Quenya 

langon

throat

langon noun "throat" (MC:216; this is "Qenya", possibly an inflected form of lango #2 above but Tolkien changed it to lanco)

lango

throat

[lango (3) noun "throat"] (Tolkien also listed the plural form langwi_; in the _Etymologies as printed in LR, Christopher Tolkien improperly prefixed an asterisk as if it were an primitive or wrong form; see VT45:26. This indicates that lango has the stem-form *langu-. Compare ango "snake", stem #angu-, pl. angwi. But whatever the case, lango was changed to lanco.) (LANG, see LANK)

lango

noun. neck, neck, [ᴹQ.] throat; [Q.] passages [that are] narrower parts of a structure serving to join larger parts, *corridor

A word for “neck” appearing in notes written around 1967, derived from primitive ✶langō < √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond” (PE17/92). Its primitive form 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 lango “neck” also appeared in notes from 1965, but there it was derived from √LAG, as opposed to the then-distinct root for “beyond”: √LAŊ (PE17/65).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to 1920s, where ᴱQ. lango “neck” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists (PE16/136). It was glossed “neck” in drafts of the ᴱQ. Earendel poem (PE16/100), and as “throat” in the poem itself (MC/216). ᴹQ. lango “throat” appeared in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/8), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s it was {lango >>} ᴹQ. lanko “throat” from the root ᴹ√LAK “swallow” (Ety/LANK). In later writings, Q. lango “neck” was restored (see above).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think lango can refer to both “neck” and “throat”, since its later derivation was from a word meaning “passage”, and hence refers to the passage from the mouth to the stomach and lungs. For the actual interior mechanism of the throat, however, I’d recommend the neologism ᴺQ. hlunco “pharynx, gullet” < ᴹ√SLUK “swallow”.

In a 2024-08-10 post in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), Raccoon suggested lango can also apply more generally to any passages that are “narrower parts of a structure serving to join larger parts”, such as a “✱corridor”, consistent with Tolkien’s notes on PE17/92 (see above). See ᴺQ. terma “passage, aperture” for an alternative with a slightly different meaning.

Quenya [PE17/065; PE17/092] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lanco

throat, swallow

lanco ("k")noun "throat, swallow" _(LAK1 , LANK). _Since this was changed by Tolkien from lango with stem *langu- and pl. langwi, it may be that lanco* should similarly have the stem lancu**- and pl. *lanqui.

acas

neck

acas ("k") noun "neck" (the bony part of the neck, not including throat), pl. axi ("ks") (and so perhaps general stem-form ax-). Also sg. axë (said to be a "later" form apparently replacing acas). The word is also used geographically of rock ridges. (PE17:92)

acas

noun. neck

axo

noun. neck

axë

neck

axë ("ks")noun "neck" (the bony part of the neck, not including throat), pl. axi given. Also sg. acas (the alternative form axë is said to be "later" and seems to be an analogical back-formation from the pl. axi). The word is also used geographically of rock ridges. (PE17:92)

yat

neck

yat (yaht-) noun "neck" (YAK)

Noldorin 

iaeth

noun. neck

Noldorin [Ety/400] Group: SINDICT. Published by

iaeth

noun. neck

A word for “neck” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶yakta- under the root ᴹ√YAK (Ety/KEM), where the primitive k spirantalized and vocalized to i and the resulting diphthong ai became ae, sound changes that remain plausible in Sindarin as well.

Conceptual Development: There was a similar word G. gath “neck” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s from primitive ᴱ✶yatt- (GL/36), with the Gnomish sound change of initial y to g.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use iaeth for “neck” as a joining between the head and torso, as opposed to lang as a passage from the mouth to stomach and lungs [including the “✱throat”] and S. ach referring the vertebrae in the neck [“✱(upper) spine”].

lhanc

noun. throat

Noldorin [Ety/367, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhanc

noun. throat

Noldorin [Ety/LANK; EtyAC/LAK¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Sindarin 

ach

noun. neck

n. neck, refeering properly to the vertebrae (the bony part of the neck not including throat). 'geographical' form achad. Q. akas (later akse) pl. aksi. Fachad

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:92] < _aks_ < AKAS. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

ach

noun. neck, neck, *(upper) spine

A word for “neck” appearing in notes written around 1967, derived from primitive aks based on the root √AKAS “neck, ridge” (PE17/92), where the ks became ch (IPA [x]). Tolkien specified that it was “referring properly only to the vertebrae (the bony part of the neck not including throat)”, so a more accurate translation might be “✱(upper) spine”. A more ordinary word for “neck” as a passage from mouth to the stomach and lungs would be lang.

Sindarin [PE17/092] Group: Eldamo. Published by

achad

noun. neck (properly referring only to the bony vertebral part not including the throat)

Sindarin [RC/537] Q. axo. Group: SINDICT. Published by

achad

neck

n. neck, refeering properly to the vertebrae (the bony part of the neck not including throat). This is a 'geographical' form, S. ach. Q. akas (later akse) pl. aksi. Fach, AchadTarlang

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:92] < _aks_ < AKAS. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lanc

noun. throat

Sindarin [Ety/367, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

iaeth

neck

1) iaeth; no distinct pl. form. 2) lanc (throat), pl. lainc, coll. pl. langath. Note: homophones mean ”naked” and also ”sharp edge, sudden end, brink”.

iaeth

neck

; no distinct pl. form.

lanc

throat

lanc (neck), pl. lainc, coll. pl. langath. Note: homophones mean ”naked” and also ”sharp edge, sudden end, brink”.

lanc

throat

(neck), pl. lainc, coll. pl. langath. Note: homophones mean ”naked” and also ”sharp edge, sudden end, brink”.

lanc

neck

(throat), pl. lainc, coll. pl. langath. Note: homophones mean ”naked” and also ”sharp edge, sudden end, brink”.


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!

Gnomish

langon

masculine name. Langon

A servant of Melko in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/102). The language and meaning of the name is unclear, but it might be G. langon “great bell” used as a name.

Gnomish [LT1I/Langon] Group: Eldamo. Published by

langon

noun. great bell

cwerc

noun. throat

gath

noun. neck

Early Quenya

lango

noun. neck, throat

Early Quenya [MC/216; PE16/100; PE16/104; PE16/136] Group: Eldamo. Published by

langon veakiryo kírier

the throat of the sea-ship clove

Early Quenya [MC/216; PE16/100; PE16/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qelqa

noun. throat

The word ᴱQ. qerka appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as the cognate of G. cwerc “throat” (GL/28). ᴱQ. qerka “throat” appeared again in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/136), but in a list of body parts from this same period it was ᴱQ. qelqa “throat” (PE14/117). There are no signs of these words in Tolkien’s later writings.

Early Quenya [PE14/117] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qerka

noun. throat

Early Quenya [GL/28; PE16/136] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

lango

noun. throat

Qenya [Ety/LANK; EtyAC/LANK; PE21/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lanko

noun. throat

Qenya [Ety/LAK¹; Ety/LANK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

yat

noun. neck, neck; [ᴱQ.] isthmus

Early Noldorin

gara

noun. throat

The word ᴱN. gara “throat” (archaic †garg) appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists derived from primitive ᴱ✶go, where the long syllable became ar (PE13/144). Compare this to ᴱN. griw “alimentary canal” from primitive ᴱ✶grgu-, where with short syllabic the result was gri-.

Conceptual Development: G. cwerc “throat” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s might be a conceptual precursor (GL/28), perhaps from primitive qṛk-, though elsewhere in the Gnomish Lexicon, qṛ- &gt; cur-, as in ᴱ√qṛđ > G. curdhu (GL/28).

Early Noldorin [PE13/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

gṝgo

noun. throat

Early Primitive Elvish [PE13/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

yakta-

noun. neck

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/YAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by