rauta

metal

rauta noun "metal" [meaning changed by Tolkien from "copper"]. Notice that in the LotR, the word for metal is given as tinco. (RAUTĀ)

tinco

metal

tinco noun "metal" (TINKŌ), also name of tengwa #1 (Appendix E, there spelt "tinco", but "tinko" in Etym); tincotéma noun "t-series", dental series, first column of the Tengwar system (Appendix E)

tinco

noun. metal

Derivations

• ᴹ√TINKŌ “metal”

Element in

• ᴺQ. tincina “metallic”
• Q. tincotéma “t-series”

malta

gold

malta noun "gold", also name of tengwa #18 (Appendix E). The Etymologies (entry SMAL) instead has malda, q.v. for discussion, but according to VT46:14, the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Also compare the root MALAT listed in PM:366.

Tar-culu

gold

Tar-culu ("k"), name listed in the Etymologies but not elsewhere attested. The second element is apparently culu "gold" (a word Tolkien seems to have abandoned); Hostetter and Wynne suggest that this may be an alternative name of Tar-Calion (= Ar-Pharazôn "the Golden"); see VT45:24.

tambë

copper

tambë (2) noun "copper" (LT1:250; this is "Qenya"; see urus for a later word for "copper")

tampë

copper

tampë noun "copper" (LT1:268; in LotR-style Quenya tampë is [also?] the past tense of tap- "stop, block")

culo

gold

[culo, culu ("k")noun "gold" (substance)] (KUL, VT49:47; the word culu_ also occurred in early "Qenya" [LT1:258], but in the Etymologies it was struck out; the regular Quenya word for "gold" is apparently _malta. In another version, culo meant "flame" [VT45:24], but this is apparently also a word Tolkien abandoned.)

laurë

gold

†laurë noun "gold", but of golden light and colour, not of the metal: "golden light" (according to PE17:61 a poetic word). Nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). In Etym defined as "light of the golden Tree Laurelin, gold", not properly used of the metal gold (LÁWAR/GLÁWAR, GLAW(-R), VT27:20, 27, PE17:159). In early "Qenya", however, laurë was defined as "(the mystic name of) gold" (LT1:255, 258) or simply "gold" (LT1:248, 268). In Laurelin and Laurefindil, q.v., Laurenandë "Gold-valley" = Lórien (the land, not the Vala) (UT:253) and laurinquë name of a tree, possibly *"Gold-full one" (UT:168). Laurendon "like gold" or "in gold fashion" (but after citing this form, Tolkien decided to abandon the similative ending -ndon, PE17:58).

urus

copper

urus (urust-) noun "copper" (VT41:10)

urus

noun. copper

Cognates

• S. rust “copper” ✧ VT41/10
• T. urus “copper” ✧ VT41/10

Derivations

• √RUS “brownish red” ✧ VT41/10

Element in

• Q. calarus “polished copper” ✧ VT41/10
• Q. lairus “verdigris” ✧ VT41/10
• ᴺQ. urusta “of copper”
• ᴺQ. urustamitta “copper-piece”
• ᴺQ. urustan “copper-smith”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√(u)rus > urus	[urusto] > [urust] > [urus]	✧ VT41/10

órë

óre

In the manuscript "Notes on Óre", óre ("heart (inner mind)") derives from the Common Eldarin root ƷOR. The word is also said to be associated with the root OR, although probably not "semantically connected". In the Etymologies, the word óre ("rising") derives from root ORO.

sincë

noun. mineral [as in any solid inorganic substance], gem, metal

Cognates

• ᴺS. sinc “*mineral, [G.] metal”

Derivations

• ✶sinki “*mineral”

Element in

• ᴺQ. sinilë “topaz”

raud

noun. metal

raud

noun. metal

Element in

• S. Rodëol “metal of Eöl” ✧ WJ/322

malt

noun. gold, gold (as metal)

Cognates

• Q. malta “gold (metal), gold as material” ✧ PE17/050

Derivations

• √MALAT “gold”

Element in

• S. Araval
• S. Malbeth “*Golden Word”
• S. mallorn “gold tree, yellow tree”
• S. mallos “golden flower”
• ᴺS. malthos “butter cup”
• S. Malvegil “?Sword of Gold”
• Os. malthorn “gold tree” ✧ PE17/050; VT42/27

rust

noun. copper

rust

noun. copper

Cognates

• Q. urus “copper” ✧ VT41/10

Derivations

• √RUS “brownish red” ✧ VT41/10

Element in

• S. rustui “copper, copper, *of copper, like copper” ✧ VT41/10

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√(u)rus > rust	[uruste] > [urust] > [urust] > [rust]	✧ VT41/10

rustui

adjective. of copper

rustui

adjective. copper, copper, *of copper, like copper

ross

adjective. red-haired, copper coloured (especially used of animals, as fox, red deer, etc.)

tinc

metal

tinc (i dinc, o thinc), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thinc), coll. pl. tingath. The word rhaud “metal” occurring in the Etymologies would normally be ”updated” to Sindarin in the form raud, but since raud appears with different meanings in later sources (see

tinc

metal

(i** dinc, o thinc), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thinc), coll. pl. tingath. The word rhaud** “metal” occurring in the Etymologies would normally be ”updated” to Sindarin in the form raud, but since raud** appears with different meanings in later sources (see

mall

gold

(i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

malt

gold

(i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i ’lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) (VT41:10)

malad

gold

(as metal) 1) malad (i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl. 2) malt (i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i **lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10) GOLD (COLOUR?) *mall (i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

malad

gold

(i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl.

ross

polished metal

(glitter), pl. ryss (idh** ryss**). Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”spray, foam, rain, dew”. For concrete metals, see

mithril

copper, gold,  iron, silver

(i** vithril, no distinct pl. form except with article [i** mithril], coll. pl. ?mithrillath). The description of mithril may seem to fit titanium.

galvorn

copper, gold,  iron, silver

(i** ’alvorn, pl. gelvyrn [in ngelvyrn*] if there is a pl.), a black metal made by the Dark Elf Eöl. (WJ:322)*

tinc

eminent

should at least be preferred for clarity).

rust

copper

rust, pl. ryst (idh ryst) if there is a pl. Possibly also ?urun (pl. yryn if there is a pl.).

rust

copper

pl. ryst (idh ryst) if there is a pl.  Possibly also ?urun (pl. yryn if there is a pl.).

urun

noun. copper

Derivations

• √URUN “copper”

urus

noun. copper

Cognates

• Q. urus “copper” ✧ VT41/10

Derivations

• √RUS “brownish red” ✧ VT41/10

lóri

noun. gold

Cognates

• Q. laurë “gold (light or colour)” ✧ NM/347; PE17/048
• T. glavarë “golden light”

Element in

• Nan. Lórinand “Valley of Gold(en Light)” ✧ NM/347; PE17/048

Variations

• lōri ✧ NM/347
• lór- ✧ PE17/048

pharaz

noun. gold

A noun meaning “gold”, the only Adûnaic word defined in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1114).

Conceptual Development: This noun also appears in “Lowdham’s Report on the Adunaic Language” from the 1940s (SD/426).

Element in

• Ad. Pharazôn “Golden” ✧ LotR/1114

mal

root. gold, yellow, gold

This was the root for Elvish words meaning “yellow” for much of Tolkien’s life, though with some minor variations. It appeared as ᴱ√MALA “yellow” (usually mali-) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. malina “yellow” and ᴱQ. malikon “amber” (QL/58). It also appeared in a list of M-roots at the end of that section (QL/63). It had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. malon “yellow” and G. malthos “butter cup” (GL/56).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems Tolkien first gave this root as ᴹ√MAL (EtyAC/MAL) but rejected this and replaced it with ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). It had derivatives like ᴹQ. malina/N. malen “yellow”, ᴹQ. malta/N. malt “gold (as metal)” and ᴹQ. malo/N. hmâl “pollen, yellow powder” (< ᴹ✶smalu), with some revisions in Noldorin forms as Tolkien vacillated on whether or not primitive sm- resulted in voiceless nasal hm- or a voiced nasal m-.

This √SMAL vs. √MAL variation seems to have continued into Tolkien’s later writings, as seen in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s where ✶malu >> ✶smalu “dust, grit” (PE21/80), probably a later iteration of ᴹ✶smalu “pollen, yellow powder” from The Etymologies. But it seems Tolkien settled on √MAL as evidenced by the extended root √MALAT “gold” from The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/366).

Derivatives

• ✶malnā “yellow, of golden colour”
  • Q. malina “yellow, of golden colour” ✧ PE17/051
• ✶malu “dust”
• ✶smalu “dust, grit, [ᴹ✶] pollen, yellow powder; [✶] dust, grit”
• S. mallen “golden, golden, [N.] of gold”

Element in

• ✶Malaphinde “Goldlocks”
• √MALAT “gold”
• Q. culumalda “laburnum, *(lit.) orange-tree” ✧ SA/mal
• ᴺQ. malicon “amber”
• Q. Malinalda “Tree of Gold” ✧ SA/mal
• ᴺQ. malma “lemon”
• S. Cormallen “Golden Circle” ✧ SA/mal
• S. Malduin “Yellow River” ✧ SA/mal
• S. Malgalad “?yellow radiance”
• S. Mallor
• S. mallorn “gold tree, yellow tree” ✧ SA/mal

Variations

• mal- ✧ SA/mal

malat

root. gold

Derivatives

• ✶mal(a)tā “gold (as metal)”
  • Q. malta “gold (metal), gold as material”
• S. malt “gold, gold (as metal)”

Elements

Word	Gloss
MAL	“gold, yellow, gold”

urun

root. copper

Derivatives

• ᴺS. urun “copper”

Element in

• Q. Urundil “Copper-lover” ✧ PM/366

rhaud

noun. metal

rhaud

noun. metal

Cognates

• ᴹQ. rauta “metal” ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ

Derivations

• On. rauta “metal” ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ
  • ᴹ√RAUTA “metal” ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ

Element in

• N. Damrod “hammerer of copper” ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ
• N. Angrod ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ
• N. Finrod ✧ Ety/RAUTĀ

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. rauta > rhaud	[rauta] > [rǭta] > [routa] > [rauta] > [raut] > [r̥aut] > [r̥aud]	✧ Ety/RAUTĀ

tinc

noun. metal

tinc

noun. metal

Cognates

• ᴹQ. tinko “metal” ✧ Ety/TINKŌ

Derivations

• ᴹ√TINKŌ “metal” ✧ Ety/TINKŌ

Element in

• ᴺS. tingen “metallic”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√TINKŌ > tinc	[tiŋko] > [tiŋko] > [tiŋkʰo] > [tiŋxo] > [tiŋx] > [tiŋk]	✧ Ety/TINKŌ

malt

noun. gold (as metal)

côl

noun. gold (metal)

mallen

adjective. of gold, golden

malthen

adjective. of gold, golden

glaur

noun. gold

Cognates

• ᴹQ. laure “gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR

Derivations

• ᴹ√(G)LAWAR “*gold” ✧ Ety/GLAW(-R); Ety/LÁWAR

Element in

• N. Glorfindel ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
• N. gloriel “golden” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
• N. Inglor “*Heart of Gold” ✧ Ety/LÁWAR
• N. Maglor “Gold-cleaver” ✧ Ety/MAK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√GLAW(-R) > glaur	[glawre] > [glaure] > [glǭre] > [gloure] > [glaure] > [glaur]	✧ Ety/GLAW(-R)
ᴹ√GLÁWAR > glaur	[glawre] > [glaure] > [glǭre] > [gloure] > [glaure] > [glaur]	✧ Ety/LÁWAR

Variations

• glor-/lor- ✧ EtyAC/LÁWAR