Primitive elvish

le

pronoun. you (sg.)

Primitive elvish [PE19/080; PE22/140; PE23/113; PE23/119; PE23/120; VT48/24; VT49/50; VT49/52] Group: Eldamo. Published by

leñwe

noun. leñwe

Primitive elvish [PE19/097] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ledmē

noun. leaving, departure

Primitive elvish [PE17/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lednē

noun. lednē

Primitive elvish [PE17/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ledya-

verb. ledya-

Primitive elvish [WJ/363] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepethron

noun. lepethron

Primitive elvish [PE17/089] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lek

root. loose, unbind, let, permit, loose, unbind, let, permit, [ᴹ√] let loose, release

This root was the basis for the word S. leithia- “release” as in the Lay of Leithian “Release from Bondage” (S/162). The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LEK “loose, let loose, release” with derivatives like ᴹQ. lehta- “loose, slacken”, N. lheithia- “to release” and Ilk. legol “nimble, active, running free” (Ety/LEK). According to Christopher Tolkien, a note on a slip accompanying The Etymologies had Leth- “set free” instead, related to ᴹ√LED (LB/154; Ety/LEK). In a list of roots from 1959-60 the root √LEK “loose, unbind, let, permit” reappeared (VT41/6), and Tolkien’s continued use of Q. lehta and S. leithian indicates its ongoing validity (VT39/17; S/162).

Primitive elvish [PE17/159; VT41/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

leñ

root. *way, method, manner

A root appearing in notes from the late 1950s to early 1960s (PE17/74) where Tolkien was attempting to explain the origin of the adverbial suffix Q. -lë. He said:

> But adverbial forms were available especially for when far separated from verb or subject. The chief was -le. This is probably from √LEŊ, cf. fortified form in Q lenge, gesture, characteristic look, gesture or trait etc., weak verb lenga, behave.

as noun also is used in sense of “way”, sc. method, manner, as in “that is not A’s way”. Thus oia, everlasting, oiale, everlastingly. Cf. talle, like that, sille, like this, so, yalle, as (in the same way as).

Tolkien then crossed through the first of these paragraphs, saying: “This won’t do, since le is a pronominal element. It should be ve, oiave”. However, he eventually let the word Q. oialë “forever” stand in the Namarië poem, so perhaps he changed his mind again. Despite their rejection, √LEÑ and its derivatives are extremely useful, and I would treat them as valid for purposes of Neo-Eldarin.

Primitive elvish [PE17/074; PE17/159] Group: Eldamo. Published by

len

root. *way, [ᴹ√] way, (?road)

A variant of √LED in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s that Tolkien considered to explain the derivation of S. lembas “waybread” (PE17/60). The root ᴹ√LEN “(?road), way” also appeared earlier in The Etymologies of the 1930s as the basis for N. lembas (EtyAC/LEN). Tolkien may have settled on this root when he revised the earlier root ᴹ√LED (Ety/LED) “go, fare, travel” >> √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” in the 1959-60 Quendi and Eldar essay (WJ/360), deciding that its inversion √LED was used mainly in Quenya (WJ/363).

A possible precursor to this root is ᴹ√ “go, fare” in the Declension of Nouns (DN) from the early 1930s with derivative ᴹQ. lesto “journey” (PE21/12). This is turn is probably a later iteration of ᴱ√LEHE “come, be sent, approach” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, given as a variant of ᴱ√ELE (QL/52). It is probably the basis for contemporaneous G. len “come, arrived” and G. lentha- “come towards speaker, approach, draw near” (GL/53) and possibly ᴱQ. lehe- or ᴱQ. lehta- “ride” from the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s (PE15/76).

For a discussion of other parallel roots, see √LED and √DEL.

Primitive elvish [PE17/060; PE17/159] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepen

root. five

LEPEN was the most common root for “five” in Tolkien’s writings, but he explored a variety of other options. Its earliest iteration appeared in the Qenya and Gnomish lexicons as ᴱ√LEH (QL/52) or ᴱ√LEF “half” (GL/53), so I think the actual early form was ✱ᴱ√LEǶE [lexʷe]. At this early stage it had derivatives with the meanings “five”, “ten”, and “half”, but in later writings “ten” became ᴹ√KAYAN >> √KWAY(AM) and “half” became √PER.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√LEPEN “five” with variant ᴹ√LEPEK, but ᴹ√LEPEK had no derivatives (Ety/LEP). √LEPEN appeared again in a list of numbers from the late 1950s or early 1960s beside a variant √LENEP; again the variant had no clear derivatives (PE17/95). √LEPEN reappeared in numeric discussions from the late 1960s (VT42/24; VT47/10). In these late discussions Tolkien said that “five” most likely originally from ✱lepem as an ancient plural of √LEP, but it seems this became √LEPEN already in Common Eldarin (CE), given that the Sindarin word for “five” remained S. leben; Tolkien gave varying explanations for this CE sound change, either as dissimilation from p (VT47/26 note 2) or with final -m > -n being the regular phonetic development (VT47/24).

Primitive elvish [PE17/095; PE17/159; PE17/160; VT42/24; VT42/26; VT47/16; VT47/24; VT47/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

led

root. go, proceed, go, proceed, [ᴹ√] fare, travel

This root appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/LED) and in some later writings (PE17/51, 139) with the basic sense “go”. In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, Tolkien decided that √LED was a Quenya-only variant of the original root √DEL (WJ/360, 363). Elsewhere, Tolkien said that √LED was “not much used in Sindarin except in compounds with ✶et ‘out’ as edlen(n)” (PE17/51). Its Sindarin derivative S. lembas “way bread” was reassigned to √LEN (PE17/60). See √DEL and √LEN for further discussion.

Primitive elvish [PE17/051; PE17/052; PE17/060; PE17/139; PE17/159; WJ/363] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lep

root. pick up/out (with the fingers); finger

This root was connected to Elvish words for “finger” for most of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as an unglossed root ᴱ√LEPE in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. let (lept-) “finger” and ᴱQ. lempe “crook, hook” (QL/53). There were also derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. leptha “finger” and G. lempa- “beckon, crook the finger” (GL/53). The root ᴹ√LEP appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with extensions ᴹ√LEPET “finger” and ᴹ√LEPEN “five” and various derivatives of similar meanings (Ety/LEP).

In Tolkien’s later writings, √LEPEN “five” continued to appear regularly, along with the base root √LEP that was glossed either “finger” (VT42/24) or “pick up (with fingers)” (VT47/10, 24, 27). Despite the stability of the root, the Elvish words for “finger” themselves when through many revisions; see Q. leper and S. leber for discussion.

Primitive elvish [VT42/24; VT44/16; VT47/10; VT47/24; VT47/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ler

root. free

A root appearing twice in a list of roots from 1959-60, the first time described as “free (of moveable things or moving things), able to move as willed, unimpeded, unhampered, loose, not fixed fast or static” and the second time as “am free to do, sc., am under no restraint (physical or other)” (VT41/5-6). In the second instance it was compared to √POL which had the sense of being physically able to do something. It seems that √LER = “able to do something because there is nothing preventing it” vs. √POL = “able to something because of physical ability”. It might also be contrasted with √LEK which has the sense of freeing something that was once bound, whereas with √LER the thing that is free may have never been bound in the first place.

Primitive elvish [PE17/160; VT41/05; VT41/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lewek

root. worm

A root glossed “worm” appearing in etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s serving as the basis for Q. leuca and S. lŷg “snake” (PE17/160), words that also appeared in Appendix E to The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). A possible precursor to this root is indicated by “snake” words from the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons of the 1910s: ᴱQ. lin (ling-) and G. ling (QL/54; GL/54), probably derived from ✱ᴱ√LIŊI.

Primitive elvish [PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepe

noun. finger

Primitive elvish [PE21/71; VT47/10; VT47/11; VT47/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepene

noun. five

Primitive elvish [PE17/095; VT42/24; VT47/10; VT47/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepenya

ordinal. 5th

Primitive elvish [VT42/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

leper

noun. finger

Primitive elvish [VT44/16; VT47/10; VT47/11; VT47/24; VT47/29; VT48/05] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepero

noun. finger

Primitive elvish [VT47/13; VT47/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lepetā

noun. thumb, ‘picker’; finger

Primitive elvish [PE19/084; VT47/23; VT47/27; VT47/29] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lemek

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s illustrating certain phonetic combinations (PE19/98), and therefore possibly not a “real” root.

Primitive elvish [PE19/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lenep

root. five

lepem

root. five

le tulir

come ye!

Primitive elvish [PE22/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lḗ tuli, tuli lḗ, āle tuli!

come (you)!, now you, come!

Primitive elvish [PE22/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

le(n)dembassē Speculative

noun. bread taken on leaving home (for a long journey)

Primitive elvish [PE17/051; PE17/052] Group: Eldamo. Published by

leph

root. liver

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

las

root. leaf

This root was connected to leaves throughout Tolkien’s life. It did not appear directly in the Qenya or Gnomish lexicons of the 1910s, but ✱ᴱ√LASA “leaf” is implied by ᴱQ. lasse and G. lass “leaf” (QL/51; GL/52). ᴹ√LAS appeared directly in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives ᴹQ. lasse and N. lhass (Ety/LAS¹), and the root √LAS “leaf” was also mentioned in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/77; VT39/9).

Primitive elvish [PE17/077; PE17/153; VT39/09] Group: Eldamo. Published by

par

root. learn; arrange, [ᴹ√] compose, put together

This root was the basis for Q. parma “book”, but Tolkien vacillated on the exact sense for the root. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√PARA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with a single derivative: ᴱQ. parma “skin, bark; parchment; †book, writings” (QL/72). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, words like G. padhwen “bark” and G. paglos “parchment” are probably related, along with deleted word G. pand “bark; book” (GL/63). These Gnomish forms hint that the early root was probably actually PAŘA [PAÐA]. Another set of words appearing in the same part of the Gnomish Lexicon and thus probably also related are: G. past “skin”, G. pasta- “skin, peel, flay” and G. path “peel, skin of fruit, fine bark (paper)” (GL/63).

The root ᴹ√PAR reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a completely different meaning “compose, put together”, though still with the derivative ᴹQ. parma/N. parf “book” along with ON. partha- “arrange, compose” (Ety/PAR). The root ᴹ√PAR “compose, arrange” also appeared in the first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) also from the 1930s, again as the basis for ᴹQ. parma “book” (PE18/51). The root √PAR¹ “arrange” > Q. parma “writing, composition, book” appeared again in the second version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950 (PE18/101).

In notes from around 1959 Tolkien reverted to the earlier meaning of the root. In etymological notes from 1959 Tolkien wrote “√PAR-, peel (hence bark, book). [S.] paran, Q. parne, bald, bare” (PE17/171). In a list of Sindarin words from the same period he wrote:

> S paran, naked, bare. Cf. Dol Baran. √PAR “peel”. Cf. Q parna, bare. (Q parma, peel, applied to bark or skin, hence “book”). Q. parca, naked, of persons. S parch (PE17/86).

In another note from this period he gave a very similar derivation with √PAR > Q. parma = [originally] “bark” [later] “parchment, book” noting that the first Elvish writing materials were bark, but he then rejected this etymology (PE17/171).

In notes from the 1960s Tolkien gave:

> √PAR- “learn, to acquire information, not by experience or observation, but by communication”, by the instruction, or accounts of others in words or writing: parma, a book (or written document of some size). To read a book in Elvish was often expressed so: paranye (apārien) parmanen, I am learning (have learnt) by means of a book (PE17/180).

This last meaning of the root is further supported by the phrase Q. cuita’r parë “live and learn” from Late Notes on Verbs composed in 1969 (PE22/154).

Thus the semantic evolution of root seems to be 1910s “✱peel” >> 1930s-1950 “arrange, compose” >> 1959 “peel” >> 1960s “learn”.

Neo-Eldarin: Tolkien’s shifting definitions of the root √PAR make it tricky to use in the context of Neo-Eldarin. While it was the source of Q. parma “book” for all of Tolkien’s life, the exact mechanism of how √PAR was connected to “book” underwent a number of changes. Of these, I think the use of √PAR = “peel” is the one that can be most easily discarded. While this does leave S. paran “bare” from the name S. Dol Baran with no etymology, that word might be salvaged by assuming it was derived instead of an unrelated (hypothetical) root ✱√PARAN.

The other two meanings of the root, “compose” (1930s-1950) and “learn” (1960s) are both popular parts of Neo-Eldarin. The verb Q. par- has become the basis verb for “learn” verbs in Neo-Eldarin since its publication in PE17 in 2007. However, the sense “compose, arrange” is also well established. I think it is best to assume this root means both “compose, put together” in general as well as “compose (information)” = “learn”, to retain both these senses. As for “arrange”, that seems to be better covered by √PAN.

Primitive elvish [PE17/171; PE17/180; PE18/101] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sen

root. let loose, free, let go

A primitive form given as ✱sen- “let loose, free, let go” to explain the verb ✶ab(a)sene- > Q. apsen- “remit, release, forgive” from the final Quenya version of the Lord’s Prayer from the 1950s (VT43/12, 18). It is probably the basis for the (mutated) element hen in similar words in the Sindarin version of the Lord’s Prayer: S. díhena- and gohena-, as suggested by Bill Welden (VT44/22, 28-29). This primitive element ✱sen- appears nowhere else with this meaning, and is similar in semantic scope to the better established root √LEK.

Primitive elvish [VT43/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lassē

noun. leaf

Primitive elvish [Let/282; PE17/153; PE18/089; PE19/106; PE21/82; VT39/09] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hek-wā

preposition and adverb. leaving aside, not counting, excluding, except

Primitive elvish [WJ/364] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kānō

noun. leader, ruler; crier, herald

Primitive elvish [PE17/113; PM/352; PM/362] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tekmā

noun. letter

Primitive elvish [PE17/043; PE17/044; PE18/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teñwā

noun. letter, sign, token

Primitive elvish [PE17/044; PE19/097; PE22/149] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sē tuli, tuli sḗ, āse tuli!

let him come! etc.

Primitive elvish [PE22/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

talat

root. to slip (down), collapse, fall in ruin; slipping, sliding, falling down; ground (bottom), to slip (down), collapse, fall in ruin; slipping, sliding, falling down; ground (bottom); [ᴹ√] slide down, incline, slope, lean, tip, topple over

This root was connected to the name Q. Atalantë “Downfall(en)” as a sort of multilingual pun on “Atlantis”. The first appearance of this root was as unglossed ᴱ√TḶTḶ in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. talta “shaky, wobbling, tottering; sloping, slanting” and ᴱQ. tilt- “make slope, incline (tr.), decline, shake at foundations, make totter” (QL/93). Further signs of this early root can be found in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s where Tolkien gave ᴱ✶tḹtá > ᴱN. tlad “hillside, slope” and ᴱ✶tḷtā́ > ᴱN. tleth/ᴱQ. tilta “slanting” (PE13/165).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√TALAT “to slope, lean, tip” with derivatives like ᴹQ. talta-/N. atlanna- “to slope” and ᴹQ. talta/N. talad “an incline” (Ety/TALÁT). The root was mentioned regularly thereafter, mostly in a verbal sense with glosses like “incline, slope, slide down” (PE18/38), “slip (downwards)” (PE18/61), “topple over, slip down” (SD/249), “slip (down)” (PE18/85) and “collapse, fall in ruin” (PM/158). In notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien gave the root a noun sense “ground (bottom)” alongside “fall down” (PE17/150) and in a 1964 letter to Christopher Bretherton gave it the sense “slipping, sliding, falling down” (Let/347).

Primitive elvish [Let/347; PE17/150; PE17/186; PE18/085; PE18/089; PM/158] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kan

root. cry aloud; (Q. only) command; lead, rule, cry aloud; (Q. only) command; lead, rule; [ᴹ√] dare

The root √KAN was used to explain the Sindarin element -gon in names like S. Fingon and Turgon. For this function, it was introduced in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√KAN “dare” with derivatives like N. cann “bold” and ᴹQ. káne/N. caun “valour”, the latter becoming -gon in names (Ety/KAN).

It appeared again in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 with the gloss {“govern, manage” >>} “lead” (PE17/113), but in this document it was ultimately replaced by √KON which could serve as the basis for both -gon in Fingon/Turgon as well -gond [<< -gund] in the name Felegond [<< Felagund] (PE17/118). This √KON (and Felegond) seems to have been transient, and the root √KAN reappeared with the sense “ruler” in a 1967 notes on the derivation of Q. Incánus “Mind Master”, where Tolkien again mentioned in passing its use in deriving -gon in Fingon/Turgon (UT/400).

A new interpretation for this root appeared in The Shibboleth of Fëanor written in 1968. Tolkien there stated that √KAN originally meant “cry, call aloud”, and was used only for this purpose in Sindarin (PM/361-362, note #36). In Quenya, however, it shifted to primarily have the sense “command” which served as the basis for Q. cáno “commander, chief” as an element in the names Q. Findecáno and Q. Turucáno (PM/345). These were adapted phonetically into Sindarin as Fingon/Turgon, and the suffix -gon was perhaps interpreted as “-lord” in other names, such as Felagon “Fair-minded Lord”: a Sindarization of Felagund which in 1959 notes had been redefined as a loan word from Khuzdul (PM/352).

Thus, while √KAN was generally the basis for -gon, it went through many different interpretations in Tolkien’s life: 1930s “dare” >> 1957 “lead” >> 1967 “ruler” >> 1968 “cry, call aloud” with the Quenya-only sense “command”. This conceptual evolution makes a hash of other derivatives of the root, particularly those appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s which have mainly to do with boldness and daring. √KAN is also one of the better candidates for the derivation of S. caun “prince”, but that’s incompatible with the 1968 notion that the root meant only “cry, call aloud” in Sindarin, and indeed those notes gave another meaning to caun: “outcry, clamour” (PM/362).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think the 1930s derivatives from ᴹ√KAN “dare” are probably best avoided, and using derivatives of ᴹ√BER “valiant” is preferable.

Primitive elvish [PE17/113; PE17/156; PM/361; UT/400; VT47/16; VT47/41] Group: Eldamo. Published by

per

root. half, half; [ᴹ√] divide in middle, halve

This root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√PER “divide in middle, halve” with derivatives like ᴹQ. perya- “halve” and N. perin “half” (Ety/PER). It reappeared in notes from around 1959-60 as √PER “half” (PE17/171, 173). In Tolkien’s earliest writings, the sense “half” was assigned to the root ᴱ√LEHE or ᴱ√LEFE² instead (QL/52; GL/53).

Primitive elvish [PE17/171; PE17/173] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lassiē

noun. *leafness

Primitive elvish [Let/282] Group: Eldamo. Published by

delwa

adjective. thick (of a single thing)

Primitive elvish [PE17/017] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kundō

noun. prince, leader, lord

Primitive elvish [PE17/113; PE17/117] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pi(n) Reconstructed

root. little

Tolkien used a variety of roots for Elvish words for “small”. One early root was ᴱ√PIKI with variants ᴱ√PINI and ᴱ√ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with derivatives like ᴱQ. pínea “small” and ᴱQ. pinqe “slender, thin” (QL/73). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. pinig “tiny, little” and G. pibin “small berry, haw” (GL/64).

The root reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as unglossed {ᴹ√PEK >>} ᴹ√PIK with derivatives like N. pigen “tiny” and N. peg “small spot, dot” (Ety/PIK; EtyAC/PIK). Further evidence for this root can be seen in later words like Q. piki- or pitya “petty” (WJ/389) and Q. pic- “lessen, dwindle” (MC/223). A variant root √PEY appeared in a list of roots having to do with “large and small” from the late 1960s with a single derivative Q. pia “little” [< ✱peya], but it was immediately followed by the forms pikina, pinke, pitya which point back to √PIK (PE/117).

Further evidence of early forms ᴱ√PINI and ᴱ√ can also be seen in Tolkien’s later writings. There is S. ✱pîn “little” in S. Cûl Bîn “Little Load” (RC/536), ✶ {“small bird” >>} “small insect” (VT47/35), and T. pinke “little-one, baby” (VT48/6), though the last of these might be from √PIK. In any case it seems Tolkien continued to use all of √PI, √PIK and √PIN to form words for little things into the late 1960s.

In The Shibboleth of Fëanor from the late 1960s, Tolkien changed pitya to Q. nitya in the name Q. Nityafinwë “Little Finwë” (PM/353, 365 note #59), which may indicate a replacement of √PIK by √NIK, another root used regularly in Tolkien’s later writings for “small”. But I believe √PIK and √NIK may coexist with slightly different meanings: “tiny” vs. “small”; see the entry on √NIK for further discussion.

kanu

root. *lead (metal)

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

kit

root. *small

Tolkien gave the roots √KIN and √KIT with the gloss “small” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957; given Sindarin derivative S. cidinn, √KIT is the likelier of the two possibilities (PE17/157).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I recommend against using the Quenya derivative of this root, as there are other better-known Quenya words for “small”. In Sindarin, however, we have fewer options, and I think it is worth retaining this root for that branch of the Eldarin languages.

Primitive elvish [PE17/157] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kway

root. ten

A root Tolkien introduced in the late 1960s as the basis for his latest Elvish word for “ten”: Q. quëan/quain, S. pae, T. pai(n) (VT42/24; VT48/6). It was an extension of √KWA “complete” as in “a complete set of (10) fingers”. Prior this late change, the usual word for “ten” was ᴹQ. kainen (along with other variants beginning with kai- or kea-) from the root ᴹ√KAYAN or ᴹ√KAYAR as it appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAYAN). This basis for “ten” dates back to the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49, PE14/82). Tolkien was still considering √KAYAN for “10” in the late 1960s before replacing it with √KWAY(AM) (VT48/12).

Primitive elvish [VT42/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lot(h)

root. flower

This root and ones like it were connected to flowers for all of Tolkien’s life. The earliest manifestation of this root was ᴱ√LOHO or ᴱ√LO’O from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s; the entry for ᴱ√LOHO appears immediately below ᴱ√LO’O, and Tolkien indicates they are related roots, both extended from ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/55). These roots include derivatives like ᴱQ. lōte “flower”, ᴱQ. lotōrea “flourishing” and ᴱQ. lokta- “sprout, bud, put forth leaves or flowers”. There are also derivatives of these roots in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. lost “blossom, bloom”, G. lothli “floret”, G. luitha- “to bloom” (GL/54-55), though G. lôs “flower” was said to be unrelated, connected to G. lass “leaf” instead (GL/55). ᴱQ. losse “rose” probably had a similar derivation (QL/56).

This confusion of √LOT(H) and √LOS carried forward into Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LOT(H) was given as the root for “flower” (Ety/LOT(H)), but this entry originally included a variant ᴹ√LOS (EtyAC/LOT(H)). Tolkien then said ᴹQ. losse “blossom” (< ᴹ√LOT(H)) was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H)), where ᴹQ. olosse was derived from ᴹ√GOLOS “✱snow, white” (Ety/GOLÓS). This intermingling carried forward into etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said (PE17/26):

> The stems √LŎS, √LOTH, √LOT are much entangled both for formal reasons, and because of actual associations of meaning (probably from beginning of Primitive Quendian and explaining the approach of the forms). Quenya word for “flower, a single bloom” is lóte, but S loth (< lotho/a), but Quenya also has lōs. Q. for snow is losse (S los).

These associations were also mentioned in etymological notes on roots for flowers from this same period, where Tolkien clarified that √LOT, √LOTH were the roots for “flower” and √LOS for “snow” (PE17/160-161). These roots were mentioned again in notes associated with The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69 (VT42/18):

> S. loss is a derivative of (G)LOS “white”; but loth is from LOT. Sindarin used loss as a noun, but the strengthened form gloss as an adjective “(dazzling) white”. loth was the only derivative of LOT that it retained, probably because other forms of the stem assumed a phonetic shape that seemed inappropriate, or were confusible with other stems (such as LUT “float”), e.g. ✱lod, ✱lûd. loth is from a diminutive lotse and probably also from derivative lotta-.

In this last note, Tolkien seems to have abandoned √LOTH, explaining S. loth “flower” as derived from √LOT via ✱lotse. In any case, starting in the 1930s Tolkien was consistent that the roots for “flower” and “snow” were distinct but often confused, and that snow-words were derived from roots like √(G)LOS and flower words from roots like √LOT(H), though he waffled a bit on the exact details.

Primitive elvish [PE17/026; PE17/160; PE17/161; VT42/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sal

root. [unglossed], *harp(ing), lyre

The unglossed root ᴱ√SALA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. salma “lyre, small harp” and ᴱQ. salumbe “harping, music” (QL/81). The root √SAL appeared again Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s to illustrate the reformed perfect form of its verb Q. asálie (PE22/132), but since these later forms are unglossed it is unclear whether they have the same meaning (“✱harp(ing)”) as the earlier version of the root.

Primitive elvish [PE22/133] Group: Eldamo. Published by

stuk

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected section of the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s, serving to illustration certain phonetic developments: ✶stuknā > Q. thúna (PE19/86).

Primitive elvish [PE19/086] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tig

root. [unglossed]

A root appearing in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as the basis for the verb Q. tinga- “go (for a long while)” (PE22/157). The etymology was marked with an “X” and so was probably a transient idea (PE22/157 note #70).

Primitive elvish [PE22/157] Group: Eldamo. Published by

phut

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) as an etymological variation of √PUT (PE18/90).

Primitive elvish [PE18/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

de

pronoun. you (pl.)

Primitive elvish [PE23/069; PE23/119; PE23/120; VT48/24; VT49/50; VT49/51; WJ/363] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lisyā

adjective. sweet

Primitive elvish [PE17/148; PE17/154] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tul-

verb. come, is coming, has come, is here, I come, have come

Primitive elvish [PE17/099; PE22/129; PE22/130; PE22/131; PE22/140; PE23/121; PE23/128] Group: Eldamo. Published by

graw Reconstructed

root. [unglossed], [ᴹ√] dark, swart

This root appeared as a primitive form grawa serving as the basis of the word Q. roa “bear” >> “dog” in notes on monosyllabic roots from 1968 (VT47/35); a Sindarin derivative S. graw “bear” appeared in other notes written around the same time (VT47/12). Patrick Wynne suggested that in the sense “bear” grawa might be connected to the root ᴹ√GRAWA “dark, swart” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/GRAWA).

Primitive elvish [VT47/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

laikā

adjective. green

Primitive elvish [Let/282] Group: Eldamo. Published by

as(a)

preposition. and

Primitive elvish [PE17/041; VT43/30; VT47/31] Group: Eldamo. Published by

del

root. will

A root in etymological notes from 1968, meaning “to will with conscious purpose, immediate or remote”; it was distinct from “be willing, to assent, consent, agree”, which partakes of the will but also involves accident or change (NM/231). Given the many other uses to which √DEL was assigned, odds are this was a transient idea.

Primitive elvish [NM/231] Group: Eldamo. Published by

delya-

verb. ?thick, thicken & congeal

Primitive elvish [PE17/017] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dāra

adjective. wise

Primitive elvish [PE17/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

preposition. with

Primitive elvish [PE17/095] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eñ-

verb. to exist

Primitive elvish [PE22/166; VT49/29] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galab

root. flower

Primitive elvish [PE17/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galmā

noun. flower

Primitive elvish [PE17/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kayan

root. ten

Primitive elvish [VT48/12] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kirtē

noun. rune

Primitive elvish [WJ/396] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lamā̆n(a)

noun. animal

Primitive elvish [WJ/416] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lotho/a

noun. flower

Primitive elvish [PE17/026] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lotse

noun. flower

Primitive elvish [VT42/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

noun. hand

Primitive elvish [PE19/074; PE19/102; PE21/70; VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/18; VT47/34; VT47/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ndab

root. to judge

Primitive elvish [PE22/154; VT42/34] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ndē̆r

noun. man

Primitive elvish [PE19/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

palad

noun. plain

Primitive elvish [PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

palda

noun. flat surface

Primitive elvish [PE21/80] Group: Eldamo. Published by

palnā

adjective. wide, broad

Primitive elvish [VT47/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pathnā

adjective. smooth

Primitive elvish [PE19/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pendā

adjective. sloping

Primitive elvish [PE17/173; WJ/375] Group: Eldamo. Published by

rindi

adjective. swift

Primitive elvish [PE21/81] Group: Eldamo. Published by

san-

pronoun. that

Primitive elvish [PE17/042] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taltā

adjective. tottering, unsteady

Primitive elvish [PE18/089] Group: Eldamo. Published by

árātō

noun. lord

Primitive elvish [PE17/118] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ʒandā

adjective. long

Primitive elvish [PE17/155; VT47/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gawak

noun. clumsy

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

oth

root. joint

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

thirip

root. stalk

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

wairē

feminine name. Weaver

Primitive elvish Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

khā

adverb. far

Primitive elvish [VT47/34] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kin

root. *small

slow

root. SLOW

tolu

verb. stand up

Primitive elvish [PE 22:135] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tolu-

verb. to stand up

Primitive elvish [PE22/135] Group: Eldamo. Published by

yad

root. wide

¤kurwē

noun. power, ability

Primitive elvish [PE 22:151] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by