mára

adjective. good (of things), useful, fit

Cognates

• N. maer “useful, fit, good (of things)” ✧ Ety/MAƷ|MAG

Derivations

• ᴹ✶magrā “useful, fit, good (of things)” ✧ Ety/MAƷ|MAG; PE19/046
  • ᴹ√MAG “use, handle” ✧ Ety/MAƷ|MAG
• ᴹ√MAG “use, handle” ✧ EtyAC/MAƷ

Element in

• ᴹQ. Máraher “Good Steward”
• ᴹQ. matie ye mára “eating is (a) good (thing)” ✧ PE22/119
• ᴹQ. márie “Melko has gone from Earth: it is good.” ✧ LR/072
• ᴹQ. mólome mára poldóreain “hard work (is) good for the strong-bodied” ✧ PE22/123

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶magrā > mára	[magrā] > [maɣrā] > [mārā] > [māra]	✧ Ety/MAƷ	MAG
ᴹ✶magra > mára	[magra] > [maɣra] > [māra]	✧ PE19/046

Variations

• māra ✧ EtyAC/MAƷ (māra)

taura

adjective. mighty

Cognates

• N. taur “vast, mighty, overwhelming, awful, huge; high, sublime” ✧ Ety/TUR

Derivations

• ᴹ✶taurā “masterful, mighty” ✧ Ety/TUR
  • ᴹ√TUR “power, control, mastery, victory” ✧ Ety/TĀ; Ety/TÁWAR; Ety/TUR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶taurā > taura	[taurā] > [taura]	✧ Ety/TUR

litse

noun. sand

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sand” derived from the root ᴹ√LIT (Ety/ERE). Its Noldorin cognate N. lith was in later writings glossed as S. lith “ash”, so it is possible this word also shifted in meaning, but Helge Fauskanger used the neologism ᴺQ. littë for “ash” in his NQNT (NQNT) to keep the two words distinct, an approach that I also advocate.

Cognates

• ᴹ✶litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
• On. litthe “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
• N. lith “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT

Derivations

• ᴹ✶litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
  • ᴹ√LIT “*(fine) grit” ✧ Ety/LIT

Element in

• ᴺQ. litsëa “sandy; granular, gritty”
• ᴺQ. litsëon “sandstone”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶litse > litse	[litse]	✧ Ety/LIT

magra

adjective. good

Derivations

• ᴹ√MAG “use, handle” ✧ EtyAC/MAƷ

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MAG > magra	[magra]	✧ EtyAC/MAƷ

litthe

noun. sand

Cognates

• ᴹQ. litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT

Derivations

• ᴹ✶litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
  • ᴹ√LIT “*(fine) grit” ✧ Ety/LIT

Derivatives

• N. lith “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶litse > litthe	[litse] > [liθθe]	✧ Ety/LIT

litse

noun. sand

Cognates

• ᴹQ. litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT

Derivations

• ᴹ√LIT “*(fine) grit” ✧ Ety/LIT

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. litse “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
• On. litthe “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT
  • N. lith “sand” ✧ Ety/LIT

mara

noun. sand

mawr

adjective. good

mora

adjective. good

Cognates

• Eq. mára “mighty, power[ful], doughty; good, excellent, useful (of things)”

Derivations

• ᴱ√MAHA “grasp”

Element in

• G. bessin moron “good wives” ✧ GG/15
• G. bess mora “a good wife” ✧ GG/15
• G. maien “better” ✧ PE13/115
• G. main “better” ✧ PE13/115
• G. mor’ach “*too good” ✧ GL/17
• G. nosi mora “good by nature” ✧ GG/10
• G. nôs mora “good by nature” ✧ GG/10

Variations

• mawr ✧ PE13/115

marol

noun. sand

A noun with variants marol and mara in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “sand”, probably a derivative of the root ᴱ√MARA (GL/56); see the entry on the root for further discussion. In later writings, Tolkien used N. lith for “sand”.

Derivations

• ᴱ√MARA “*sand, soil” ✧ GL/56

Variations

• mara ✧ GL/56

mar(o)n

adjective. ripe

Cognates

• Eq. marin(a) “ripe, mature”

Derivations

• ᴱ√MARA “ripe, yellow”

Variations

• maron ✧ GL/56
• marn ✧ GL/56

baldrin

adjective. mighty

polodrin

adjective. mighty

A word appearing as G. polodrin “mighty” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjective form of G. polod “power, might, authority” (GL/64). It had an archaic variant {poldurin >>} †polurin or polorin which was sometimes used as a sobriquet for Tulcus.

Neo-Sindarin: Since ᴹ√POL(OD) still had to do with “strength” in Tolkien’s later writings, I’d adapt this word as ᴺS. polodhren “mighty, ✱powerful” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin using the later Sindarin adjective -ren. Given the meanings of its base noun (including authority), I’d assume this adjective has a connotation of political power. I’d constrast it with S. belaith which I’d use for “mighty” in general (independent of authority).

Changes

• poldurin → polurin ✧ GL/64

Cognates

• Eq. poldórea “muscular, powerful” ✧ GL/64

Variations

• polurin ✧ GL/64 (polurin)
• polorin ✧ GL/64 (polorin)
• poldurin ✧ GL/64 (poldurin)

maur

adjective. good

Changes

• moir → maur ✧ PE13/150
• mór → maur ✧ PE13/150

Cognates

• Eq. mára “mighty, power[ful], doughty; good, excellent, useful (of things)” ✧ PE13/122; PE13/125

Derivations

• ᴱ√MAHA “grasp”

Element in

• En. damor “no good”
• En. i weg mór “the good man” ✧ PE13/124
• En. i weg mor agos “the very good man” ✧ PE13/124
• En. moir “goods” ✧ PE13/150

Variations

• môr ✧ PE13/122; PE13/124; PE13/125; PE13/125
• mór ✧ PE13/124; PE13/150 (mór)
• mor ✧ PE13/124
• moir ✧ PE13/150 (moir)

môr

adjective. good

mara

root. ripe, yellow

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “ripe, yellow”, a variant of ᴱ√MALA “yellow” (QL/59). It had derivatives like ᴱQ. marin(a)/G. mar(o)n “ripe” and ᴱQ. marin/G. maros “ripe fruit” (QL/59; GL/56). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing; one sign of its abandonment is the change of “orange” from ᴱQ. kulmarin (kul- + marin) to ᴹQ. kuluma (QL/49; Ety/KUL).

Derivatives

• Eq. maru “pulp” ✧ QL/059
• Eq. mar- “to get ripe, come to ripeness, get ready, grow up, get mellow” ✧ QL/059; QL/063
• Eq. marin “(ripe) fruit (of apple type)” ✧ QL/059
• Eq. marin(a) “ripe, mature” ✧ QL/059
• G. mar(o)n “ripe”
• G. maros “ripe fruit”

Variations

• MARA ✧ QL/063

mara

root. *sand, soil

A root appearing in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as root {ᴱ√MAŘA² >>} ᴱ√MARA that Tolkien indicated was a dialectical variation or byform of ᴱ√MṚŘṚ [MṚÐṚ] “grind”, with a single derivative: ᴱQ. marilla “pearl” (QL/59). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, G. brithla “pearl” was most likely a derivative of ᴱ√MṚÐṚ (GL/24). However, in the m-section of GL Tolkien said “mar and môr probably conceal two roots and a confusion [with] mbara”, with various apparent derivatives of mar- such as G. mar “Earth, ground, soil”, G. marol “sand” and G. Môr “the Earth” (GL/56). Tolkien also had G. mara- “dwell”, but it appeared before a variant (m)bara and so likely was derived from ᴱ√MBARA “dwell, live” as mentioned in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/60). As for ᴱ√MARA² itself, it may have meant “✱sand, soil”.

Changes

• MAŘA² → MARA ✧ QL/059

Derivatives

• Eq. marilla “pearl” ✧ QL/059
• G. mar “Earth, ground, soil” ✧ GL/56
• G. marol “sand” ✧ GL/56
• G. Môr “The Earth” ✧ GL/56

Variations

• mar ✧ GL/56
• mar- ✧ GL/58
• MARA ✧ QL/059 (MARA)
• MAŘA² ✧ QL/059 (MAŘA²)

mṛðṛ

root. grind

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s given as ᴱ√MṚŘṚ with derivatives like ᴱQ. mar (mard-) “grit, course grain or powder”, ᴱQ. mard- “grind, pulverize” and ᴱQ. marma “sand” (QL/63). In a list of roots at the end of the M-section, ᴱ√MṚÐṚ was gloss “grind” (QL/63). Early in the M-section Tolkien had the root {ᴱ√MAŘA² >>} ᴱ√MARA as a dialectical variation or byform of ᴱ√MṚŘṚ, with the derivative ᴱQ. marilla “pearl” (QL/59); see that entry for details. The Gnomish cognate of ᴱQ. marilla was given as G. brithla “pearl” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/24), and this Gnomish word probably a derivative of ᴱ√MṚÐṚ. In that document these words served as the base for ᴱQ. Silmaril and its Gnomish equivalent G. Silubrilt (GL/67). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, and Q. Silmaril was given different etymologies later on.

Derivatives

• Eq. mar “grit, coarse grain or powder” ✧ QL/063
• Eq. mard(a)- “to grind, pulverize” ✧ QL/063; QL/063
• Eq. marma “sand” ✧ QL/063

Element in

• G. brithla “pearl”

Variations

• MṚŘṚ ✧ QL/059; QL/063

mṛřṛ

root. grind

marma

noun. sand

A noun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “sand”, a derivative of the root ᴱ√MṚŘṚ [MṚÐṚ] (QL/63). The word was also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/63). In later writings, ᴹQ. litse was used for “sand” (Ety/LIT).

Derivations

• ᴱ√MṚÐṚ “grind” ✧ QL/063

Element in

• Eq. marmale “beach” ✧ QL/063

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴱ√MṚŘṚ > marma	[mṛðmā] > [mṛðma] > [marðma] > [mardma] > [marma]	✧ QL/063

mára

adjective. mighty, power[ful], doughty; good, excellent, useful (of things)

Cognates

• En. maur “good” ✧ PE13/122; PE13/125
• G. mora “good”

Derivations

• ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” ✧ QL/057

Element in

• Eq. i limbelu tuktalla nai mára “*the long search may be good” ✧ PE15/32
• Eq. mal “better, best” ✧ PE14/081
• Eq. malda “better, best” ✧ PE14/081
• Eq. mára mesta an ni véla tye ento, ya rato nea “good-bye until I see you next, and I hope it will be soon” ✧ LFC/030
• Eq. néri ur natsi nostalen máre “*men are not beings good by nature” ✧ PE15/32
• Eq. nostalen mára “good by nature” ✧ GG/10
• Eq. qentien no máre nar i hondor “*than good, I said, are the hearts” ✧ PE15/32

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴱ√MAHA > māra	[maxrā] > [maxra] > [maɣra] > [māra]	✧ QL/057

Variations

• māra ✧ GG/10; PE13/122; PE15/32; QL/057
• Mára ✧ LFC/030
• mā-ra ✧ PE13/125
• măra ✧ PE14/048
• mara ✧ PE14/081; PE15/73
• mára ✧ PE16/137; PE16/140

túrea

adjective. mighty

Variations

• tūrea ✧ QL/095 (tūrea)

tyusse

noun. sand

A word for “sand” from Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/139). Its etymology is unclear, and none of the words from this period with similar forms seem to be related.