A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “small fish” with derivatives like ᴹQ. hala of the same meaning and ᴹQ. halatir(no)/N. heledir “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” (Ety/SKAL²). Elsewhere in The Etymologies Tolkien had ᴹ√KHAL¹ “(small) fish” (Ety/KHAL¹), but there the root was revised to ᴹ√KHOL before the entry was deleted with reference to ᴹ√SKAL (Ety/KHAL¹). TThis primitive khal-form for “fish” also appeared as a note on the title page of The Etymologies (EtyAC/KHAL¹).
Middle Primitive Elvish
khal
root. (small) fish
khal
root. uplift, erect, lift from ground, (make) stand up
Derivatives
Element in
- N. Haleth ✧ Ety/KHAL² (
Haleth)- N. Haldir “Hidden Hero” ✧ Ety/KHAL² (
Halmir)- N. orchal “superior, eminent, lofty” ✧ Ety/ORO
- N. Orchelanath ✧ EtyAC/MBAT(H) (
Orchallamath)Variations
- KHAL ✧ EtyAC/MBAT(H) (
KHAL); PE22/103; PE22/127 (KHAL)
kham
root. call to, summon, name by name
Derivatives
Variations
- KHAL² ✧ EtyAC/KHAM (
KHAL²)- KYAM ✧ EtyAC/KHAM (
KYAM)- KHEM ✧ EtyAC/KHAM (
KHEM)
khol
root. (small) fish
skal
root. small fish
Changes
KHAL¹→ KHOL “(small) fish” ✧ Ety/KHAL¹KHOL→ SKAL “(small) fish” ✧ Ety/KHAL¹Derivatives
- ᴹ✶skala “fish” ✧ EtyAC/KHAL¹
- ᴹQ. hala “(small) fish” ✧ Ety/KHAL¹; Ety/SKAL²
- N. heledir(n) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” ✧ Ety/KHAL¹; Ety/SKAL²
Variations
- KHAL¹ ✧ Ety/KHAL¹ (
KHAL¹)- KHOL ✧ Ety/KHAL¹ (
KHOL)- SKAL ✧ Ety/KHAL¹
- KHAL ✧ EtyAC/KHAL¹
A root that was a later entry in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “call to, summon, name by name” and having rejected variants ᴹ√KHAL², ᴹ√KYAM and ᴹ√KHEM. Tolkien’s introduction of this root seems to have caused him to restore ᴹ√KHAD over ᴹ√KHAM “sit”; see the entry on √KHAD for further discussion. Meanwhile, ᴹ√KHAM² was probably introduced to explain ᴹQ. nahamna “summoned” in the version of the Lament of Atalante from the 1930s (LR/47). The phrase where it appeared underwent quite a few changes thereafter, ultimately becoming ar Sauron túle nukumna Númenórenna “and Sauron came humbled [to Númenor]” by the 1940s, so the future status of ᴹ√KHAM² “summon” is unclear.
It is a useful root for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, however, and I think it is worth retaining.