maxo

noun. mire, mire, [ᴹQ.] sticky substance

A word in both the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) of the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) of the 1950s, where it was glossed “sticky substance, mire” (PE19/48) and “mire” (PE19/101). In both places, it was derived from ✶mazgō, and served to illustrated the sound change whereby [[aq|[z] plus voiced stop became unvoiced]] (zg > sk > ks = x) in Ancient Quenya.

Cognates

• S. madha “mud” ✧ PE19/101
• T. mascu “mire” ✧ PE19/101

Derivations

• ✶mazgō “sticky substance” ✧ PE19/101
  • √MASAG “sticky, sticky, [ᴹ√] knead, make soft by rubbing, kneading” ✧ PE19/101

Element in

• ᴺQ. maxon “mudstone”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mazgō/ŭ > makso	[mazgō] > [maskō] > [masko] > [makso]	✧ PE19/101

Variations

• makso ✧ PE19/101

mírë

jewel

mírë noun "jewel" (MIR, SA:mîr), "a treasure, a precious thing" (PE17:37).Cf. Elemmírë; short form -mir in Tar-Atanamir (SA:mîr); see also Artamir.

mírë

noun/adjective. jewel, gem, precious thing, treasure; precious

A word first appearing with the gloss “jewel, precious thing, treasure” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MIR (Ety/MIR). It appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with the same etymology and glosses like “gem”, “jewel” and “precious thing”, and it was a common element in names. In one place Tolkien said it could also be used as an adjective “precious” (PE17/165).

Cognates

• S. mîr “jewel, precious thing, treasure” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/037; PE17/073; PE17/165; SA/mîr

Derivations

• √MIR “precious; esteem, value” ✧ PE17/037; PE17/165
• ✶mīrĭ “precious, precious thing” ✧ PE17/165
  • √MIR “precious; esteem, value” ✧ PE17/165

Element in

• Q. Aldamir “*Tree Jewel”
• Q. Ardamir “*World-jewel”
• Q. Ardamírë “Jewel of the World”
• Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya forever” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers (lit. down-roofs) Calacirya’s jewels forever” ✧ RGEO/59
• Q. Artamir “*Noble Jewel”
• Q. atamir “heirloom” ✧ PE17/165
• Q. Atanamir “*Man Jewel” ✧ PE17/024; SA/mîr
• Q. Castamir
• ᴺQ. culmírë “sardius, carneol [carnelian], (lit.) orange-jewel”
• Q. Elemmírë “Elven-gem, Star-gem” ✧ PE19/096; SA/mîr
• Q. Elendilmir “Star of Elendil”
• ᴺQ. mirumírë “amethyst, (lit.) wine-jewel”
• Q. Hostamir “*Many Jewels”
• ᴺQ. laicelumir “malachite (lit.) green-flowing-jewel”
• ᴺQ. lairemírë “daisy, (lit.) meadow-jewel *(or summer-jewel)”
• ᴺQ. linquemir “hyacinth [jewel]”
• Q. mimírima “very beautiful” ✧ PE17/165
• Q. mírëa “jewelled, jewelled, *gemmed”
• Q. Míriel “*Jewel-daughter” ✧ PE17/024; SA/mîr
• Q. mírima “very valuable, very precious, very lovely” ✧ PE17/165
• ᴺQ. nambírë “jasper”
• ᴺQ. omírë “jewelry (collectively)”
• ᴺQ. orvamir “chrysoprase, (lit.) apple-jewel”
• ᴺQ. ostimmir “agate, (lit.) blend-jewel”
• ᴺQ. tinwírë “diamond, (lit.) sparkling gem”
• Q. Vardamir “*Varda-jewel”
• Q. yavannamírë “Jewel of Yavanna”
• S. Boromir “?Steadfast-jewel”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MIR > mírë	[mīre]	✧ PE17/037
✶mīrĭ > míre	[mīri] > [mīre]	✧ PE17/165
√MIR > mīre	[mīre]	✧ PE17/165

Variations

• míre ✧ PE17/024; PE17/073; PE17/165; PE19/096
• mīre ✧ PE17/165

raita-

smile

raita- 3) vb. "smile", pa.t. rëantë (PE17:182)

hísë

noun. mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared

A word for “mist” appearing as an element in several names. It is not directly attested in Tolkien’s later writings, but ᴹQ. híse “mist, fog” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶khīthi, indicating a stem form of hísi- [†híþi-] (Ety/KHIS). Its continued appearance in words like Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist” (S/118) and Q. hísilanya “mist thread” (PE17/60) indicates its ongoing validity.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. hīse appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√HISI alongside a variant ᴱQ. histe, but there it was glossed “dusk” (QL/40). In drafts of the Oilima Markirya written circa 1930 it was glossed “haze” (PE16/62) or “mist” (PE16/75; MC/221), but in the final 1931 iteration of the poem it appeared only in the very-loosely translated phrase ᴱQ. úri nienaite híse “a bleared sun”, perhaps literally “✱sun [with a] tearful mist” (MC/214). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was “mist” (PE21/32) and in The Etymologies of the late 1930s “mist, fog” as noted above, so Tolkien seems to have stuck with the meaning “mist” thereafter.

Cognates

• S. hîth “mist”

Derivations

• √KHITH “mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog”

Element in

• ᴺQ. hísëa “misty”
• Q. hísië “mist, mistiness”
• Q. hísilanya “mist thread, grey elvish rope” ✧ PE17/060
• Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist, (lit.) Mist-and-Dusk”
• Q. Hísimë “November, *Misty-one”

hísë

mist, fog

hísë (þ) (stem #hísi- because of the primitive form ¤khīthi, cf. hísilanya, Hísilómë) (1) noun "mist, fog" (KHIS/KHITH). According to VT45:22, hísë is also the name of Tengwa #11 in the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, but Tolkien would later call #11 harma/aha instead.

hísië

mist, mistiness

hísië (þ) noun "mist, mistiness" (Nam, SA:hîth, PE17:73), also hísë.

maxo

noun. sticky substance

sticky substance, mire

raila

noun. smile

Derivations

• √RAY “smile”

rëo

noun. smile

Cognates

• ᴺS. rae “smile”

Derivations

• √RAY “smile”

mîr

noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure

mîr

noun. jewel

_ n. _jewel, precious thing. Q. míre, pl1. míri. >> advir

mîr

noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure

The noun N. mîr “jewel, precious thing, treasure” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MIR (Ety/MIR), and continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with similar derivations and glosses (LotR/1115; PE17/37, 165; PM/348; RGEO/65). It is a frequent element in names.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s instead had G. idri “a treasure, a thing of great worth, a jewel” below a more archaic form of the same word G. †îd, both related to the name Idril (GL/50). Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱN. himp “jewel” (PE13/147), probably related to ᴱQ. sinqe “jewel” from this same period (PE14/42, 71), where initial s usually became h in Noldorin of the 1920s and labialized velars became labials (nq > mp).

Cognates

• Q. mírë “jewel, gem, precious thing, treasure; precious” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/037; PE17/073; PE17/165; SA/mîr

Derivations

• ✶mīrĭ “precious, precious thing” ✧ PE17/165
  • √MIR “precious; esteem, value” ✧ PE17/165

Element in

• S. advir “heirloom” ✧ PE17/165
• S. Aravir
• S. Gelmir
• S. Gwaith-i-Mírdain “People of the Jewel Smiths” ✧ SA/mîr
• S. menel-vîr síla díriel “*heaven-jewel shines having watched [for us]” ✧ LB/354
• ᴺS. mírad “treasury, hoard”
• S. mírdan “jewel smith”
• S. míria- “to sparkle like jewels” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/024
• S. mirian “Gondorian coin”
• S. Mîr n’Ardhon “Jewel of the World” ✧ PM/348
• S. Nauglamír “Necklace of the Dwarves” ✧ SA/mîr
• S. Remmirath “Netted Jewels” ✧ LotR/1115; PE17/024

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mīrĭ > mîr	[mīri] > [mīre] > [mīr]	✧ PE17/165

Variations

• mír ✧ PM/348

mírdan

noun. jewel-smith

hîth

noun. mist

The Sindarin word for “mist”, an element in many names, derived from the root √KHITH of the same meaning (SA/hîth; PE17/73).

Conceptual Development: N. hîth “mist” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/KHIS), though when Tolkien first defined the word, he first wrote (and then deleted) the gloss “fog” (EtyAC/KHIS). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien wrote hith (LR/364), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne confirmed that the actual form was hîth in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/22).

Cognates

• Q. hísië “mist, mistiness” ✧ SA/hîth
• Q. hísë “mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared”

Derivations

• √KHITH “mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog”

Element in

• S. Hithaeglir “Misty Mountains, (lit.) Line of Misty Peaks” ✧ SA/hîth
• S. hithlain “mist thread, grey elvish rope”
• north S. Hithlum “Land of Mist” ✧ SA/hîth
• S. hithren “grey”
• S. hithui “misty”
• S. Nen Hithoel “Mist-cool Water” ✧ RC/328; SA/hîth

Variations

• Hith ✧ RC/328

hîth

noun. mist, fog

hithlain

noun. mist-thread (a substance used by the Elves of Lothlórien to make strong ropes)

míriel

jewel-like

(lenited víriel, pl. míril) (sparkling like a jewel)

mîr

jewel

mîr (i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, treasure), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath. GREAT JEWEL (Silmaril) Mirion (i Virion), pl. Míryn (i Míryn). (LR:373 s.v. MIR lists the archaic ”Noldorin” plural Miruin.)

mîr

jewel

(i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, treasure), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath.

rae

noun. smile

Cognates

• ᴺQ. rëo “smile”

Derivations

• √RAY “smile”

mirion

great jewel

(i Virion), pl. Míryn (i Míryn). (LR:373 s.v. MIR lists the archaic ”Noldorin” plural Miruin.)

mírdan

jewel-smith

(i vírdan), pl. mírdain (i mírdain)

hithlain

mist-thread

name of a fiber made in Lórien.

hîth

mist

hîth (i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

hîth

mist

(i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

mith

wet mist

(i vith) (white fog), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”. ✱

golovir

noldo-jewel

(i Ngolovir = i Ñolovir, o N’golovir = o Ñgolovir), no distinct pl. form except with article (in Golovir = i Ñgolovir). Adj.

mascu

noun. mire

mire

mascu

noun. mire

Cognates

• Q. maxo “mire, mire, [ᴹQ.] sticky substance” ✧ PE19/101

Derivations

• ✶mazgō “sticky substance” ✧ PE19/101
  • √MASAG “sticky, sticky, [ᴹ√] knead, make soft by rubbing, kneading” ✧ PE19/101

zimra Reconstructed

noun. jewel

An element appearing in the names Zimraphel (UT/224) and Zimrathôn (UT/222) and also the Hadorian name Zimrahin (WJ/234). The corresponding Quenya names Q. Míriel and Q. Hostamir both seem to contain mírë “jewel”, so this is the likely meaning of the Adûnaic word as well, as suggested by most authors (AAD/25, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/ZIM’R).

Element in

• Ad. Zimraphel “*Jewel Daughter”
• Ad. Zimrathôn “?Many-jewels”
• Ed. Zimrahin “*Jewel-child”

ray

root. smile

Derivatives

• Q. raina “smiling, gracious, sweet-faced” ✧ PE17/182; PE17/182; VT44/35
• Q. raita- “to smile” ✧ PE17/182
• ᴺQ. rëo “smile”
• ᴺQ. raila “smile”
• ᴺS. rae “smile”
• ᴺS. raeda- “to smile”
• S. raen “smiling, gracious, sweet-faced” ✧ PE17/182; PE17/182

Variations

• RAYA ✧ PE17/172 (RAYA); PE17/182; PE17/182; PE17/182
• raya- ✧ VT44/35

khith

root. mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog

This root and its variants were the basis for “mist” words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√HISI with derivatives like ᴱQ. híse “dusk” and ᴱQ. hiswa “dim, fading” (QL/40), and as an element in ᴱQ. Hisilóme which was glossed “Shadowy Twilights” in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/112). Thus the early root might have meant “✱dusk, dimness, shadow”. The root was probably also an element in the Gnomish equivalent Hithlum from this period (GL/20), perhaps the result of the sound change whereby [[g|[s] became [θ] before [l]]] in Gnomish.

The sense “haze” and “mist” for ᴱQ. híse first appeared in drafts of the Oilima Markirya poem (PE16/62, 75). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this root as ᴹ√KHITH with variant ᴹ√KHIS and the gloss “mist, fog”; ᴹ√KHIS was listed first but all the actual derivatives were from ᴹ√KHITH (Ety/KHIS). The root appeared again in Notes on Galadriel’s Song from the late 1950s or early 1960s as √KHIΘ “mist” (NGS, PE17/73).

Tolkien’s continued use of Q. Hísilómë and (Northern) S. Hithlum throughout his life testifies to the enduring nature of this root, though it seems to have shifted in sense from 1910s “✱shadow” to 1930s “mist”, and from s to th.

Derivatives

• Q. hísë “mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared”
• Q. hísië “mist, mistiness” ✧ PE17/073
• S. hîth “mist”
• ᴺS. hithu “fog”

Element in

• ᴺQ. hisquë “smog”

Variations

• KHIΘ ✧ PE17/073; PE17/157

mazgō

noun. sticky substance

Derivations

• √MASAG “sticky, sticky, [ᴹ√] knead, make soft by rubbing, kneading” ✧ PE19/101

Derivatives

• Q. maxo “mire, mire, [ᴹQ.] sticky substance” ✧ PE19/101
• S. madha “mud” ✧ PE19/101
• T. mascu “mire” ✧ PE19/101

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MASAG > mazgō/ŭ	[masgu] > [mazgu]	✧ PE19/101

Variations

• mazgō/ŭ ✧ PE19/101

mîr

noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure

mîr

noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure

Cognates

• Ilk. mîr “jewel”
• ᴹQ. míre “jewel, precious thing, treasure” ✧ Ety/MIR

Derivations

• On. mīre “jewel, precious thing, treasure” ✧ Ety/MIR
  • ᴹ√MIR “*precious” ✧ Ety/MIR

Element in

• N. Aramir
• N. Golovir “Silmaril, *(lit.) Noldo-jewel” ✧ Ety/MIR
• N. Mîr in Geleidh “*Jewel of the Gnomes” ✧ Ety/MIR
• N. Mirion “Silmaril” ✧ Ety/MIR
• N. Nauglavir ✧ Ety/NAUK
• N. mîr na Nauglin ✧ Ety/NAUK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. mîre > mîr	[mīre] > [mīr]	✧ Ety/MIR

mirion

noun. great jewel, Silmaril

hîth

noun. mist

Changes

• hîth → hîth “fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Cognates

• ᴹQ. híse “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

• ᴹ✶khīthi “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Element in

• N. Hithdilias ✧ TI/124
• N. Hithliniath “Pools of Mist” ✧ Ety/KHIS
• N. Hithlum “Land of Mist, (lit.) Mist-and-Dusk” ✧ Ety/KHIS
• N. hithui “misty”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶khīt(h)i > hîth	[kʰītʰi] > [kʰītʰe] > [xītʰe] > [xīθe] > [xīθ] > [hīθ]	✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

• hith ✧ EtyAC/KHIS
• Hith ✧ TI/124

hith

noun. mist, fog