Quenya 

hísë

noun. mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared

A word for “mist” appearing as an element in several names. It is not directly attested in Tolkien’s later writings, but ᴹQ. híse “mist, fog” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶khīthi, indicating a stem form of hísi- [†híþi-] (Ety/KHIS). Its continued appearance in words like Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist” (S/118) and Q. hísilanya “mist thread” (PE17/60) indicates its ongoing validity.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. hīse appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√HISI alongside a variant ᴱQ. histe, but there it was glossed “dusk” (QL/40). In drafts of the Oilima Markirya written circa 1930 it was glossed “haze” (PE16/62) or “mist” (PE16/75; MC/221), but in the final 1931 iteration of the poem it appeared only in the very-loosely translated phrase ᴱQ. úri nienaite híse “a bleared sun”, perhaps literally “✱sun [with a] tearful mist” (MC/214). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was “mist” (PE21/32) and in The Etymologies of the late 1930s “mist, fog” as noted above, so Tolkien seems to have stuck with the meaning “mist” thereafter.

Cognates

Derivations

  • KHITH “mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog”

Element in

hiswë

fog

hiswë (þ) noun "fog" (KHIS/KHITH)

hísë

mist, fog

hísë (þ) (stem #hísi- because of the primitive form ¤khīthi, cf. hísilanya, Hísilómë) (1) noun "mist, fog" (KHIS/KHITH). According to VT45:22, hísë is also the name of Tengwa #11 in the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, but Tolkien would later call #11 harma/aha instead.

nítë

moist, dewy

nítë (stem *níti-, given the primitive form ¤neiti) adj. "moist, dewy" (NEI, VT45:38)

hísië

mist, mistiness

hísië (þ) noun "mist, mistiness" (Nam, SA:hîth, PE17:73), also hísë.

Sindarin 

hithu

noun. fog

Sindarin [Ety/364, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hîth

noun. mist, fog

Sindarin [Ety/364, S/432] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hîth

noun. mist

The Sindarin word for “mist”, an element in many names, derived from the root √KHITH of the same meaning (SA/hîth; PE17/73).

Conceptual Development: N. hîth “mist” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/KHIS), though when Tolkien first defined the word, he first wrote (and then deleted) the gloss “fog” (EtyAC/KHIS). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien wrote hith (LR/364), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne confirmed that the actual form was hîth in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/22).

Cognates

  • Q. hísië “mist, mistiness” ✧ SA/hîth
  • Q. hísë “mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared”

Derivations

  • KHITH “mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog”

Element in

  • S. Hithaeglir “Misty Mountains, (lit.) Line of Misty Peaks” ✧ SA/hîth
  • S. hithlain “mist thread, grey elvish rope”
  • north S. Hithlum “Land of Mist” ✧ SA/hîth
  • S. hithren “grey”
  • S. hithui “misty”
  • S. Nen Hithoel “Mist-cool Water” ✧ RC/328; SA/hîth

Variations

  • Hith ✧ RC/328
Sindarin [RC/328; SA/hîth] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hithlain

noun. mist-thread (a substance used by the Elves of Lothlórien to make strong ropes)

Sindarin [LotR/II:VIII, LotR/Index] hîth+lain. Group: SINDICT. Published by

hithaeglir

 name. hithaeglir, the misty mountains

Misty mountains; hîth (“mist, fog”) + aeg (S aegas “mountain peak”) + lîr (“range, row”)

Sindarin [Tolkiendil] Group: Tolkiendil Compound Sindarin Names. Published by

hithu

noun. fog

Derivations

  • KHITH “mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

hithu

fog

(i chithu), analogical pl. hithy (i chithy). Cited in archaic form hithw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH), so the coll. pl. is likely hithwath.

hîth

mist

hîth (i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

hîth

mist

(i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

hîth

fog

1) hîth (i chîth) (mist), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth), 2) *hithu (i chithu), analogical pl. hithy (i chithy). Cited in archaic form hithw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH), so the coll. pl. is likely hithwath.

hîth

fog

(i chîth) (mist), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth)

mith

wet mist

(i vith) (white fog), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”. ✱

mith

white fog

(i vith) (wet mist), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”.

hithlain

mist-thread

name of a fiber made in Lórien.

Primitive elvish

khith

root. mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog

This root and its variants were the basis for “mist” words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√HISI with derivatives like ᴱQ. híse “dusk” and ᴱQ. hiswa “dim, fading” (QL/40), and as an element in ᴱQ. Hisilóme which was glossed “Shadowy Twilights” in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/112). Thus the early root might have meant “✱dusk, dimness, shadow”. The root was probably also an element in the Gnomish equivalent Hithlum from this period (GL/20), perhaps the result of the sound change whereby [[g|[s] became [θ] before [l]]] in Gnomish.

The sense “haze” and “mist” for ᴱQ. híse first appeared in drafts of the Oilima Markirya poem (PE16/62, 75). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this root as ᴹ√KHITH with variant ᴹ√KHIS and the gloss “mist, fog”; ᴹ√KHIS was listed first but all the actual derivatives were from ᴹ√KHITH (Ety/KHIS). The root appeared again in Notes on Galadriel’s Song from the late 1950s or early 1960s as √KHIΘ “mist” (NGS, PE17/73).

Tolkien’s continued use of Q. Hísilómë and (Northern) S. Hithlum throughout his life testifies to the enduring nature of this root, though it seems to have shifted in sense from 1910s “✱shadow” to 1930s “mist”, and from s to th.

Derivatives

  • Q. hísë “mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared”
  • Q. hísië “mist, mistiness” ✧ PE17/073
  • S. hîth “mist”
  • ᴺS. hithu “fog”

Element in

Variations

  • KHIΘ ✧ PE17/073; PE17/157
Primitive elvish [PE17/073; PE17/157] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

hith

noun. mist, fog

Noldorin [Ety/364, S/432] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hithw

noun. fog

Noldorin [Ety/364, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hithw

noun. fog

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s given as N. {heðw >>} hithw “fog” derived from primitive ᴹ✶khithme under the root ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” (Ety/KHIS; EtyAC/KHIS).

Conceptual Development: G. huith “fog” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s is a likely precursor (GL/49), perhaps derived from a (hypothetical) early root ✱ᴱ√HUYU.

Neo-Sindarin: If adapted to Neo-Sindarin, this word would become ᴺS. hithu, as suggested in HSD (HSD).

Changes

  • heðwhithw ✧ Ety/KHIS

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. hiswe “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khithme “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khithme > hithw[kʰitʰme] > [kʰitʰwe] > [xitʰwe] > [xiθwe] > [xiθw] > [hiθw] > [hiθu]✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

  • heðw ✧ EtyAC/KHIS (heðw)
Noldorin [Ety/KHIS; EtyAC/KHIS] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hîth

noun. mist

Changes

  • hîthhîth “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. híse “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khīthi “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khīt(h)i > hîth[kʰītʰi] > [kʰītʰe] > [xītʰe] > [xīθe] > [xīθ] > [hīθ]✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

  • hith ✧ EtyAC/KHIS
  • Hith ✧ TI/124
Noldorin [Ety/KHIS; EtyAC/KHIS; TI/124] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mith

noun. white fog, wet mist

Noldorin [Ety/373] 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!

Qenya 

hiswe

noun. fog

A noun for “fog” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶khithme under the root ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” (Ety/KHIS; EtyAC/KHIS).

Neo-Quenya: The phonetic developments thm > þm̌ > þw > sw were consistent with Quenya phonology of the 1930s (PE19/44), but sometime around 1960, or shortly before, Tolkien revised these rules as discussed in the entry on the phonetic development of voiceless stops and aspirates before nasals (PE19/87 plus p. 88 note #88). I personally prefer the pre-1960 rules, and would retain this form for Neo-Quenya. If, however, you prefer the later rules, you should (a) stick to Q. hísë for both “mist” and “fog”, (b) revise this word to ᴺQ. ✱hitwe to fit later phonology, or (c) assume the primitive form was ✱khithwē rather than ᴹ✶khithme.

Cognates

  • Ilk. hidhum “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • N. hithw “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khithme “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Element in

  • ᴹQ. hiswa “grey, grey [of weather], *foggy, overcast; [ᴱQ.] dim, fading”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khithme > hiswe[kʰitʰme] > [kʰitʰwe] > [xitʰwe] > [xiθwe] > [hiθwe] > [hiswe]✧ Ety/KHIS

Doriathrin

hidhum

noun. fog

A Doriathrin noun for “fog” written hiðum in The Etymologies, and derived from the primitive form ᴹ✶khithme [kʰitʰme] (Ety/KHIS, EtyAC/KHIS). This word illustrates several interesting phonetic changes in Ilkorin.

  • Both the aspirates became voiceless spirants: [kʰ-] > [x-] and [-tʰ-] > [-θ-].

  • Later the [[ilk|initial [x-] became [h-]]].

  • Meanwhile the [[ilk|medial [-θ-] voiced to [-ð-]]] (“dh”).

  • The [[ilk|primitive final [e] was lost]].

  • Afterwards, the resulting [[ilk|final [m] became syllabic and developed into [-um]]].

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. hiswe “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khithme “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khithme > hiðum[kʰitʰme] > [xitʰme] > [xiθme] > [xiθm] > [xiðm] > [hiðm] > [hiðum]✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

  • hiðum ✧ EtyAC/KHIS (Dor. hiðum)
Doriathrin [EtyAC/KHIS] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

khithme

noun. fog

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivatives

  • Ilk. hidhum “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • ᴹQ. hiswe “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • N. hithw “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KHIS] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

hith

interjection. listen! hark!

Derivations

  • ᴱ√HIÞI “*listen”

huith

noun. fog

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√HUYU “*fog”

Element in

Early Ilkorin

seht

adjective. moist, wet

Cognates

  • En. haith “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶siktā “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
Early Ilkorin [PE13/163] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

haith

adjective. moist, wet

Cognates

  • Eilk. seht “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
  • Eq. sihta “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
  • Et. sitta “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶siktā “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/147; PE13/163

Variations

  • heith ✧ PE13/163 (heith)
Early Noldorin [PE13/147; PE13/163] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Solosimpi

sitta

adjective. moist, wet

Cognates

  • En. haith “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶siktā “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
Solosimpi [PE13/163] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

mẓđē

noun. mist

Derivatives

  • Eq. mirde “mist” ✧ PE12/014
Early Primitive Elvish [PE12/014] Group: Eldamo. Published by

siktā

adjective. moist, wet

Derivatives

  • Eilk. seht “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
  • Eq. sihta “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163
  • En. haith “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/147; PE13/163
  • Et. sitta “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Variations

  • sikta ✧ PE13/147
Early Primitive Elvish [PE13/147; PE13/163] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

mirde

noun. mist

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶mẓđē > mirde[mẓðē] > [mẓðe] > [mizðe] > [mizde] > [mirde]✧ PE12/014
Early Quenya [PE12/014] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qosse

noun. mist

A word for “mist” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s derived from the early root ᴱ√QOŘO [QOÐO] or ᴱ√QOSO (QL/78), also appearing in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/78).

Derivations

  • ᴱ√QOÐO “*choke, suffocate, drown” ✧ QL/078

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√QOŘO > qosse[kʷoðsē] > [kʷoðse] > [kʷozse] > [kʷosse]✧ QL/078
Early Quenya [PME/078; QL/078] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sihta

adjective. moist, wet

Cognates

  • En. haith “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶siktā “moist, wet” ✧ PE13/163

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶siktā > sihta[siktā] > [sikta] > [sixta]✧ PE13/163
Early Quenya [PE13/163] Group: Eldamo. Published by

usqe

noun. fog

Cognates

  • G. usc “fog, mist” ✧ GL/75

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ṢQṢ “*fog, mist” ✧ QL/098

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√ṢQṢ > USQE[ṣkʷē] > [ṣkʷe] > [uskʷe]✧ QL/098

Variations

  • USQE ✧ QL/098
Early Quenya [GL/75; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by