ñyel

root. ring(ing), ring(ing), [ᴹ√] sing, give out a sweet sound

This root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√NYEL “ring, sing, give out a sweet sound”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. nyelle/N. nell “bell”, ᴹQ. nyello “singer” and N. nella- “sound (of bells)” (Ety/NYEL, EtyAC/NYEL), though an earlier hint of it might be seen in the Gnomish verb G. nelu- “ring (tr. & intr.)” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/60). Tolkien also mentioned this root in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) as having a variant √NYOL, also meaning “ring” but representing a deeper sound (PE18/45).

In the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the early 1930s (TQ2), he gave the variants as √ŊYEL/√ŊYOL “ring”, in keeping with his decision to remove initial palatalized dentals from Primitive Elvish. A similar set of variants √(Ñ)GYEL/√(Ñ)GYOL “ringing” appeared in a list of sound roots from around 1959-60 (PE17/138).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to ignore Tolkien’s decision to remove initial palatalized dentals from Primitive Elvish, and I recommend retaining √NYEL as the root for “bell” words.

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. nyel- “to chime, to ring (like a bell)”

Variations

• ÑGYEL ✧ PE17/138; PE17/155; PE17/169
• ÑGYOL ✧ PE17/138; PE17/155; PE17/169
• ŊYEL ✧ PE18/094
• ŊYOL ✧ PE18/094

ñyol

root. ring(ing)