Sindarin 


Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:137] < *_hlaw_, _hlô_ < _slaw_, _slō _< _slōw9_< _slowā_ < SLOW flow freely (fully). Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

flood

n. flood.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:96] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

noun. shallow lake, fenland

Sindarin [UT/263, VT/42:8-10] Group: SINDICT. Published by

noun. flood, fenland

blue

adj. blue. . This gloss was rejected.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:136] < _(s)lowā_ < (S)LOW9. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

hlô

noun. flood

n. flood.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:96] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lôd

verb. (he) floats

Sindarin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

loth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

Sindarin [Ety/370, LB/354, VT/42:18, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

loth

noun. flower

_n._flower, a single bloom. Q. lóte, lōs.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:26] < _lotho/a_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lotheg

noun. (single) flower

Sindarin [VT/42:18] loth + -eg. Group: SINDICT. Published by

lô dhaer

place name. Great Fen

Name of a marsh at the junction of the rivers Ringló and Morthond meet appearing in Tolkien’s notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor (VT42/14). It was translated “Great Fen”, but the part of the paragraph where it appeared was rejected. This name is a combination of l(h)ô “fenland” and the lenited form of daer “great”.

Lossoth

noun. the Snowmen

Sindarin [LotR/A, RGEO/70] loss+hoth. Group: SINDICT. Published by

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 and lhô. In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings 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 the late 1960s, 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:

> was derived from Common Eldarin base LOG “wet (and soft), soaked, swampy, etc.” The form ✱loga produced S. 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. 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 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. “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.

Sindarin [PE17/096; PE17/136; PE17/137; UT/263; VT42/09; VT42/10; VT42/13; VT42/14; VT48/27; VT48/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elloth

noun. (single) flower

Sindarin [VT/42:18] er- + loth. Group: SINDICT. Published by

mallos

noun. a golden flower

Sindarin [UT/451, Letters/248] malt+los "flower of gold". Group: SINDICT. Published by

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, gladden

Sindarin [UT/280-81, UT/450] nîn+glaur "water gold". Group: SINDICT. Published by

shallow lake

(fenland), pl. .

shallow lake

(fenland), pl.

shallow lake

(fenland), pl. .

fenland

(shallow lake), pl.

fenland

(shallow lake), pl. ;

fenland

(shallow lake), pl.

loth

flower

loth, pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

flower

pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

lotheg

single flower

lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”).

edlothia

flower

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

flower

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothiad

flowering

(blossoming), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.**

gwaloth

collection of flowers

(i ’waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i ’oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18). Specific flowers, see

(h)law

noun. flood

alf

noun. flower

Sindarin [PE17/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elanor

noun. a flower, a kind of enlarged pimpernel bearing golden and silver flowers

Sindarin [LotR/VI:IX, UT/432, Letters/402] êl+anor "star-sun". Group: SINDICT. Published by

niphredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

Sindarin [Ety/376, Ety/378, LotR/II:VI, Letters/402, X/PH] niphred+-il "little pallor". Group: SINDICT. Published by

rochirrim

noun. horse-lords, the people of Rohan

Sindarin [LotR, etc.] rochir+rim. Group: SINDICT. Published by

anfangrim

noun. the Longbeards (a tribe of Dwarves)

Sindarin [WJ/322] anfang+rim. Group: SINDICT. Published by

duinen

noun. flood, high tide

Sindarin [VT/48:26] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lâd

lowland

(valley, plain), construct lad, pl. laid

lŷg

noun. snake

The best known Sindarin word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160), likely from ✱leukā where the ancient eu became ȳ as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).

Sindarin [LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

noro

verb. run! ride!

Untranslated in LotR, but written nora-lim and rendered as "ride on" in RS/196 (not a literal translation) and later translated as "run swift" in RC/195. A verb nor- is attested in the old Gnomish lexicon, PE/11:61, with the meaning "to run, roll"

Sindarin [noro lim LotR/I:XII, RS/196, RC/195] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ónen

noun. I gave

Written onen in some editions of LotR. In the Qenyaqetsa, Qenya anta- is marked as having an irregular past tense áne. Assuming the same sound-shifts as observed in other words, this would indeed lead to onen in Sindarin, see PE/12:31 and TT/14:48-49

Sindarin [LotR/A(v)] Group: SINDICT. Published by

luin

blue

adj. blue. . This gloss was rejected.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:136] < *_luini-_ blue. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

daw

nighttime

(i dhaw) (gloom), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath.

fuin

night, nightshade, dead of night

(gloom, darkness). No distinct pl. form.

moth

dusk

1) moth (i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read *môth with a long vowel. 2) (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

moth

dusk

(i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read ✱môth with a long vowel.

luin

adjective. blue

Sindarin [Let/448; S/162; SA/luin; UT/390; VT48/23; VT48/24; VT48/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cuio

verb. live!

Sindarin [LotR/VI:IV, Letters/308] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galadhad

noun. the Two Trees of Valinor

Sindarin [Orgaladhad LotR/D] Group: SINDICT. Published by

luin

adjective. blue

Sindarin [LotR (misc.), S/434, UT/390, Ety/370, VT/48:24] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lŷg

noun. snake

Sindarin [LotR/E] Group: SINDICT. Published by

rammas

noun. (great) wall

Sindarin [LotR/V:I, LotR/Index] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ael

noun. lake, pool, mere

Sindarin [Ety/349, S/427, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

anglennatha

verb. (he) will approach

Sindarin [SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

avo

verb. don't!

Used as a negative adverb before an imperative: avo garo "don't do it!". Sometimes used as prefix: avgaro

Sindarin [WJ/371] Group: SINDICT. Published by

avon

verb. I won't

Sindarin [WJ/371] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dagorath

noun. all the battles

Sindarin [UT/395-396] Group: SINDICT. Published by

drúwaith

noun. the wilderness of the Drû-men (q.v.)

Sindarin [UT/385] drû+gwaith. Group: SINDICT. Published by

elu

adjective. (pale) blue

Sindarin [Ety/360, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

falathrim

noun. people of the Falas

Sindarin [WJ/378] falas+rim. Group: SINDICT. Published by

lammas

noun. account of tongues

Sindarin [LR/167, WJ/206, WJ/393, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

leweg

noun. snake

_ n. _snake.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:160] < LEWEK worm. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

lhûg

noun. snake, serpent

Sindarin [Ety/370, S/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

luin

jhJ5 adjective. blue

Examples: Ered luin, Helluin, Luinil, Mindolluin

Sindarin [Let/448.1013, SA/luin.001, UT/390.0701, VT48/23.1104, VT48/24.2102, VT48/28.3615] Group: Verified and confirmed. Published by

lumren

adjective. shady

Sindarin [Ety/370, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lâf

verb. (he) licks

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

lýg

noun. snake

_ n. Zoo. _snake. Q. leuka.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:121:160] < LEWEK worm. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

moth

noun. dusk

pêd

verb. (he) says

Sindarin [guren bêd enni VT/41:11] Group: SINDICT. Published by

tôl

verb. (he) comes

According to WJ/301, the expression tôl acharn "vengeance comes" was later changed to tûl acharn by Tolkien

Sindarin [Ety/395, WJ/254] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ael

lake

(aelin-, pl. aelin) (pool, mere). In ”Noldorin” oel, pl. oelin.

cûn

bent

cûn (bowed, bowshaped), lenited gûn; pl. cuin

cûn

bent

(bowed, bowshaped), lenited gûn; pl. cuin

donn

shady

1) donn (black, swart, swarty, shadowy) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds. 2) hall (veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”, 3)

donn

shady

(black, swart, swarty, shadowy) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds.

dúath

nightshade

(i dhúath) (dark shadow), pl. dúaith (i núaith).

dusk

(i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

night

(i dhû) (nightfall, dusk, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302)

hall

shady

(veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”

lav-

verb. to lick

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

luin

blue

luin (no distinct pl. form, as demonstrated by the name Ered Luin ”Blue Mountains”) (VT48:24)

lumren

shady

lumren (pl. lymrin)

lumren

shady

(pl. lymrin)

lîn

lake

1) lîn (pool), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. #liniath (isolated from Hithliniath, WJ:194). 2) ael (aelin-, pl. aelin) (pool, mere). In ”Noldorin” oel, pl. oelin. 3) nên (water, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn**. **

lîn

lake

(pool), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. #*liniath*** (isolated from Hithliniath**, WJ:194).

lŷg

snake

1) lŷg (constuct lyg), no distinct pl. form. 2) lhûg (construct lhug, with article ?i thlûg or ?i lûg the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (dragon, serpent), pl. lhuig (?i luig). See SERPENT.

morn

night

(i vorn) (darkness), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word is also used as an adjective ”dark, black” (Letters:386).

nên

lake

(water, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn.

nên

waterland

(water, lake, pool, stream), construct nen, pl. nîn;

rim

cold pool or lake

; no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rim), coll. pl. rimmath. Note: a homophone means ”crowd, great number, host”.

tinnu

dusk

tinnu (i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

tinnu

dusk

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

tinnu

early night without a moon

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (dusk, twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

Noldorin 

lo

noun. flood

lhôd

verb. (he) floats

Noldorin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lothod

noun. (single) flower

Noldorin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

Noldorin [Ety/370, LB/354, VT/42:18, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

Noldorin [Ety/376, Ety/378, LotR/II:VI, Letters/402, X/PH] niphred+-il "little pallor". Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

Noldorin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhumren

noun. shady

A word appearing as N. lhumren “shady” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, an adjective form of N. lhum “shade” (Ety/LUM).

Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was G. lómin “shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the adjective form of G. lôm “gloom, shade” (GL/54). A similar word G. lumbrin or lumba “overcast” was an adjective based on G. lum “a cloud” (GL/55).

Neo-Sindarin: Since the root √LUM “shadow, darkness” survived in later writings (PE17/168), I think N. lhumren “shady” can be salvaged, though if adapted to Neo-Sindarin it would need to become ᴺS. lumren as suggested in HSD (HSD). Given the later use of Q. lumbo for “(dark) cloud”, I think the sense “overcast” from Gnomish lumbrin can be salvaged as well.

am-

prefix. snake

A prefix for “snake” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√ANGWA of the same meaning, most notably an element in N. amlug “dragon” (Ety/ANGWA).

Noldorin [Ety/ANGWA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lhav-

verb. to lick

A noun appearing as N. lhâf “lick” (with Noldorin infinitive form lhebi) in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√LAB of the same meaning (Ety/LAB) where the initial initial l was unvoiced to lh as was the case in Noldorin of the 1930s.

Conceptual Development: This verb was G. lav- “lick” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/53), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LAVA since the unvoicing of initial l was not a feature of Gnomish in the 1910s.

Neo-Sindarin: Most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt this word as ᴺS. lav- “to lick” since the unvoicing of initial l was also not a feature of Sindarin in the 1950s and 60s.

blâb

verb. (he) flaps, beats

The Etymologies seem to list this word as a noun, but it is clearly the third person singular of the verb

Noldorin [Ety/380] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhûn

adjective. (unknown meaning)

This word, which also appears on the map of Middle-earth in LotR, is glossed as "blue" in The Etymologies, but Tolkien later rejected this meaning (as luin was already used in that sense). He then proposed several explanations for it, including the possible adaptation of a Dwarvish name into Sindarin, but he apparently never reached a definitive solution.

Noldorin [Ety/370, VT/48:24-29] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhûn

adjective. blue

Noldorin [Ety/LUG²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oel

noun. pool, lake

síla

verb. (he) shines white

Noldorin [LB/354] Group: SINDICT. Published by

elw

adjective. (pale) blue

Noldorin [Ety/360, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhammas

noun. account of tongues

Noldorin [LR/167, WJ/206, WJ/393, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhumren

adjective. shady

Noldorin [Ety/370, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhâf

verb. (he) licks

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

lhûg

noun. snake, serpent

Noldorin [Ety/370, S/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

oel

noun. lake, pool, mere

Noldorin [Ety/349, S/427, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orthor

verb. (he) masters, conquers

Noldorin [Ety/395] Group: SINDICT. Published by

osgar

verb. (he) cuts, amputates

Noldorin [Ety/379] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sôg

verb. (he) drinks

Noldorin [Ety/388] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thia

verb. it appears

Noldorin [Ety/392] Group: SINDICT. Published by

tindu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tindu

noun. starry twilight

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tinnu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tôg

verb. (he) leads, brings

Noldorin [Ety/395] Group: SINDICT. Published by

tôl

verb. (he) comes

According to WJ/301, the expression tôl acharn "vengeance comes" was later changed to tûl acharn by Tolkien

Noldorin [Ety/395, WJ/254] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Primitive elvish

noun. lying water

Primitive elvish [VT47/12; VT47/34; VT47/35] 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 the late 1960s (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

lotho/a

noun. flower

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

lotse

noun. flower

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

(s)loga

noun. fenland

Primitive elvish [UT/263; VT42/09; VT42/10] 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

luy

root. blue

The Elvish words for “blue” remained very similar throughout Tolkien’s life, but underwent a number of minor conceptual shifts. The word ᴱQ. lūne “blue, deep blue” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s in a collection of words along with ᴱQ. lūle “blue stone, sapphire”, but no root was given (QL/55). The word for “blue” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon was G. luim (GL/55). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, the root for “blue” was ᴹ√LUG with derivatives ᴹQ. lúne and N. lhûn (Ety/LUG²).

Meanwhile, the root ᴹ√LUY appeared in The Etymologies with derivatives ᴹQ. luina and Dor. luin “pale” (EtyAC/LUY), probably connected to ᴱN. Draugluin “Werewolf Pale” from the Lays of Beleriand of the 1920s (LB/205). But in The Etymologies the root ᴹ√LUY was rejected, and Dor. luin “pale” was reassigned to ᴹ√LUG² and then revised in form to Dor. lūn (Ety/LUG²; EtyAC/LUG²).

In addition, there was already evidence of a conceptual shift in the Noldorin words for blue in the 1930s, with the name N. Eredluin “Blue Mountains” being given as an alternative to N. Lhúnorodrim and N. Lhúndirien “Blue Towers” (Ety/LUG²), the latter appearing as N. Luindirien in contemporaneous Silmarillion narratives (LR/267). By the 1950s and 60s, the Sindarin and Quenya words for “blue” had firmly become S. luin (Let/448; S/54; UT/390) and Q. luinë (LotR/377; PE17/66, 71). The root √LUY “blue” appeared in notes from the late 1960s serving as the new basis for these “blue” words (VT48/23-24, 26).

All this made a mess for the river name S. Lhûn (LotR/1134) from The Lord of the Rings which was a remnant of Tolkien’s earlier ideas, and he struggled to find a new basis for that name as discussed by Patrick Wynne in his article on The Problem of Lhûn (VT48/26-29).

Primitive elvish [VT48/23; VT48/24; VT48/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lugni

adjective. blue

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

luini

adjective. blue

Primitive elvish [PE17/136; PE17/161; VT48/24; VT48/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

noun.

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

skā

noun.

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

skū

noun.

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

us(u)kwē

noun. dusk

Primitive elvish [PE18/100; PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sisti

root.

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

Adûnaic

lôkho

adjective. bent, crooked

An adjective variously glossed as “bent” or “crooked”, attested only in its plural form lôkhî (SD/247, VT24/12). Andreas Moehn suggested (EotAL/LUKH) it may be related to the Elvish root √LOK “bend, loop”.

Conceptual Development: In its first appearance, this adjective had the plural form rōkhī, suggesting an earlier singular form ✱rôkho (SD/312).

Adûnaic [SD/247; SD/312; VT24/12] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lômi

noun. (pleasant) night

A noun translated “night” or more fully “fair night, a night of stars”, a late loan word from Q. lómë (SD/414-5). According to Tolkien, it has a pleasant connotation similar to its Quenya equivalent: “it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that ‘dark’ has” (SD/306). Some unpleasant words for night and darkness are dulgu, nâlu and ugru.

Adûnaic [SD/306; SD/414; SD/415] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Quenya 

lós

flower

lós (þ?) noun "flower" (PE17:26). If this is to be the cognate of Sindarin loth, as the source suggests, the older Quenya form would be *lóþ.

locin

adjective. bent

ailo

lake, pool

ailo noun "lake, pool" (LT2:339; Tolkien's later Quenya has ailin)

yéta-

look at

yéta- vb. "look at" (LT1:262) Compare #1.

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).

lúto

flood

lúto noun "flood" (LT1:249)

ulundë

flood

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

alma

noun. flower

A word for “flower” derived from primitive ✶galmā in notes on flowers in the same bundle containing Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 (PE17/153). Initially Tolkien said alma meant both “a blessed thing and a flower”, then said that Q. almë was “a blessed thing” and alba was “flower” (< √GAL-AB), before saying that alma was “flower”. Tolkien implied that alma was a usual or general word for “flower” in Quenya. These same notes also said the word alda < ✶galadā was used mainly of flowering trees. It seems in this instance Tolkien connected the root √GAL (normally just “grow, flourish”) specifically to flowers, giving it the gloss “bloom” along with other glosses like “grow, flourish, be vigorous”.

Neo-Quenya: Elsewhere alda was the general word for a “tree” and √GAL had no special connection to flowers. I think alma as a “flower” word was a transient idea. I would use lótë “flower” instead for purposes of Neo-Quenya, since it is much better established.

hlöa

noun. flood, fenland

A Quenya cognate of S. lhô appearing in The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from the late 1960s, rejected when Tolkien revised the primitive form {✶sloga >>} ✶loga and the Sindarin form {lhô >>} (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.

alma

flower

alma (2) "flower" (PE17:153), said to be the "usual Quenya word" or "general Quenya word" (i.e. for flower), but its coexistence with #1 is problematic. Compare lós, lótë, lotsë, indil.

lótë

flower

lótë noun "flower", mostly applied to larger single flowers (LOT(H), LT1:259, VT42:18). (The shorter form -lot occurs in compounds, e.g. fúmellot, q.v.) In the names Ninquelóte *"White-flower" (= Nimloth), Vingilótë "Foam-flower", the name of Eärendil's ship (SA:loth), also in Lótessë fifth month of the year, "May" (Appendix D). See also olótë, lotsë.

insil

noun. flower

TQ. flower, lily

Quenya [PE 19:99] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

lómë

noun. night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud

Quenya [Let/308; PE17/081; PE17/087; PE17/120; PE17/152; PE22/153; RC/385; RC/727; S/190; SA/dú; SA/lómë; WJ/166] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alba

noun. flower

lóte

noun. flower

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

hlöa

noun. flood, fenland

leuca

noun. snake

The best known Quenya word for “snake”, appearing in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1115). In 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), Tolkien said it was derived from the root √LEWEK “worm” (PE17/160).

Quenya [LotR/1115; PE17/121; PE17/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lav-

verb. to lick

A verb for “to lick” based on the root √LAB of similar meaning (PE17/72; PE22/151-152; RGEO/59).

Conceptual Development: This verb dates all the way back to ᴱQ. lava- “lick” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where it was derived from the early root ᴱ√LAVA (QL/52). It retained this form in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/134), and in The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as ᴹQ. lavin “I lick” under the root ᴹ√LAB “lick” (Ety/LAB). The verb and root continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s later writings.

Quenya [PE17/072; PE22/151; PE22/152; RGEO/59] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nendë

noun. lake, lake, [ᴹQ.] pool

A word for “lake” (PE17/52) or “pool” (Ety/NEN), derived from the root √NEN “water”.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared in both The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/NEN) and notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/37) with the same basic meaning and derivation.

hlócë

snake, serpent

hlócë ("k")noun "snake, serpent", later lócë ("k")(SA:lok-)

luinë

blue

luinë adj. "blue", pl. luini (PE17:66, VT48:23, 24, 28, Nam, RGEO:66). Common Eldarin luini- would also be the stem-form in Quenya (VT48:24). Compare luinincë. Apparently -luin in Illuin, the name of one of the Lamps of the Valar (q.v.), Helluin, name of the star Sirius, and Luinil, name of another blue-shining star (or planet). (SA; Luinil is tentatively identified with Neptune, MR:435). Cf. also menelluin "sky-blue", used as noun = "cornflower" (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 193).

lómë

dusk, twilight

lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

lúnë

blue

lúnë (stem *lúni-, given the primitive form ¤lugni) adj. "blue" (LUG2, LT1:262; later sources rather give luinë, with pl. form luini_ in Namárië)_. According to VT45:29, lúnë in the Etymologies was changed by Tolkien from lúna.

ango

snake

ango noun "snake"; stem angu- as in angulócë (q.v.); pl. angwi (ANGWA/ANGU)

luinë

adjective. blue

Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/066; PE17/071; RGEO/58; SA/luin; VT48/23; VT48/24; VT48/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Illuin

blue

Illuin place-name, name of one of the Lamps of the Valar; apparently incorporating the element luin "blue" (Silm): hence *"all-blue"?

cautáron

bent

cautáron ("k") adj.?"bent" (MC:216; this is "Qenya")

cúna

bent, curved

cúna ("k") 1) adj. "bent, curved", from which is derived 2) cúna- vb. "bend", occurring with a- prefix (changed by Tolkien from a na-prefix) in Markirya. Here cúna- is intransitive; we do not know whether it can also be transitive "bend".

histë

dusk

histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)

hísë

dusk

hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.

laira

shady

laira adj. "shady" (DAY)

leuca

snake

leuca (1) noun "snake" (Appendix E)

ninwa

blue

ninwa adj. "blue" (LT1:262)

numba

bent, humped

numba adj. "bent, humped" (PE17:168)

usque

noun. dusk

dusk

Quenya [PE 18:50 PE 18:100] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

usque

noun. dusk, twilight

Quenya [PE 22:51] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

Quendya 

ulban

adjective. blue

Khuzdûl

zâram

noun. pool, lake

Khuzdûl [PE17/037; RS/466] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Telerin 

luinë

adjective. blue

Telerin [VT48/24; VT48/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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

noun. pool, lake

lôs

noun. flower

Gnomish [GL/40; GL/52; GL/55; LT1A/Gar Lossion; LT1A/Minethlos; LT2A/Duilin; LT2A/Lôs; PE13/104; PE15/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lôm

noun. gloom, shade

Gnomish [GL/54; LT1A/Gwerlum; LT1A/Hisilómë; QL/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lôg

noun. fuel, firewood

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “fuel” (GL/54), also appearing with the glosses “fuel, firewood” beneath G. lag- “gather up, pick up, get” to which it was probably related (GL/52).

Gnomish [GL/52; GL/54] Group: Eldamo. Published by

loth

place name. Flower, Rose

Gnomish [LBI/Loth; LT2/158; LT2/202; LT2A/Loth; LT2I/Lôs; LT2I/Loth; PE13/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lôda-

verb. to smooth out, stroke, caress, soothe, beguile

lómin

noun/adjective. shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)

Gnomish [GL/54; LT1A/Hisilómë; QL/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

las-

verb. to look at, glance at

fent

noun. snake

A word for “snake” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, along with a deleted variant fenlug (fenlog-) (GL/34), the latter probably a combination with G. lûg “snake”. It was clearly a cognate of ᴱQ. fent “serpent” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/38).

lada-

verb. to smooth out, stroke, caress, soothe, beguile

Gnomish [GL/52; LT2A/Ladwen-na-Dhaideloth] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fenlug

noun. snake

fui

noun. night

Gnomish [GL/36; LT1A/Fui; LT1A/Tarn Fui; LT1A/Turuhalmë; QL/041] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lûg

noun. snake

Gnomish [GL/34; LT2A/Foalókë; PE13/105; PE15/28] Group: Eldamo. Published by

math

noun. dusk

Gnomish [GL/56; GL/61; GL/62; LT2A/Mathusdor; LT2A/Umboth-muilin; QL/059] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cwelm

noun. dusk

glesta-

verb. to gather

lag-

verb. to gather up, pick up, get

lav-

verb. to lick

lingos

noun. snake

luim

adjective. blue

Gnomish [GL/55; LT1A/Nielluin; LT2A/Fangluin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

luin

adjective. blue

Middle Primitive Elvish

lot(h)

root. flower

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/GOLÓS; Ety/LOT(H); Ety/WIG; EtyAC/LOT(H)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

doʒ

root. night

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “night” that (along with ᴹ√DOM) was the basis for the ᴹQ. lóme/N. “night” (Ety/DOƷ). It replaced some rejected variants ᴹ√LOƷ and ᴹ√DAW (EtyAC/LOƷ). Many of the derivatives of ᴹ√DOƷ were later assigned to other roots: N. dûr “dark” became S. dûr “dark” < √NDU “under, down” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152) and ᴹQ. lóna “dark” became Q. lúna (PE17/22). There are no signs of ᴹQ. “night” and N. daw “night-time, gloom” in Tolkien’s later writing. Future derivations of Q. lómë/S. only mention the root √DOM (PE17/152; PE22/153) and thus ᴹ√DOƷ may have been abandoned.

In a message to the Elfling mailing list from July 2012 (Elfling/362.96), David Salo suggested there might be a later root ✱√DU serving as the basis for Q. lúna “dark” and Q. lúmë “darkness”, though the latter might instead be from √LUM. Such a root ✱√DU is not attested in Tolkien writings, but if it existed, it could be a later iteration of ᴹ√DOƷ. Another possible example of the root ✱√DU is primitive ✶durnŭ “dark of hue”.

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/DOƷ; Ety/DOMO; Ety/DYEL; Ety/LUM; Ety/MAK; Ety/MOR; Ety/NDŪ; Ety/SLIG; Ety/UÑG; EtyAC/LOƷ; EtyAC/UÑG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

angwa

root. snake

The root √ANGWA “snake” with variant √ANGU appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as the basis for the words ᴹQ. ango “snake” (Ety/ANGWA) and angulóke “dragon” (Ety/LOK). The Noldorin equivalent am- seems to have survived only as a prefix (Ety/ANGWA), and is a good example of how [[on|[ŋgw] > [mb]]] in that language. There are a variety of other words for “snake” in Tolkien’s later writings, so whether this root remained valid is unclear.

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ANGWA; Ety/LOK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ailin

noun. pool, lake

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

lugni

adjective. blue

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/LUG²; EtyAC/LUG²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Westron

lôgrad

place name. Horse-mark

Early Quenya

meril

noun. flower

A word for a “flower(s)” in the name ᴱQ. Meril-i-Turinqi “Queen of Flowers” (LT1/16; GL/46).

Conceptual Development: In Tolkien’s later writing, S./N. {Beril >>} Meril was used for the name “Rose”.

Early Quenya [GL/45; GL/46; LT1A/Meril-i-Turinqi; LT2I/Meril-i-Turinqi] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lúto

noun. flood

Early Quenya [LT1A/Alqaluntë; PME/057; QL/057] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lóke

noun. snake, dragon

Early Quenya [GL/74; LT2/085; LT2A/Foalókë; LT2I/lókë; PE13/105; PE15/28; QL/055] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lórien

proper name. King of Dreams

Early Quenya [GL/18; GL/55; GL/58; LBI/Lórien; LT1A/Eriol; LT1A/Lórien; LT1I/Lórien; LT2I/Lórien; PE14/012; QL/037; QL/056] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lahta-

verb.

Early Quenya [QL/050] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maske

noun. dusk

Early Quenya [QL/059] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lava-

verb. to lick

Early Quenya [PE16/134; QL/052] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ninwa

adjective. blue

Early Quenya [LT1A/Nielluin; PE13/164; PE16/138; PME/066; QL/066; VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oqi

noun. snake

Early Quenya [PME/070; QL/070] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lin

noun. snake

A word for “snake” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with a stem form of {linge- >>} ling- (QL/54).

Early Quenya [QL/043; QL/054] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fui

noun. night

histe

noun/adjective. dusk

lingo

noun. snake

móri

noun. night

ninda

adjective. blue

ninya

adjective. blue

Qenya 

ulunde

noun. flood

ango

noun. snake, dragon

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “snake” derived from the root ᴹ√ANGWA of the same meaning, with a plural form angwi (Ety/ANGWA). This plural form reappeared in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, but there it was translated “dragons”.

Conceptual Development: A similar form ᴱQ. oqi “snake” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√OQO “curve, bend” (QL/70).

Neo-Quenya: The word Q. leuca “snake” from The Lord of the Rings appendices is more commonly used for “snake” in Neo-Quenya.

Qenya [Ety/ANGWA; PE22/124] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hui

proper name. Night

A name for (Primordial?) Night appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√PHUY, along with its (archaic?) variant Fui (Ety/PHUY).

Conceptual Development: This name is most likely a remnant of the name ᴱQ. Fui from the earliest Lost Tales, where it was another name for the goddess ᴱQ. Nienna (LT1/66, LT1A/Fui). According to the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons from the 1910s, this earlier version of the name is derived from the root ᴱ√ǶUẎU (GL/36, QL/38).

laira

adjective. shady

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “shady” under the root ᴹ√DAY “shadow” (Ety/DAY; EtyAC/DAY). This root was primarily used for N. dae “shadow” in N. Dor-Daedeloth “Land of the Shadow of Dread”; in later writings the Dae- element in that name seems to have become dae(r) “great” (WJ/183), so I suspect ᴹ√DAY “shadow” and its derivatives were abandoned.

Qenya [Ety/DAY; EtyAC/DAY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ailin

noun. pool, lake

Qenya [Ety/AY; Ety/LIN¹] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lav-

verb. to lick

Qenya [Ety/LAB; PE22/102; PE22/104; PE22/105] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lúne

adjective. blue, blue, [ᴱQ.] deep blue

Qenya [Ety/LUG²; EtyAC/LUG²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

núre

noun. night

Early Primitive Elvish

ru’u

root.

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, probably actually ✱ᴱ√RUƷU, with derivatives like ᴱQ. “dwelling, village, hamlet”, ᴱQ. rue “rest, stillness, remaining, steadfastness”, and ᴱQ. ruin “peace” (QL/80). There were a number of likely-related words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. “enduring, long suffering; quiet, gentle, docile”, G. “dwelling, house”, and G. rûtha- “dwell, remain”, though Tolkien seems to have rejected the Gnomish forms beginning with rô- (GL/66). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√RUH “✱still” to preserve some of these early words.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/080] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nulu

root.

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s marked by Tolkien with a “?” having a single derivative ᴱQ. NÛLE “lead” (QL/68). There are no signs of this root elsewhere in Tolkien’s later writing, and even in the early period he generally used ᴱQ. kanu for “metallic lead” (LT1/100; QL/44).

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/068] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oso

root.

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. oksa “joint” and ᴱQ. oswe “hip” (QL/71). In Tolkien’s later writings “joint” words seem to be based on √LIM “link, join” as in Q. málimë/S. molif “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” (VT47/6), but ᴱQ. oswe “hip” may be salvaged as a derivative of ᴹ√OS “round, about” referring instead to a rotating joint rather than a link.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/071] Group: Eldamo. Published by

siŋi

root.

The root ᴱ√SIŊI appeared unglossed in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. singe “salt” and (adjective) ᴱQ. singwa “salt” (QL/83). It had similar derivatives the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. sing and singrin “salt”, noun and adjective (GL/67). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SIÑGI to salvage these early words.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/083] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vḷkḷ

root.

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. valkane “torture” and ᴱQ. vilkin “bitter, evil”, serving as the basis for ᴱQ. Valkarauke, the Qenya name of Balrogs (QL/100). In later writings the initial element of this name was derived from √BAL “(divine) power”.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/101] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maþa

root. dusk

This root was given as ᴱ√MASA¹ “dusk” in its main entry in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, but its Gnomish form math- indicates the true root was ᴱ√MAÞA (QL/59). This was clarified in a list of roots at the end of the M-section in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/63) and its representation as maþ- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/59). Its most notable use in the Legendarium was in the name G. Umboth-muilin “Pools (muil-plural) of Twilight (umboth)”, where G. umboth or umbath “nightfall” was derived from a strengthened form of the root, ᴱ√mbaþ- (GL/75). However, in later writings this name was reconceived as Ilk. Umboth Muilin “Veiled (muilin) Pool (umboth)”, with the first element umboth meaning “large pool” (Ety/MBOTH, MUY). The name was ultimately replaced with S. Aelin-uial (S/114), by which point the early root ᴱ√MAÞA was long abandoned.

Early Primitive Elvish [GL/75; LT2A/Umboth-muilin; QL/059; QL/063] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sṣtyṣ

root.

The unglossed root ᴱ√SṢT͡YṢ appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. sastya “sore, galled” and ᴱQ. sist (sisty-) “ulcer, sore” (QL/86). The latter word was also mentioned as siste in “ulcer, boil” as a derivative of ᴱ✶sṣtē (PE12/14), and the primitive form was given as sistyi, though Tolkien did say it was indicative of ancient syllabic (PE12/3). However, in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s it seems primitive ᴱ✶sṣt- = “✱hiss” (PE13/163); see the entry on ᴹ√SUS “hiss” for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SISTI to salvage some of these early words.

Early Primitive Elvish [PE12/003; QL/086] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hama

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/039] Group: Eldamo. Published by

po

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/074] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pol-i

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/075] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tum(b)u

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [LT1A/Tombo; QL/095] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Reconstructed

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/072] Group: Eldamo. Published by

aya(la) Speculative

root. lake

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

gwori

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

root.

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/082] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nindyā

adjective. blue

Early Primitive Elvish [PE13/150; PE13/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by

liŋi Reconstructed

root. snake

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

môr

noun. night

A noun for “night” derived from primitive ᴹ✶mǭri (EtyAC/MOR), where the primitive [[ilk|[ǭ] became [ō]]].

Doriathrin [Ety/MOR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ancient telerin

uso

noun. dusk

Ancient telerin [PE21/72] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

ailin

noun. lake

Early Noldorin [PE13/136; PE13/158] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fuin

noun. night

Early Noldorin [PE13/143; PE13/156; SM/026] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nainn

adjective. blue

Early Noldorin [PE13/150; PE13/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by