nel

thrice

nel adv. "thrice", also nel- (prefix) "tri-" (PE14:84, NEL). Compare neldë.

nelcë

tooth

nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", also nelet (VT46:3)

neldë

cardinal. three

neldë cardinal "three" (SA:neldor, NÉL-ED, VT47:11, VT48:6). Eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = *"of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45; see 54 regarding neldion as the gen. pl.) Cf. also nelya, neldëa, Neldië.

neldë

cardinal. three, three; [ᴱQ.] four

Cognates

• S. neledh “three” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06
• T. nelet “three” ✧ VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶nelede “three” ✧ VT47/10
  • √NEL “three, three; [ᴱ√] point, *(tri)angle” ✧ VT47/10
• √NELED “3” ✧ VT47/11

Element in

• Q. eleni neldë “*3 stars” ✧ VT49/45
• Q. elenion neldë “of 3 stars” ✧ VT49/45; VT49/45
• Q. neldëa “third”
• Q. nel(d)esta “one third”
• Q. Neldië “*Trinity”
• ᴺQ. nellumë “thrice, three times”
• ᴺQ. nelquain “thirty”
• ᴺQ. nelequain “thirty”
• ᴺQ. nelequëan “thirty”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nelede > nelde	[nelede] > [nelde]	✧ VT47/10
√(e)nel-ed > nelde	[nelede] > [nelde]	✧ VT47/11

Variations

• nel-de ✧ PE17/095
• nelde ✧ VT47/10; VT47/11; VT48/06; VT49/45

nelet

tooth

nelet, also nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", pl. nelci ("k") suggesting a stem-form nelc- (NÉL-EK)

nelma

needle

nelma noun "needle" (QL:65)

nelequë

cardinal. thirteen

?nelequë ("kw") cardinal "thirteen" (VT48:21). The spelling "nelekwe" occurring in the primary source could suggest that this is really a Common Eldarin form; if so, one could theorize that the Quenya form would be *nelquë with syncope of the middle vowel (the same source lists "minikwe" as a word for 11, and the Quenya form is known to be minque). Compare nelquëa*. On the other hand, "tolokwe" as a word for 18 is listed together with definite Quenya forms and is apparently an unorthodox spelling of toloquë** (as observed by the editor); here no syncope producing *tolquë occurs. Thus toloquë could support ?nelequë as the Quenya word (but because of the uncertainties, yunquentë may be preferred as the word for 13).

nelquëa

cardinal. thirteen

nelquëa, cardinal "thirteen" (?) (VT48:21). This looks like an odd form next to other cardinals that simply end in -quë (like lepenquë, enenquë, otoquë = 15, 16, 17), and the form "nelekwe" also listed may indicate another Quenya form nelequë (q.v.) or *nelquë (but because of the uncertainties, yunquentë may be preferred as the word for 13). By another theory, nelquëa* is the ordinal "thirteenth", corresponding to the cardinal nel(e)quë**.

quainel

cardinal. thirteen

quainel, cardinal "thirteen" (but yunquentë may be preferred) (VT48:21)

olë

cardinal. three

olë (2) cardinal "three" (LT1:258; in LotR-style Quenya Tolkien replaced this "Qenya" form with neldë)

yunquenta

cardinal. thirteen

yunquenta cardinal "thirteen" (12 and one more) (VT47:15), variant yunquentë (VT47:40), compare entë #1.

yunquenta

cardinal. thirteen

yunquentë

cardinal. thirteen

Elements

Word	Gloss
yunquë	“twelve”
enta	“another, one more, another, one more; [ᴹQ.] that yonder, then (fut.); [ᴱQ.] that there (emphatic)”

Variations

• yunquenta ✧ VT47/15
• yunquente ✧ VT47/40

mentë

point, end

mentë noun "point, end" (MET)

cendë

point

cendë noun "point" (PE16:96)

cendë

noun. point

Element in

• Q. pirucendëa “on the point of her toes” ✧ PE16/096

Variations

• cende ✧ PE16/096

tilma

noun. point

carca

tooth

carca noun "tooth" (KARAK) or "fang" (SA:carak-). In a deleted version of the entry in question, the glosses were "tooth, spike, peak" (VT45:19). When referring to a normal tooth, not necessarily sharp, the word nelet is probably to be preferred. Cf. also pl. carcar _("karkar") _in Markirya, there translated "rocks", evidently referring to sharp rocks. Already the early "Qenya Lexicon" has carca ("k")"fang, tooth, tusk" (LT2:344). Collective carcanë, q.v.

nelma

noun. needle

Derivations

• √NEL “three, three; [ᴱ√] point, *(tri)angle”

Element in

• ᴺQ. nelmasirpë “thistle, (lit.) needle-stalk”
• ᴺQ. sononel “pine-needle”

nel

card

_ card. _three. Q. nelde. Fcan, canad, neledh

neled

cardinal. three

nêl

cardinal. three

nêl

cardinal. three

neledh

cardinal. three

neledh

cardinal. three

{ð}_ card. _three. Q. nelde. Fcan, canad, nel

neledh

cardinal. three

Cognates

• Q. neldë “three, three; [ᴱQ.] four” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06

Derivations

• √NELED “3”

Element in

• S. nelui “third” ✧ VT42/25

Variations

• nel(eð ✧ PE17/095
• nêl ✧ VT42/25
• neleð ✧ VT48/06

eneg

card

_ card. _six. Q. enque, enc-. >> odog

neder

card

_ card. _nine. Q. nerte. >> cae, caen-

er

card

_ card. _one. Q. er. >> min, tad

-il

point

suff. point, ending. >> niphredil, til

aeg

noun. point

The adjective oeg "sharp, pointed, piercing" from Ety/349 is perhaps rejected: Tolkien later decided that no cognate of Quenya aica "fell, terrible, dire" was used in Sindarin, "though aeg would have been its form if it had occurred" (PM/347). On the other hand, we have words such as aeglos and aeglir , so there must be a noun aeg "point"

cae

card

_ card. _ten. Q. cea. >> caen-, mimp. This gloss was rejected.

can

card

_ card. _four. Q. canta. >> canad, leben

min

card

_ card. _one. Q. min. >> er, tad

til

point

n. point, ending. >> -il, niphredil

caen-

card

_ card. _ten. Q. cainen. >> cae, mimp. This gloss was rejected.

canad

card

_ card. _four. Q. canta. >> can, leben

leben

card

_ card. _five. Q. lepen, lempe. >> eneg

tolod

card

_ card. _eight. Q. tolto. >> neder

carch

noun. tooth, fang

carch

tooth

(i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch).

odog

card

_ card. _seven. Q. otos. >> tolod

tad

card

_ card. _two. Q. atta. Fnel, neledh

tad

card

card. two. . This gloss was rejected.

nel

three, tri

;

nel

three, tri-

(prefix) nel-;

neleb

cardinal. thirteen

Cognates

• Q. nelquë “*thirteen”

Derivations

• ✶nelekwe “*13”

nêl

tooth

(note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig).

nêl

cardinal. three

nêl (note: a homophone means ”tooth”), also neled, archaic neledh.

nêl

three

(note: a homophone means ”tooth”), also neled, archaic neledh.

eglin

noun. needle

Derivations

• √EK “sharp point, (sharp) point, [ᴹ√] spear, thorn”

paenel

cardinal. thirteen

Cognates

• Q. quainel “*thirteen”

Elements

Word	Gloss
pae	“ten”
NEL	“three, three; [ᴱ√] point, *(tri)angle”

naes

tooth

(no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36).

nagol

tooth

1) *nagol (analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath*; possibly the analogical form nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested. 2) naes (no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36). 3) nêl (note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig). 4) (fang) carch (i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch**).

nagol

tooth

(analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath; possibly the analogical form ✱nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested.

thela

spear point

(-thel), pl. ?thili, 3) aith; no distinct pl. form.

ecthel

spear point

(pl. ecthil), literally "thorn point”

aeg

point

1) aeg (peak, thorn). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing". 2) naith (spearhead, gore, wedge, promontory); no distinct pl. form. 3) nass (sharp end, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais. 4)

aeg

point

(peak, thorn). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing".

ment

point

(at the end of a thing) ment (i vent), pl. mint (i mint), coll. pl. mennath.

ment

point

(i vent), pl. mint (i mint), coll. pl. mennath**. **

nass

point

(sharp end, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais.

rafn

extended point at the side

(wing, horn), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

till

point

till (i dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (spike, tine, sharp horn, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thill). Archaic †tild. 5)

till

point

(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (spike, tine, sharp horn, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild. 5)

naith

point

(spearhead, gore, wedge, promontory); no distinct pl. form.

nasta

point

(verb) nasta- (i nasta, in nastar) (prick, stick, thrust)

nasta

point

(i nasta, in nastar) (prick, stick, thrust)

nelet

cardinal. three

Cognates

• Q. neldë “three, three; [ᴱQ.] four” ✧ VT48/06

Variations

• neled ✧ VT48/21

snǣs

noun. spear-head, point, gore, triangle

Original form not entirely clear; the stem is SNAS/SNAT (LR:387), not defined but evidently to be understood as a strengthened form of NAS "point, sharp end" (LR:374). A primitive plural form natsai is mentioned under SNAS/SNAT; snǣs may derive from something like snatsâ via snats, *snas. The shift of original a to long ǣ (presumably the same vowel as in English cat, but longer) is found in this word only, but there are several examples of e from a, see spenna, scella. Perhaps a became ǣ in stressed monosyllables where there was no following consonant cluster (as in nand).

nel

root. three, three; [ᴱ√] point, *(tri)angle

This root served as the basis for Elvish words for “three” for much of Tolkien’s life. However, in its earliest appearance in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱ√NELE was glossed “point” with derivatives like ᴱQ. neldor “beech”, ᴱQ. nele “tooth” and ᴱQ. nelt “corner”, while the derived numeral was ᴱQ. nelde “four” (QL/65). The contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon also had G. nel “point, end, tip, jutting end” (GL/60), and G. deldron “beech” was almost certainly derived from a strengthened form of the root ndel- (PE11/8; GL/30). ᴱQ. nelde “three” first appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82).

In the first layer of The Etymologies of the 1930s, this root was glossed “point, triangle” (EtyAC/NEL), but Tolkien changed the gloss of ᴹ√NEL to “three” and gave it two extended roots ᴹ√NELED (also “three”) and ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” (Ety/NEL, NELEK). In this revised paradigm, probably “tooth” was derived from the sense “triangle”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Ilk. neldor “beech” was still derived from this root, but was said to refer to the “three trunks” of Hirilorn.

In later writings from the 1950s and 60s, the gloss of √NEL was consistently “three” (WJ/421; VT42/24; VT47/10-11), and the extended form √NELED “three” appeared regularly as well (VT42/24; VT47/11). √NELEK “tooth” also appeared in several documents from the 1940s and 50s (PE19/58; PE21/56, 71).

Derivatives

• ✶neila “3rd”
• ✶nelede “three” ✧ VT47/10
  • Q. neldë “three, three; [ᴱQ.] four” ✧ VT47/10
• ᴺQ. nelma “needle”
• ᴺQ. nelqua “cornered, *angled”
• ᴺQ. neltë “corner”
• Q. Nelwë

Element in

• ✶Enel “Three” ✧ WJ/421
• ✶Enelye ✧ WJ/421
• √NELED “3”
• ✶nelede “three” ✧ VT47/11; VT47/24
• ᴺQ. larnelta “mile; *(lit.) league third”
• ᴺS. nelphaen “thirty”
• ᴺS. paenel “thirteen”

Variations

• nel- ✧ VT47/10
• nel ✧ VT47/11; VT47/24; WJ/421
• enele ✧ VT47/16

enel

masculine name. Three

Element in

• Q. Enellië “*Company of Enel”

nelek

root. tooth

Derivatives

• At. nele “tooth” ✧ PE21/71

Variations

• nelek ✧ PE21/71

nelede

cardinal. three

Derivations

• √NEL “three, three; [ᴱ√] point, *(tri)angle” ✧ VT47/10

Derivatives

• Q. neldë “three, three; [ᴱQ.] four” ✧ VT47/10

Variations

• Nel-de ✧ NM/060
• nel-edē̆ ✧ VT47/24

neled

cardinal. three

neled

cardinal. three

neleg

noun. tooth

neleg

noun. tooth

The most common word for “tooth”, appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). See variant N. nêl “tooth” for further discussion.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

• On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

• N. Neleglos “White Tooth” ✧ WR/106
• N. Neleg Thilim “Gleaming Tooth” ✧ WR/106
• N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/113

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. neleki > neleg	[nelek] > [neleg]	✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Variations

• Neleg ✧ WR/106

nêl

noun. tooth

nêl

noun. tooth

A word appearing as N. nêl “tooth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). It was one of a rare set of primitive words with final k, which was lost in very early stages of the language, to produce ON. nele (PE21/56). Its ON. plural was neleki, which produced nelig in the modern form of the language. Since the plural preserved the stop lost in the simplex, an alternate form N. neleg was restored from the plural.

This longer form neleg appeared as an element in a number of names from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s: {N. Neleg Thilim “Gleaming Tooth” >>} N. Neleglos “White Tooth” (WR/106) and N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/113). None of these names made it into the published version. However, primitive √nelek “tooth” was mentioned as the basis for Ancient Telerin nele “tooth” in notes from the early 1950s, again with loss of final k and plural neleki (PE21/71-72).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use neleg as the ordinary word for “tooth”, and limit nêl to the final element of compounds.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

• On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

• ᴺS. molnel “molar”
• ᴺS. nagnel “incisor (tooth)”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. nele > nêl	[nele] > [nel] > [nēl]	✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

neledh

cardinal. three

neledh

cardinal. three

Changes

• neleth → neled ✧ Ety/NEL

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nelde “three” ✧ Ety/NEL

Derivations

• ᴹ√NELED “three” ✧ Ety/NEL

Element in

• N. lheben teil brann i annon ar neledh neledhi gar godrebh “five foot high the door and three may walk abreast” ✧ TAI/150
• N. Neleduir “Three Kings” ✧ EtyAC/LEP

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NÉL-ED > neledh	[nelede] > [neleðe] > [neleð]	✧ Ety/NEL

Variations

• neled ✧ Ety/NEL
• neleth ✧ EtyAC/NEL (neleth)

naes

noun. tooth

Derivations

• ᴹ✶nakse “tooth” ✧ EtyAC/NAK
  • ᴹ√NAK “bite” ✧ EtyAC/NAK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶nakse > naes	[nakse] > [naksa] > [naxsa] > [naisa] > [nais] > [naes]	✧ EtyAC/NAK

nagol

noun. tooth

nagol

noun. tooth

Tolkien used various “teeth” words related to the root √NAK “bite” throughout his life. The earliest of these was G. naith “a tooth” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where its connection to the early root ᴱ√NAKA “bite” was made more clear by its archaic plural form nacthin (GL/59). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. naes derived from primitive ᴹ✶nakse under the root ᴹ√NAK “bite” (EtyAC/NAK). As suggested by David Salo (GL/275), another variant ✱nagol “tooth” is suggested by the class plural naglath in the names from Lord of the Rings drafts of 1940s: Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/122) and Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” (WR/137), neither of which made it into the published version.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d recommend using N. nêl or N. neleg for “tooth” words. Primitive ᴹ✶nakse would likely produce ✱nach rather than naes under Sindarin’s phonetic rules; compare S. ach “neck” < ✶aks[e] (PE17/92). As for N. nagol, it was also likely abandoned.

Derivations

• ᴹ√NAK “bite”

Element in

• N. Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” ✧ WR/137
• N. Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/122 (Naglath Morn)

thela

noun. point (of spear)

ecthel

noun. point (of spear)

egthel

noun. point (of spear)

naglath

noun. the teeth

egnas

noun. peak

ment

noun. point

ment

noun. point

Cognates

• ᴹQ. mente “point, end, point, end; [ᴱQ.] peak, tip” ✧ Ety/MET

Derivations

• ᴹ√MET “end” ✧ Ety/MET

Element in

• N. Mornvenniath “Black Mountains”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MET > ment	[mente] > [mentʰe] > [menθe] > [menθ] > [ment]	✧ Ety/MET

nass

noun. point, (sharp) end

nass

noun. angle or corner

egnas

noun. sharp point

carch

noun. tooth, fang