rista
noun. *cut, [ᴹQ.] cut
Derivations
- √RIS “cut, cleave, cut, cleave; [ᴹ√] slash, rip” ✧ PE17/087
Element in
- ᴺQ. hórista “citation, quotation, (lit.) something cut out”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √RIS > rista [rista] ✧ PE17/087
tarwë
cross, crucifix
rest
noun. *cut, [N.] cut
Derivations
Element in
- S. Eglarest “*Forsaken Cut” ✧ WJ/365
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶rista > rest [rista] > [resta] > [rest] ✧ WJ/365
athra
cross
(verb) #athra- (isolated from the gerund athrad "crossing") (i athra, in athrar), also athrada- (traverse) (i athrada, in athradar)
athra
cross
(isolated from the gerund athrad "crossing") (i athra, in athrar), also athrada- (traverse) (i athrada, in athradar)
lag
root. *neck
laʒ
root. cross, pass over, go beyond
Tolkien considered several similar roots for the Elvish words “neck”, “throat” and “beyond”.
In The Etymologies, the words for “throat” were ᴹQ. lanko and N. lhanc from the root ᴹ√LAK with nasal-infixion (Ety/LAK, Ety/TARAG). The Noldorin form also appeared as an element in the adjective N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate”. In The Lord of the Rings, it seems that this last word had shifted to S. tarlang, as in the place name Tarlang (LotR/790). The earlier words reappeared as S. lang and Q. lango “neck, passage”, whose roots were either √LAG (PE17/65) or √LAƷA (PE17/91-92).
Tolkien also established the word Q. lá as the Quenya element meaning “beyond”, most notably in the preposition pella (the Namárië poem, LotR/377), whose literal meaning was “beyond the border”. There is an early hint of this sense in The Etymologies in the root ᴹ√LĀ, unglossed but said to be related to the “ablative element” ᴹ√LŌ (EtyAC/LŌ). Other possible precursors are ᴱ√ALA “spread” and related ᴱ√LAHA or ᴱ√LĀ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/29, 32, 50).
In notes from 1965, Tolkien stated that the root of lá “beyond” was √LAŊ, distinct from the root √LAG of lango (PE17/65). But in notes from 1967, Tolkien briefly considered using the root √ALA/LA for lá “beyond” (PE17/90), but quickly changed it to √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond” (PE17/91-92), the same as the root of Q. lango “neck” as noted above. This leaves us with two scenarios: that lango “neck” and lá “beyond” had distinct origins from the roots √LAG and √LAÑ respectively (1965: PE17/65), or that lango “neck” and lá “beyond” had the same origin in the root √LAƷ “cross, pass over, go beyond” (1967: PE17/91-92).
Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I prefer the 1967 scenario with the root √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond”, and would assume “neck” is based on the sense “passage”, since it frees up the root √LAG to retain its meaning from The Etymologies: ᴹ√LAG “✱cut” (Ety/LAG). For “throat” words, see the discusssion in the entry for ᴹ√LAK.
Derivatives
- ✶lā̆ “beyond” ✧ PE17/065
- Q. lá “beyond, over, across, athwart” ✧ PE17/065; PE17/065
- ✶langa ✧ PE17/091
- Q. langë “surpassingly, superlatively, extremely” ✧ PE17/091
- ✶langō “route or connection between to places; neck” ✧ PE17/091
- ✶lañna “athwart” ✧ PE17/065
- Q. lanna “athwart, (to a point) beyond, athwart, (to a point) beyond, *across” ✧ PE17/065
- Q. lá “beyond, over, across, athwart” ✧ PE17/065; PE17/090; PE17/091
- Q. lahta- “to cross, pass over, go over; to surpass, excel” ✧ PE17/065; PE17/092
- Q. lan “*while”
- Q. langa “thing that crosses, ferry, ford, crossway, bridge, cross-bar” ✧ PE17/065
- Q. lango “neck, neck, [ᴹQ.] throat” ✧ PE17/065
- Q. lanna “athwart, (to a point) beyond, athwart, (to a point) beyond, *across” ✧ PE17/065
- ᴺS. lo “while”
Element in
Variations
- LAŊ ✧ PE17/065; PE17/159
- LAG ✧ PE17/065; PE17/159
- ALA/LA ✧ PE17/090; PE17/146
- LAƷA ✧ PE17/091; PE17/092; PE17/159
- LA ✧ PE17/158
rista
noun. *cut
Derivations
- √RIS “cut, cleave, cut, cleave; [ᴹ√] slash, rip”
Derivatives
- S. rest “*cut, [N.] cut” ✧ WJ/365
Element in
- ✶hekla-rista “Eglarest” ✧ WJ/365
athrada-
verb. to cross, traverse
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!
lag
root. *cut
An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives ᴹQ. lango “broad sword; prow of a ship” and N. lhang “cutlass, sword” (Ety/LAG), so probably meaning something like “✱cut”.
Derivatives
yak
root. *neck
An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. yat/N. iaeth “neck” (Ety/YAK). It might also be the basis for later Sindarin S. iach “ford” as in S. Arossiach “Ford(s) of Aros” (S/121, WJ/338).
Derivatives
feŋe
root. *cut
A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with Qenya derivatives having to do with cutting (QL/38). The contemporaneous Gnomish word G. feng “arrow” is likely derived from this root (GL/34). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.
Derivatives
tarwë noun "cross, Crucifix" (QL:89)