; PE17/124).
Conceptual Development: A precursor to this word is G. saul “great wind” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/67), derived from the early root ᴱ√SUHYU “air, breath, exhale, puff” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Súlimo; QL/86).
Neo-Sindarin: Given its connection to the sound of wind, I think sûl would be used mostly for strong or noisy wind, including (but not limited to) gusts of wind, as opposed to more ordinary (and less noisy) gwae “wind”. This notion is supported by its Gnomish precursor G. saul “great wind”.
Cognates
- Q. súrë “wind, breeze” ✧ PE17/124
Derivations
Element in
- S. Amon Sûl “Weathertop, (lit.) Hill of the Wind” ✧ SA/sûl
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √sū > sûl [sūl] > [sūle] > [sūl] ✧ NM/237 √SŪ > sūl [sūli] > [sūle] > [sūl] ✧ PE17/124 Variations
- sūl ✧ PE17/015; PE17/124
lum
noun. shade
morchant
noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape
gwatha
stain
(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (soil)
gwatha
stain
(i ’watha, in gwathar) (soil)
gwathra
dim
(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (overshadow, veil, obscure)
gwathra
dim
(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (overshadow, veil, obscure)
gwâth
shadow
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)
gwâth
shade
(noun) 1) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261), 2) dae (i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae), 3) lûm (pl. luim**).
gwâth
shade
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)
gwâth
dim light
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261);
gwathren
dim
(adj.) gwathren (shadowy), lenited wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);
gwathren
dim
(shadowy), lenited ’wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);
auth
dim shape
(spectral or vague apparition), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "war, battle".
gwaen
stained
(lenited ’waen; no distinct pl. form)
gwaew
wind
1) gwaew (i **waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew), 2) sûl (i hûl), pl. suil (i suil**). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.
gwaew
wind
(i ’waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew)
gwass
stain
(noun) 1) gwass (i **wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i **wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith), 2) (noun) maw (i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”. 3) mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
gwass
stain
(i ’wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i ’wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith)
dúath
dark shadow
(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.
gwaeren
windy
(lenited ’waeren; pl. gwaerin)
pasta-
verb. to shake, wag, nod, flap
Derivations
- ᴺ✶. KWATH “*shake”
fuin
nightshade
(gloom, darkness, night, dead of night); no distinct pl. form.
dae
shadow
(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).
dae
shade
(i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae)
maw
stain
(i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.
daew
shadow
(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).
mael
stain
(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
mael
stained
(lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.
sûl
wind
(i hûl), pl. suil (i suil). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.
lûm
shade
(pl. luim).
morchant
shadow
1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),
morchant
shadow
(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.
muil
shadow
(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)
A word for “shadow” but more accurately an area of “dim light”, since it was “not for the shadows of actual objects or persons cast by sun or moon or other lights” (VT42/9) but was used “in the sense of dim light, owing to cloud or mist, or in deep valleys” (UT/261). A cast shadow would be morchant “(lit.) dark shape” (VT42/9). Gwath was derived from the root √WATH.
Conceptual Development: N. gwath “shade” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/WATH).