gartha-

verb. to defend, keep

There was a deleted verb N. gartho “defend, keep” in The Etymologies of the 1930s based on the root ᴹ√GARAT, an extension of ᴹ√GAR “keep, maintain, defend” (EtyAC/GAR).

Neo-Sindarin: I think it is worth restoring ᴺS. gartha- “to defend” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, but for “keep” I would use better known S. heb-.

Conceptual Development: This verb had other meanings in Tolkien’s earlier writings. In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s it was G. gartha- “admire, have affection or respect for” based on the early root ᴱ√gṛþ- (GL/42). The Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s had ᴱN. gartha- “to set, put in position, appoint” (PE13/161), perhaps related to the early root ᴱ√ƷARA “spread, wide places” given the noun ᴱN. garth “place” from the same page in this document.

tamma-

verb. to knock

A verb appearing as its Noldorin-style infinitive form tammo “to knock” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, derived from primitive ᴹ✶tambā́- under the root ᴹ√TAM “knock” (Ety/TAM; EtyAC/TAM). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road Christopher Tolkien gave the infinitive form as tamno (LR/390), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this to tammo in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/17).

dangen

noun. slain

dangen

adjective. slain

gar-

verb. to hold, have

gerin

verb. I hold, I have

gwedh-

verb. to bind

tir-

verb. to watch

tiria-

verb. to watch

aw

root. possess, own, keep (have in hand, use or with one)

A root appearing in some late notes on verbs from around 1969, with the sense “possess, own, keep” (PE22/151). It seems to be a restoration of a much earlier root from the 1910s, which appeared as ᴱ√AW̯A in the Qenya Lexicon with derivatives having to do with wealth, such as ᴱQ. ausie “wealth” and ᴱQ. aute “rich” (QL/33), as well as Gnomish and Early Noldorin cognates G. avos “wealth” (GL/20) and ᴱN. awes “rich” (PE13/137). This root is a good example of how certain linguistic ideas could lay dormant for many years in Tolkien’s writing, only to reemerge much later. This makes it difficult to say for certain whether Tolkien really abandoned a particular idea.

tatalat-

verb. totter, keep on slipping

dankĭnā

adjective. slain

kher

root. possess, possess, [ᴹ√] rule, govern, [ᴱ√] have power

The basic root for rulership was √KHER for most of Tolkien’s life. The root appeared as ᴱ√HERE “rule, have power” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, and in this period already had the derivative ᴱQ. heru “lord” and ᴱQ. heri “lady” (QL/40), words that retained the same form and meaning throughout Tolkien’s life. Gnomish derivatives from this period include G. herma “protection, lordship, sway”, G. hermon “lord”, G. hîr “care, anxiety; heed”, and G. hiril “queen†, princess” (GL/49).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s these last two Gnomish words became N. hîr “master” and N. hiril “lady” as derivatives of ᴹ√KHER “rule, govern, possess”; the words ᴹQ. heru/ᴹQ. heri reappeared as well (Ety/KHER). All four of these words reappeared frequently in Tolkien’s later writing, though S. hîr was more typically glossed “lord” (PM/210; SD/129; VT41/9; Let/382; UT/318). The root √KHER itself reappeared in a 1954 letter to Naomi Mitchison with the gloss “possess” (Let/178).

heb-

verb. to keep

A verb for “to keep” appearing only in its negated form ú-chebin in the phrase ú-chebin estel anim “I have kept no hope for myself” from The Lord of the Rings Appendix A (LotR/1061). Its root √KHEP “retain, keep, do not give away or release, keep hold of” appeared in notes from around 1959-60 (PE17/157; VT41/6).

heb-

verb. to retain, keep, do not give away or release, keep hold of

hebin

verb. I keep, I have kept

Because of the mutation triggered by the first person pronominal ending, it is impossible to guess whether the stem of this should be heb-, hab- or hob-. The root KHEP listed in VT/41:6 apparently implies that heb- is the correct form

gartha

keep

(defend) (i ’artha, i ngarthar = i ñarthar). Noun

heb

keep

(verb) 1) heb- (i chêb, i chebir) (retain); 2) gartha- (defend) (i **artha, i ngarthar** = i ñarthar). Noun

heb

keep

(i chêb, i chebir) (retain)

gartha-

verb. to defend, keep

hebia-

verb. to delay, retain, keep (temporarily)

@@@ VLDS discussion 2020

band

safekeeping

(i mand, o mband; construct ban) (custody, prison, duress, doom, hell), pl. baind (i mbaind), coll. pl. bannath.

gartha

defend

gartha- (keep) (i **artha, i ngarthar** = i ñarthar)

gartha

defend

(keep) (i ’artha, i ngarthar = i ñarthar)

heb

retain

heb- (i chêb, i chebir) (keep)

heb

retain

(i chêb, i chebir) (keep)

dangen

adjective. slain

An adjective for “slain” derived from primitive ✶dankĭnā (PE17/133), best known from its (mutated plural) appearance in the name Haudh-en-Ndengin “Hill of Slain” (S/197). N. dangen “slain” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√NDAK “slay” (Ety/NDAK). This adjective is likely the passive participle of the verb dag- “to slay”.

Conceptual Development: A similar adjective ᴱN. danc “killed in battle” appeared in the Early Qenya Phonology of the 1920s, also related to ᴱN. dag- “slay” (PE14/66).

dag

slain

(passive participle of dag- "slay", but treated almost like a derived noun) dangen (i nangen, o ndangen), pl. dengin (i ndengin; the spelling "in-ndengin" occurs in the Silmarillion). Compare SLAY.

dag

slain

"slay", but treated almost like a derived noun) dangen (i nangen, o ndangen), pl. dengin* (i ndengin*; the spelling "in-ndengin" occurs in the Silmarillion). Compare

gar

possess

gar- (i **âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (hold, have; be able, can); pa.t. garant**. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gar

possess

(i ’âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (hold, have; be able, can); pa.t. garant. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gar

have

gar- (i **âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (hold, possess; be able, can); pa.t. garant**. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gar

hold

gar- (i **âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (have, possess; be able, can); pa.t. garant**. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gar

hold

(i ’âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (have, possess; be able, can); pa.t. garant. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gwedh

bind

*gwedh- (i **wêdh, in gwedhir), pa.t. gwedhant, in older language also gwend**. In LR:397 s.v.

gwedh

bind

(i ’wêdh, in gwedhir), pa.t. gwedhant, in older language also gwend. In LR:397 s.v.

nod

bind

nod- (i nôd, i nedir) (tie), pa.t. likely *nunt since the root is __ (LR:378).

nod

bind

(i nôd, i nedir) (tie), pa.t. likely ✱nunt since the root is NUT (LR:378).

tir-

guard

_(verb) 1) tir- (cited in the form _tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen. 2) tiria- (watch, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tir-

guard

(cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen. 2) tiria- (watch, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tir-

watch (over)

tir- (cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (guard, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

tirith

guard, guarding

(i dirith, o thirith) (guard, guarding, vigilance), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thirith)

öa-

verb. to possess, own, keep

A verb Tolkien coined in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) written in 1969 (PE22/155-156) to have the meaning “possess, own, keep (have in hand, use or with one)” (PE22/151). It was derived from the root √AW, apparently not in its usual sense “away”. Tolkien considered two base forms: auta- with pasts au̯ante, oante, vante, or oa- with past aune, future auva, and alternate present āva. Since auta- clashes with better known auta- “depart”, I recommended using oa- “possess, own, keep” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

ornendur

noun. tree-keep, forester, woodsman

A word in 1959 notes Tolkien described as “a tree-keep, a forester, a ‘woodsman’, a man concerned with trees as we might say ‘professionally’ (NM/20)”. It was given as an example of the use of the suffix -(n)dur, and its initial element is ornë “tree”.

tamba-

verb. to knock, keep on knocking

tamba- vb. "to knock, keep on knocking" (TAM)

tutulla-

verb. to keep on coming (and going)

A frequentative variant of tul- “come”, and thus meaning “to keep on coming (and going)” = “✱come repeatedly/regularly” (PE22/95, 100, 130).

tir-

verb. to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe, to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe; [ᴱQ.] to keep, preserve

auta-

verb. to possess, own, keep

cacarra-

verb. keep on doing

cucumba-

verb. keep on bowing = to nod repeatedly

nenemma-

verb. keep on (re)appearing

quequetta-

verb. repeat, keep on saying

sapsarra-

verb. keep on rubbing, fray away

tutulla-

verb. keep on coming (and going)

ululla-

verb. keep on pouring

hap-

verb. to bind, restrain; to retain, keep, detain

A neologism for “to bind, restrain” coined by Paul Strack in 2023 specifically for Eldamo based on the root √KHAP of similar meaning (PE17/157). The NQW instead used this word to mean “to retain, keep, detain” (PE17/68), but I prefer [ᴺQ.] hapya- for that purpose.

hep-

verb. to keep

A neologism for “to keep” appearing in ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000s, based on S. heb- “keep”.

hepíte

adjective. ungenerous, (lit.) apt to keep

A neologism for “ungenerous” coined by Raccoon posted on 2025-01-25 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of hep- “keep” and -itë “apt to”, so more literally “apt to keep”. It is more neutral than milka “greedy”.

arranga-

verb. to keep up with, keep pace with

A neologism for “keep up with, keep pace with” coined by Arael posted on 2025-06-22 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of ar(a) “beside” and ranga “pace”.

lelelya-

verb. to go on travelling, keep travelling

A neologism for “go on travelling, keep travelling” used by Helge Fauskanger in his NQNT (NQNT), a frequentative form of the verb lelya- “travel”.

hapya-

verb. to delay, retain, keep (temporarily)

@@@ VLDS discussion 2020

úhep-

verb. to lose, (lit.) to un-keep

nonóra-

verb. to run on, run smoothly and hum, *keep on running (especially of machines)

tatalta-

verb. to totter, keep on slipping

A neologism coined by Vyacheslav Stepanov and posted on 2024-08-06 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a frequentative form of the verb Q. talta- “slip, slide down”.

-na

no longer part of verbal conjugation

-na (4), ending used to form passive participles as well as some adjectives and nouns; see -ina. According to PE17:68, the ending -na was "no longer part of verbal conjugation"; the derived words are thus considered independent adjectives (sometimes nouns) rather than regularly derived passive participles, the obvious etymological connection to certain verbal stems notwithstanding. Where adding the ending to a root would produce the combinations tn, pn, kn (cn), metathesis occurs to produce nt, (np >) mp, nc, as in nanca *"slain" for older ¤ndakna, or hampa "restrained, delayed, kept" vs. the root KHAP "retain, keep, detain". Following -l, the suffix -na turns into -da, as in yulda "draught, the amount drunk" for older yulna (this being an example of a noun being derived with this ending, though Tolkien might also explain yulda as containing a distinct ending -da [q.v.] denoting the result of a verbal action). The word *turúna "mastered" (q.v., only attested in elided form turún) would seem to be a passive participle formed from the verb turu- "master" (PE17:113), suggesting that in the case of U-stem verbs, their final -u is lengthened to ú when -na is added.

tatalat-

verb. totter

totter, keep on slipping

-na

suffix. slain

A shorter ending -na also occurs, e.g. nahtana "slain" (VT49:24); the example hastaina "marred" would suggest that *nahtaina is equally possible. In the example aistana "blessed" (VT43:30), -na may be preferred to -ina for euphonic reasons, to avoid creating a second diphthong ai where one already occurs in the previous syllable (*aistaina). In PE17:68, the ending -ina is said to be "aorist" (unmarked as regards time and aspect); the same source states that the shorter ending -na is "no longer part of verbal conjugation", though it obviously survives in many words that are maybe now to be considered independent adjectives. See -na #4.

enquete-

verb. repeat, say again

enquete- vb. "repeat, say again" (PE17:167)

harya-

verb. possess

harya- vb. "possess" (3AR)

nanca

slain

nanca adj. *"slain" (PE17:68); see -na

sam-

verb. have

#sam- vb. "have" (cited as samin, 1st person sg. aorist), pa.t. sámë (PE17:173)

penta-

verb. to lose

There have been various neologism for verbs meaning “to lose”, all rendered moot by the publication of [ᴹQ.] rov- “lose” in 2024.

kan-

verb. to hold

A verb translated “hold”, given by Tolkien as an example of a biconsonantal-verb (SD/439). There is unfortunately no information on how it might be conjugated.

dachen

adjective. slain