law

root. flourish (green), grow, flourish (green), grow, [ᴹ√] abound; warm

This root was variously connected to life and warmth throughout Tolkien’s life. The earliest iteration of the root was ᴱ√LAWA from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s whose meaning was described as “much same as KOẎO [have life], but used of a vegetable”; it had derivatives like ᴱQ. laule “life, mode of life”, ᴱQ. laute “living thing, (esp.) vegetable”, and ᴱQ. lauke “vegetable, plant (species)” (QL/52). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. lauth “a plant, herb” and G. laug “(of plants) alive, having sap, green, vigorous” (GL/53).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was glossed “warm” with derivatives ᴹQ. lauka and N. lhaug of the same meaning (Ety/LAW). In the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 it was glossed “abound” with a Quenya verb ᴹQ. lauta- of the same meaning (PE22/103).

The root √LAW appeared in notes from the late 1950s serving as the basis for Q. loa “sun-year”, originally with the sense ✶lawā “growing, blooming”; it was also explicitly connected to its extended form √LAWAR with the sense “golden colour” (PE17/159). Its final appearance in currently published materials was in some Late Notes on Verbs from 1969, where it was given as √LAW “flourish (green), grow” with derivative Q. lauya- of the same meaning (PE22/156).

Despite all these minor variations, the general meaning of the root was fairly stable, having mainly to do with life and flourishing (especially of plants), and also connected to warmth and sunlight, probably by association with its extended form √(G)LAWAR “golden colour or light”, which applied to sunshine among other things.

slas

root. ear

slas

noun. ear

law

lū

Q. lū.

lhaw

noun. ears (referring to one person's pair of ears only)

(h)law

noun. flood

law

jyE prefix. not

Neologism derived from the root √LA "no, not". ló- and lenition before consonants. It's meant to be used as an alternative to ú-, which Tolkien rejected as a negative prefix in his later writings.

Examples:
*ló-hevin mass "I do not have bread."
*law aníron mass "I do not want bread."

Phonological development:
lā > lǭ > lau, law
?law > ló-

law

noun. sound

law

adverb. not

lhaw

ears

(?i thlaw or ?i law).

bethren

noun. brother in law, kinsman by marriage

bethres

noun. sister in law, *kinswoman by marriage

thain

adjective. law-abiding, regular, normal, *lawful, formal, according to custom

thain

noun. law, rule

theinas

noun. law, rule

l(h)ô

noun. flood, fenland, flood, fenland; [G.] pool, lake

A noun that served as the final element in various river names. Tolkien was uncertain whether the primitive form of this word began with simple l- or s-prefixed sl-, hence the variation between lô and lhô. In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien said the non-suffixal form of this word was hlô “flood” (PE17/96). In notes from 1966-67 he gave a bewildering variety of derivations for this word, but mostly represented it as lhô or hlô in various attempts to connect it to the river name S. Lhûn (PE17/136-137; VT48/27-28).

In notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69, while discussing the river name S. Gwathló Tolkien said:

> The element -ló was also of Common Eldarin origin, derived from a base (s)log: in Common Eldarin sloga had been a word used for streams of a kind that were variable and liable to overflow their banks at seasons and cause floods when swollen by rains or melting snow; especially such as the Glanduin (described above) that had their sources in mountains and fell at first swiftly, but were halted in the lower lands and flats. ✱sloga became in Sindarin lhô; but was not in later times much used except in river or marsh names. The Quenya form would have been hloä (VT42/9).

Tolkien rejected this etymology, however, replacing it with the following:

> Lô was derived from Common Eldarin base LOG “wet (and soft), soaked, swampy, etc.” The form ✱loga produced S. lô and T. loga; and also, from ✱logna, S. loen, T. logna “soaking wet, swamped”. But the stem in Quenya, owing to sound-changes which caused its derivatives to clash with other words, was little represented ... the Quenya form of S. lô would have been ✱✱loa, identical with Q. loa < ✱lawa “year”; the form of S. loen, T. logna would have been ✱✱lóna identical with [Q.] lóna “pool, mere” (VT42/10).

This final etymology appears to be the last one Tolkien wrote on the topic; later in the same document he used the form lô in discussions of the river name S. Ringló (VT42/13-14). As for the meaning of the word, it seems it applied both to wide rivers with a tendency to flood their banks, as well as fenlands or wetlands in general.

Conceptual Development: As an element in river names, -lo first appeared in the river names N. Gwathlo and N. Ringlo in Lord of the Rings drafts (TI/304; WR/287). G. lô “pool, lake” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s is possible precursor (GL/54).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer the pre-1968 form of the word lhô, as this is both more distinctive and also allows us to salvage Q. hloä of similar meaning.

-lo

lū

suff. Q. lū.

al-

prefix. not

pref. not. >> alfirin

duinen

noun. flood, high tide

hlô

noun. flood

n. flood.

laug

adjective. warm

lheweg

noun. ear

The Sindarin word for “ear” was derived from primitive √S-LAS, an elaboration of √LAS “listen” (PE17/62). Its singular form lheweg is somewhat unusual. Based on its Quenya cognate Q. hlas (< ✶slas), its historical singular should probably be ✱lhâ. However, the modern Sindarin form was actually based on the (fossilized) dual lhaw < ✶slasū, from which a singular form lheweg “ear” was derived using the singular suffix -eg < -ikā (PE23/136), though it isn’t clear why the base vowel also changed from a to e since a-affection normally precedes (and prevents) i-affection.

The typical word for “ears” is the fossilized dual lhaw, but that can only be used to refer to the pair of ears on a single person, and this lhaw is treated as singular noun for purposes of verb and adjective agreement. When referring to multiple ears more generally, the plural lhewig is used (PE23/136).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien described a similar scenario in The Etymologies of the 1930s, except the singular was N. {lhaweg >>} lhewig and it was derived directly from ᴹ√LAS “listen” (Ety/LAS²; EtyAC/LAS²). The voiceless lh- in this word was the result of the Noldorin sound-change of the 1930s whereby ancient initial r-, l- were unvoiced. This Noldorin dual lhaw made it into Lord of the Rings drafts as part of Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, (lit.) of Ears” (TI/364), a form that Tolkien retained in the published version (LotR/393). Since the unvoicing of initial l was no longer a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, Tolkien needed to contrive a new derivation from primitive √S-LAS.

The Gnomish word for “ear” from the 1910s had a completely different basis: it was G. unc “ear, handle (of a jar)” (GL/75), cognate to ᴱQ. unk derived from the root ᴱ√ṆQṆ (QL/98).

lô

flood

n. flood.

lô

noun. flood, fenland

romru

noun. sound of horns

rû

noun. loud-sound, trumpet-sound

ú-

~M prefix. negates the sense of the following word

pref. negates the sense of the following word. Applied to all classes of words but especially to verbs and adjectives. Prefixed to verbal stems (without further suffix), it forms quasi-participles in aorist mode (e.g. únod not ever counting, _úbed _not saying). The continuative participle ol can be added in order to express a strictly present (and continuative) sense : úgarol 'not now doing or making', idling vs. ugar '(generally) idle'. There is no sens of 'without' attaching to ú- in Sindarin, see pen- (ben-). >> pen-, úland, úlann

al

not

al- (prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

al

not

(prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

ava

will not

(i ava, in avar).

lammad

sound of voices

pl. lemmaid. May also be spelt with a single m.

laug

warm

laug (pl. loeg)

laug

adjective. warm

laug

warm

(pl. loeg)

lhewig

ear

lhewig (?i thlewig or ?i lewig the lenition product of lh is uncertain). This ia a singular formed from the collective

lhewig

ear

(?i thlewig or ?i lewig – the lenition product of lh is uncertain). This ia a singular formed from the collective

lhûn

making sound

lenited ?thlûn or ?lûn (the lenition product of lh is uncertain), pl. lhuin. Verb

nellad

sound of bells

(pl. nellaid);

ovra

abound

ovra- (i ovra, in ovrar)

ovra

abound

(i ovra, in ovrar)

romru

sound of horns

pl. remry (idh remry) for archaic römry;

said

not common

(lenited haid; no distinct pl. form) (separate, private, excluded) (VT42:20)

ú

not

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin ”I do not keep”) (without). Verb

ú

not

u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin ”

lhaw

noun. ears (referring to one person's pair of ears only)

lhaug

adjective. warm

An adjective appearing as N. lhaug “warm” in The Etymologies of the 1930s from primitive ᴹ✶lauka under the root ᴹ√LAW of the same meaning (Ety/LAW).

Conceptual Development: G. laug appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “(of plants) alive, having sap, green, vigorous” (GL/53), likely based on the early root ᴱ√LAWA having to do with the life of plants (QL/52).

Neo-Sindarin: This word is usually adapted as ᴺS. laug “warm” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, as suggested in HSD (HSD), since the unvoicing of initial l is not a feature of later Sindarin.

lhaug

adjective. warm

lhewig

noun. ear

lhewig

noun. ear

lo

noun. flood

nella-

verb. to sound (of bells)

ovra-

verb. to abound

rhomru

noun. sound of horns

rhû

noun. loud-sound, trumpet-sound

axantur

masculine name. *Master of Law

Third child of Nolondil and ancestor of Hallacar, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. His name seems to be a compound of axan “law” and -tur “master”, so perhaps: “Master of Law”.

axan

law, rule, commandment

axan noun "law, rule, commandment". Adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399) Pl. axani is attested (VT39:23, defined as "laws, rules, as primarily proceeding from Eru" in VT39:30). Apparently compounded in the name Axantur *"Commandment-lord" (= lord who respects and/or rules in accordance with God-given commandments?) (UT:210)

sanya

regular, law-abiding, normal

sanya (þ) (1) adj. "regular, law-abiding, normal" (STAN); variant vorosanya with a prefixed element meaning "ever" (VT46:16)

sanyë

rule, law

sanyë (þ) noun "rule, law" (STAN)

vorosanya

regular, law-abiding, normal

vorosanya (þ) adj. "regular, law-abiding, normal" (VT46:16); also just sanya (þ). The prefix voro- means "ever" or "continually".

axan

noun. law, rule, commandment, commandment, [divine] law or rule

namna

noun. statute, statute, *law

axanwë

noun. logic, (orig.) law of thought

A neologism coined by Arael posted on 2023-12-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), originally a combination of axan “law” and sanwë “thought”, with some reductions.

sanyetirno

noun. police officer, policeman, (lit.) law-watcher

A neologism for “police officer, policeman” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-08-06 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of [ᴹQ.] sanye “law” and ᴹ✶tirnō̆ “watcher”.

sanyesta

noun. law [as a scholarly discipline]

verrendo

noun. brother in law, kinsman by marriage

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2022 specifically for Eldamo, a combination of ᴺ√BES “wed” and ᴺQ. rendo “male relative”, inspired by G. bedhren.

verressë

noun. sister in law, kinswoman by marriage

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2022 specifically for Eldamo, a combination of ᴺ√BES “wed” and ᴺQ. ressë “female relative”, inspired by G. bedhres.

lauca

warm

lauca ("k")adj. "warm" (LAW)

láma

noun. sound, sound; [ᴹQ.] ringing sound, echo

ala

not

ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation lá, -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see lá #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix -më (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in álamë tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.

ala-

not

ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.

cunta

rule

cunta, also cunya, vb. (or less likely noun) "rule" (PE17:117)

heru-

verb. to rule

heru- vb. "to rule" (LT1:272; rather tur- in LotR-style Quenya)

hlas

ear

hlas noun "ear", stem hlar- as in the dual form hlaru (PE17:62). Compare lár #2.

hlas

noun. ear

The Quenya word for “ear” is derived from primitive √S-LAS, an elaboration of √LAS “listen” (PE17/62, 77). It had a stem form of hlar- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s the word for “ear” was derived directly from ᴹ√LAS “listen”, and had the form lár (Ety/LAS²). This seems to be a brief reversion to Early Qenya phonology of the 1910s, where medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26); compare to ᴹQ. kár (kas-) “head”, also from The Etymologies (Ety/KAS). In that document, the Noldorin word for “ear” was N. lhewig, a singular form based on the fossilized dual lhaw (Ety/LAS²). The voiceless lh- in this word was the result of the Noldorin sound-change of the 1930s whereby ancient initial r-, l- were unvoiced.

This Noldorin word made it into Lord of the Rings drafts as part of Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, (lit.) Hill of Ears” (TI/364), a form that Tolkien retained in the published version (LotR/393). Since the unvoicing of initial l was no longer a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, Tolkien needed to contrive a new derivation from primitive √S-LAS, which also necessitated a change in the Quenya cognate to voiceless initial hl-.

Early Qenya words for “ear” from the 1910s had a completely different basis. They include ᴱQ. ankar (ankas-) “ear (of men)”, ᴱQ. qan (qand-) “ear”, and ᴱQ. unk (unq-) “ear (of animals)” from the Qenya Lexicon, all based on the root ᴱ√ṆQṆ (QL/31, 76, 98). The last of these reappeared as unko “ear” in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s and contemporaneous word lists (PE14/52, 76, 117; PE15/71), but seems to have been abandoned by the 1930s.

hlón

sound

hlón noun "sound", "a noise" (VT48:29). Also hlóna. The stem of hlón is apparently hlon- if hloni "sounds" in WJ:394 is its plural form.

hlöa

noun. flood, fenland

A Quenya cognate of S. lhô appearing in The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69, rejected when Tolkien revised the primitive form {✶sloga >>} ✶loga and the Sindarin form {lhô >>} lô (VT42/9-10). I personally prefer the earlier form S. lhô which Tolkien used prior to 1968, and as such I think ᴺQ. hlöa “flood, fenland” is salvagable for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, as a derivative of an s-prefixed variant of √LOG. See the entry on S. l(h)ô for further discussion.

lamma

sound

lamma noun "sound" (LAM)

lauta-

verb. abound

lauya

verb. flourish (green), grow

luimë

flood

luimë noun "flood" (VT48:23, 30; the additional glosses "floodwater, flooded land" were struck out, VT48:30), "flood, high tide" (VT48:24, 30). According to VT48:30, partially illegible glosses in Tolkien's manuscript may also suggest that luimë can be used for any tide, or for the spring tide (the maximum tide just after a new or full moon).

láma#

noun. sound

sound

lár

ear

lár (2) noun "ear" (?). Tolkien's wording is not clear, but ¤lasū is given as an ancient dual form "(pair of) ears"; Quenya lár could represent the old singular las- (LAS2). In a post-LotR source, Tolkien derives hlas "ear" (dual hlaru) from a stem SLAS(PE17:62). Initial hl- rather than l- reflects the revised form of the stem (LAS becoming SLAS), and in the later version of the phonology, postvocalic -s does not become -r when final. Compare the noun "dream", given as olor in the Etymologies (LOS), but as olos pl. olori in a later source (UT:396)

lúto

flood

lúto noun "flood" (LT1:249)

namna

statute

namna noun "statute"; Namna Finwë Míriello "the Statute of Finwë and Míriel" (MR:258)

sanya

adjective. normal

normal

ulundë

flood

ulundë noun "flood" (ULU), possibly in the sense of (great) river.% Cf. nuinë, oloirë.

vala-

verb. to rule

vala- (2) vb. "to rule", only with reference to the Valar (see Vala). Future tense valuva is attested (WJ:404)

vard-

verb. rule, govern

vard- vb. "rule, govern" (LT1:273; hardly valid in Tolkien's later Quenya)

ú

particle. not

hlöa

noun. flood, fenland

huzun

noun. ear

A noun translated as “ear” and fully declined as an example of a Strong I noun (SD/430).

aba-

prefix. not