lossë

snow

lossë (1) noun "snow" or adj. "snow-white" (SA:los, MC:213, VT42:18); losselië noun"white people" (MC:216, PE16:96)

lossë

blossom

lossë (2) noun "blossom" ("usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom") (LOT(H) )

olossë

snow, fallen snow

†olossë noun "snow, fallen snow" (GOLÓS, LOT[H])

olos

snow, fallen snow

†olos (2) noun "snow, fallen snow" (prob. oloss-, cf. the longer form olossë below; this form should be preferred since olos also = "dream, vision") (GOLOS)

ravanda

wilderness

?ravanda noun?, a form cited by Tolkien to elucidate the Noldorin word rhofan "wilderness"; it is not clear whether ravanda is meant as a Quenya cognate or just as an etymological (Old Noldorin?) form (VT46:10)

fauta-

to snow

fauta- vb. *"to snow" (actually glossed fauta = "it snows") (GL:35)

hriz-

to snow

#hriz- vb. "to snow", impersonal, given in the form hríza "it is snowing". Normally z would turn to r in Exilic Quenya, but since two r's close to one another were disliked, it may be that hriz- became *hris- instead (compare razë "sticks out" becoming rasë instead of **rarë, PE19:73) Past tense hrinsë (with s from the original root SRIS) and another form which the editor tentatively reads as hrissë (the development ns > ss is regular). (PE17:168)

fáwë

snow

fáwë vb. "snow" (GL:35; rather lossë in Tolkien's later Quenya)

niquë

snow

niquë (2) ("q")noun "snow" (NIK-W)

fána

adjective. white, white; [ᴹQ.] cloud

@@@ as suggested by Helge Fauskanger, the form fánë “white” in the Markirya poem may be a slip or misreading

Element in

• Q. man cenuva fána cirya? “Who shall see a white ship?” ✧ MC/221
• Q. man tiruva fána cirya? “Who shall heed a white ship?” ✧ MC/222

Variations

• fáne ✧ MC/221; MC/222

ninquë

white, chill, cold, palid

ninquë adj. "white, chill, cold, palid" (WJ:417, SA:nim, PE17:168, NIK-W - spelt "ninqe" in Etym and in LT1:266, MC:213, MC:220, GL:60), pl. ninqui in Markirya. Compounded in Ninquelótë noun "White-Flower" (SA:nim), = Sindarin Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor; ninqueruvissë ("q") "white-horse-on" _(MC:216; this is "Qenya", read _ninqueroccossë or *ninquiroccossë in LotR-style Quenya). Normally ninquë would be expected to have the stem-form ninqui-, given the primitive form ¤ninkwi; Ninquelótë rather than *Ninquilótë must be seen as an analogical form.

fána

white

fána, fánë (1) adj. "white" (Markirya - fánë as a sg. form in may be a misreading). Compare fanya.

fánë

adjective. white

úhepië

noun. loss

Elements

Word	Gloss
úhep-	“to lose, (lit.) to un-keep”

hravanda

noun. wilderness

Elements

Word	Gloss
hráva	“wild, savage, wild, savage, [ᴹQ.] untamed”

lantanwa

adjective. fallen

Elements

Word	Gloss
lanta-	“to fall, to fall; [ᴱQ.] to drop”

loss

noun. snow

The usual Sindarin word for “snow” (Let/278; PE17/161; RGEO/62), especially fallen and long-lying snow (VT42/18), derived from primitive ✶lossē (PE17/161) based on the root √(G)LOS (PE17/26; RGEO/62). It sometimes appeared in a shorter form los (PE17/26, 161). See the entry on [s] for a discussion of these long vs. short variations; for purposes of Neo-Sindarin loss is probably preferable.

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest iteration of this word was G. glui “snow” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, likely related to nearby words like G. gloss “white” (GL/40). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. gloss from the root ᴹ√GOLOS was both noun “snow” and adjective “snow-white” (Ety/GOLÓS), but in later writing Tolkien split these into S loss “snow” (see above) and S. gloss “(dazzling) white” (RGEO/62; VT42/18).

Cognates

• Q. lossë “snow, fallen snow; snow-white, snowy” ✧ PE17/026; PE17/161; SA/los; RGEO/61

Derivations

• √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ PE17/026; RGEO/61; SA/los; VT42/18
• ✶lossē “snow” ✧ PE17/161
  • √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ PE17/161; VT42/18

Element in

• S. Aeglos “Snow-point” ✧ SA/los
• S. aeglos “icicle, (lit.) snow-point; snowthorn (a plant)”
• S. Amon Uilos “Hill of Ever-snow” ✧ SA/los
• S. Fanuilos “Bright (Angelic) Figure upon Uilos” ✧ Let/278
• S. Lossarnach “Flowery Arnarch” ✧ VT42/18
• S. lossen “snowy” ✧ RGEO/62
• S. Lossoth “Snowmen” ✧ PE17/161; RGEO/62
• S. Nimphelos “Pale ?Snow”
• S. Uilos “Ever-snow”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√LŎS > los	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ PE17/026
✶lossē > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ PE17/161
√los > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ RGEO/61
√los > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ SA/los
√(G)LOS > loss	[lossē] > [losse] > [loss]	✧ VT42/18

Variations

• los ✧ PE17/026
• lŏs ✧ PE17/161
• Loss ✧ VT42/18

loss

noun. snow (especially fallen or long-lying snow)

loss

noun. snow

_ n. _snow. Q. losse. >> glos, glosui, los, Loss(h)oth

gloss

adjective. snow-white, dazzling-white

los

noun. snow

los

snow

{ŏ}_ n. _snow. Q. losse. >> glos, glosui, loss, Loss(h)oth

glawar

blossom

n. (golden) blossom. Q. loar, lávar.

lúth

noun. blossom

_ n. Bot. _blossom, inflorescence. >> Lúthien

uilos

noun/adjective. always white, ever white as snow

uilos

noun/adjective. a small white everlasting flower also called simbelmynë or "evermind"

fain

noun/adjective. cloud

rhovan

noun. wilderness

edlothia-

verb. to blossom, flower

The sentence from WR/293 is hardly legible and is not translated, but this word is however a plausible form

glân

adjective. white, [bright shining] white; [N.] clear; [G.] pure, †bright; [ᴱN.] clean

Derivations

• ᴹ√GALAN “bright”

Element in

• S. Curunír ’Lân “Saruman the White” ✧ UT/390

silivren

adjective. (white) glittering

faen

white

(radiant). No distinct pl. form.

fain

noun/adjective. white

fain

white

; no distinct pl. form.

nim

white

_adj. _white. >> Nimbrethil

nim

white

_adj. _white (usual word). >> nimp, nimras

nim

adjective. white

Cognates

• Q. ninquë “white; chill, cold; pallid” ✧ SA/nim

Derivations

• At. nimbi “white” ✧ PE17/019
  • ✶ninkwi “white, pale”
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• ✶ninkwi “white, pale” ✧ PE17/168
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
• S. nimp “pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly” ✧ SA/nim
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168
  • ✶nimpĭ “small” ✧ VT48/18
  • √NIP “small (usually with connotation of weakness)” ✧ VT48/18

Element in

• S. Barad Nimras “White Horn Tower” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Ered Nimrais “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimbrethil “Silver-birches” ✧ PE17/019; PE17/019; SA/nim
• S. Nimloth “White Blossom, Pale Blossom” ✧ SA/nim
• S. Nimras “White Horn” ✧ PE17/168
• S. Nimrodel “Lady of the White Cave”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
At. nimbi > nim	[nimbi] > [nimbe] > [nimb] > [nimm] > [nimm] > [nim]	✧ PE17/019

nimp

white

(nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form.

loss

snow

(construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.).

loss

snow

(fallen snow) loss (construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.).

loss

fallen snow

(construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.)

loss

fallen snow

loss (construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.)

loss

wilderness

(construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”fallen snow”.)

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.  

gloss

dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss

lossen

snowy

(pl. lessin, for archaic lössin). Adj.

edlothia

blossom

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

edlothia

blossom

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

lossoth

snow-men

(a coll. pl.)

loth

blossom

loth (see

loth

blossom

(see

edlothiad

blossoming

(flowering), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.

eriador

wilderness

(a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.

gwaith

wilderness

(i ’waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith).

rhovannor

wilderness

1) rhovannor (?i throvannor or ?i rovannor the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10); 2) Eriador (a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.; 3) gwaith (i **waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith). 4) loss (construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth**] and ”fallen snow”.)

rhovannor

wilderness

(?i throvannor or ?i rovannor – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10)

goloth

flower

(i ’oloth) (collection of flowers), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. Also in the form gwaloth (i ’waloth), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth.

dannen

fall

”ebb, low tide”, which however has different mutations.

dannen

fallen

dannen (lenited dhannen, pl. dennin); see FALL. Notice the homophone dannen ”ebb, low tide”, which however has different mutations.

dannen

fallen

(lenited dhannen, pl. dennin); see

glân

white

1) glân (clear), lenited lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”. 2) nimp (nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) faen (radiant). No distinct pl. form. 4) fain; no distinct pl. form.

glân

white

(clear), lenited ’lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”.

nínim

snowdrop

(”white tear”), no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nínimmath. – The niphredil seems to be a flower similar to the snowdrop (no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. niphrediliath)

silivren

glittering white

(lenited hilivren; pl. *silivrin**). *Verb

nimbi

adjective. white

About Nimrodel: "Nim is evidently the Telerin word nimbi 'white'." >> Nimrais >> Nimrodel

nimbi

adjective. white

Derivations

• At. nimbi “white”
  • ✶ninkwi “white, pale”
  • √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white” ✧ PE17/168

lossē

noun. snow

Derivations

• √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness” ✧ PE17/161; VT42/18

Derivatives

• Q. lossë “snow, fallen snow; snow-white, snowy” ✧ PE17/161
• S. loss “snow” ✧ PE17/161

Variations

• loss- ✧ VT42/18

sris

root. snow

An apparently verbal root as √SRIS “snow” appearing in etymological notes from around 1959 with derivatives like Q. hrisse “fall of snow” and Q. hríza “it is snowing”; it replaced a deleted root √SRITH “snow” (PE17/168).

Derivatives

• Q. hriz- “to snow” ✧ PE17/168
• Q. hrissë “fall of snow” ✧ PE17/168

Element in

• Q. hristil “snow (?peak)” ✧ PE17/168

roban

noun. wilderness

Derivations

• √DROB “*wild” ✧ PE17/099

Derivatives

• S. rhovan “wilderness; wild beast” ✧ PE17/099

Element in

• ✶Droban-yon “*Wilderland” ✧ PE17/099

srith

root. snow

Derivatives

• Q. hrisya- “to snow (impersonal)” ✧ PE17/168

gloss

adjective. snow-white, dazzling-white

lhoss

noun. wilderness

Derivations

• ᴹ√LUS “*empty” ✧ Ety/LUS

Element in

• N. lothren “wild, waste”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√LUS > lhoss	[lusse] > [losse] > [loss] > [l̥oss]	✧ Ety/LUS

fein

noun/adjective. cloud

rhofan

noun. wilderness

rhofan

noun. wilderness

Derivations

• ᴹ√RAB “*wild” ✧ Ety/RAB

Element in

• N. Rhovanion “Wilderland”
• N. Rhofannor “Wilderness” ✧ EtyAC/RAB

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√RAB > rhofan	[rābana] > [rǭbana] > [roubana] > [rouvana] > [rauvana] > [rauvan] > [r̥auvan] > [r̥ovan]	✧ Ety/RAB

rhofannor

place name. Wilderness

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ravanda “wilderness” ✧ EtyAC/RAB

Elements

Word	Gloss
rhofan	“wilderness”
dôr	“land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live”

Variations

• rhofannor ✧ EtyAC/RAB

brassen

adjective. white-hot

gwaloth

noun. blossom, collection of flowers

This form replaced deleted goloth in the manuscript of The Etymologies, see VT/45:29. The deleted form is however also later attested in VT/42:18

dannen

noun. fallen

dannen

adjective. fallen

fein

noun/adjective. white