lang

noun. passage; neck, passage; neck, *throat

A word for “neck” appearing in notes written around 1967, most notably as an element in tarlang “stiff-neck” = “proud” (PE17/92). It was derived from primitive ✶langō (< √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond”) which meant “a passage (physical), originally applied to any route or connecting link between two places or large objects, especially such as enabled one to cross or surmount an obstacle: such as a mountain-pass, a ridge of higher land across fen-land, an isthmus etc.” (PE17/91-92). This word was then “later applied to narrower parts of a structure serving to join larger parts, especially the ‘neck’ of men and animals”. The word lang had the gloss “neck” (both in geography as well as for men and animals) in Tolkien’s Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings as well (RC/536).

Conceptual Development: There was a similar noun N. {lhang >>} lhanc in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√LAK “swallow” (Ety/LANK). This earlier word was likewise an element in N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate” (Ety/TÁRAG).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I think it is unlikely that N. lhanc (or ᴺS. ✱lanc) “throat” can coexist with S. lang “neck”. However, since S. lang originally referred to a “passage”, I think it can be interpreted as referring to the passage from the mouth to the stomach and lungs, and hence also used with the sense “✱throat”. For the actual interior mechanism of the throat, however, I’d recommend the neologism ᴺS. lhunc “pharynx, gullet” < ᴹ√SLUK “swallow”.

lang

noun. a passage

n. a passage (physical). Originally applied to any route or connecting link between two places or large objects, esp. such as enable one to cross or surmount an obstacle: such as mountain-pass, a ridge of higher land across fen-land, an isthmus, etc. Later applied to narrower parts of a structure serving to join larger parts, esp. the 'neck' of men and animals. FAchad Tarlang

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

lang

cutlass

lang (sword), pl. laing

lang

sword

(cutlass), pl. leng.

lang

cutlass

(sword), pl. laing

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

megil

sword

1. megil (i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32). 2) magol (i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language. 3) lang (cutlass), pl. leng.

magol

sword

(i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language.

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

_ n. _sword. i·arben na megil and 'The Knight of the Long Sword'.

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)

hathel

broadsword blade

(i chathel, o chathel) (axe blade), pl. hethil (i chethil)

megil

sword

(i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32).

tuilinn

swallow

(etymologically ”spring-singer”) *tuilinn (i duilinn, o thuilinn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thuilinn). Form normalized from tuilind in source; the latter would be an archaic form.

tuilinn

swallow

(i duilinn, o thuilinn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thuilinn). Form normalized from tuilind in source; the latter would be an archaic form.

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

magol

noun. sword

athrada-

verb. to cross, traverse

maethon

noun. sword

magl

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

pendrad

noun. passage up or down slope, stairway

pendrath

noun. passage up or down slope, stairway

tuilin

noun. swallow (bird)

tuilind

noun. swallow (bird)

tuilinn

noun. swallow (bird)

lango

passage

lango (2) noun "passage", especially across or over an obstacle, also "neck" (PE17:92)

macil

sword

macil ("k")noun "sword" (MAK, LT1:259, VT39:11, VT45:32, VT49:17); macilya "his (or their) sword" (PE17:130), see -ya #4.

mentië

passage, journey, direction of travel

mentië noun "passage, journey, direction of travel" (PE17:13); the elements are men- "go, proceed" + tië "path, road". Not to be confused with the gerund of menta- #1.

tarwë

cross, crucifix

tarwë noun "cross, Crucifix" (QL:89)

tuilindo

swallow

tuilindo noun "swallow", etymologically "spring-singer" (TUY, LIN2, LT1:269, LT2:338)

yelca

sword

[yelca noun ?"sword" - Tolkien's gloss is not certainly legible, and the word was struck out anyway. (VT45:11)]

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). There are quite a few Quenya neologisms dependent the existence of √LAÑ “across”, however, so I would assume this exists as a variant of √LAƷ. For “throat” words, see the discusssion in the entry for ᴹ√LAK.

makla

noun. sword