ken

root. see, perceive, note, see, perceive, note, [ᴹ√] look at, observe, direct gaze

Tolkien first introduced this root in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a variant of ᴹ√KHEN “look at, see, observe, direct gaze” along with ᴹ√KYEN (EtyAC/KHEN). In The Etymologies it had no derivatives, but in the Quenya Verbal System it appeared with the gloss “see, perceive” as the basis for the verb ᴹQ. ken- of the same meaning (PE22/103). √KEN “see, perceive” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writing thereafter (PE17/156, 187; PE22/155; VT41/5).

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. cecenna- “to visit”
• ᴺQ. cemma “picture, (lit.) something seen”
• Q. cen- “to see, behold, look, to see, behold, look, *perceive”
• Q. cenda- “to watch (intensively), observe (for some time); to read” ✧ PE17/156; VT41/05
• Q. cénima “visible, visible, [ᴹQ.] able to be seen” ✧ PE22/155
• Q. cenítë “seeing, *able to see” ✧ PE22/155
• Q. centa “enquiry, *essay”
• ᴺQ. cenya- “to study”
• S. cen- “to see, perceive, look”

Element in

• ᴺQ. ehten “outlook, sight, view, spectacle”

Variations

• ken ✧ VT41/05

kemen

noun. earth

Derivations

• ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth”

Derivatives

• Q. cemen “the earth; earth, the earth; earth, [ᴹQ.] soil”
• S. ceven “Earth, earth; Earth”

keme

noun. earth

Derivations

• ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth”

Variations

• kĕmĕ ✧ PE21/80 (kĕmĕ)