noroth

root. *giant

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives ᴹQ. norsa/N. noroth “giant”; the root was initially written as ᴹ√NOROT or ᴹ√NOROS (Ety/NOROTH; EtyAC/NOROTH). This root probably replaced the deleted entry {ᴹ√KHANKA >>} ᴹ√KHAN-AK “giant” > ᴹQ. hanako, also from The Etymologies (EtyAC/KHAN-AK). This in turn may have displaced the earliest derivation for “giant” words: ᴱ✶naχū́a > ᴱQ. nauva from The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s (PE12/10).

now

root. think, form idea, imagine

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s given as ᴹ√NOWO “think, form idea, imagine”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. nó “conception” and N. nauth “thought” (Ety/NOWO). It replaced deleted roots ᴹ√ÑŌ¹ and ᴹ√NAWA (EtyAC/ÑŌ¹, NOWO). The latter is a strong indication that its original precursor was the root ᴱ√NAVA [NAɃA] “suspect, guess, have an inkling of” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. nauma “hint, clue” and ᴱQ. nauta- “guess” (QL/64-65), as well as G. naf- “suspect, have inkling of” and G. naus “keen-witted, observant” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/59).

not

root. count, reckon

nor

root. run as of wheels, roll along

not-

verb. to count

nō/ono

root. beget

gū

root. no, not

gū̆-

interjection. no, not

la

root. no, not; to be not

la-

prefix. no, not, negative prefix

ala

root. no, not; to be not

swes

root. noise of blowing or breathing

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “noise of blowing or breathing” with derivatives like ᴹQ. hwesta- “to puff” and ᴹQ. hwesta/N. chwest “breeze, breath, puff (of air)” (Ety/SWES). Q. hwesta “breeze” appeared in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1123), indicating this root’s ongoing validity.

kalrō

noun. noble man, hero

khalnā

adjective. noble, exalted

neñwi

noun. nose

ezge

root. rustle, noise of leaves; shade

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s “rustle, noise of leaves” (Ety/EZGE) or (originally) “shade” (EtyAC/EZGE). This root served as the basis for the river name Ilk. Esgalduin, but was deleted when that name was transferred to ᴹ√SKAL.

glam

root. *noise, echo

A (Noldorin-only) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a strengthened form of the root ᴹ√LAM which was the basis of general sound words (Ety/GLAM). The derivatives of ᴹ√GLAM include N. glamm “shouting, confused noise” and N. glavra- “babble” but also N. glamor “echo” and N. glamren “echoing”, the last of these seen in N. Dorlamren, the pure Noldorin form of N. Dor-lómen “Land of Echoes”, which incorporates the Ilkorin word lómen “echoing” (LR/249; Ety/LAM).

The word S. glam “din, uproar, the confused yelling and bellowing of beasts” reappeared in the Quendi and Eldar essay written in 1959-60, where it was an element (as it was earlier) in the collective name for orcs: S. Glamhoth “Din-horde” (WJ/391). This strongly indicates that the “confused sounds” aspect of this root survived into Tolkien’s later conception of the language. However, the “echo” portion seemed to have been transferred to the unstrengthened form of this root √LAM as with (West) Sindarin loven “echoing” vs. North Sindarin lómin, which remained an element in Dor-lómin “Land of Echoes”, albeit reconceived of as a North Sindarin name (PE17/133).

neñ

root. *nose

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing as both independent ᴹ√NEÑ (EtyAC/NEÑ-WI) and extended ᴹ√NEÑ-WI (Ety/NEÑ-WI), with derivatives like ᴹQ. nengwe/N. nem “nose” (Ety/NEÑ-WI). Similar forms meaning “nasal” appear in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from this same time period (TQ1: PE18/30, 46). This root is probably an updated version of primitive ᴹ✶nengǝ “beak, nose” in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/26), and ᴱQ. nen (neng-) “nostril” from the 1920s is probably also related (PE14/72; PE15/75; PE16/113).

war

root. give way, yield, not endure, let down, betray

A (Noldorin only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “give way, yield, not endure, let down, betray” with derivatives like N. awarth “abandonment”, N. gwarth “betrayer”, and N. gweria- “betray” (Ety/WAR). Tolkien said it was the opposite of ᴹ√BOR “endure” (EtyAC/WAR) which had various Noldorin derivatives having to do with loyalty (Ety/BOR).

barad

root. *lofty, noble

b’randā

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

ista-

verb. to know

mbundu

noun. snout, nose; cape [of land]

nengǝ

noun. beak, nose

si

root. this, here, now

ñgolod

root. one of the wise folk, Gnome

ñgolodō

noun. gnome

tā/taʒ

root. high, lofty; noble

ed(er)

root. open

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “open” and the forms √ED and extended √EDÉR, but it had no derivatives (EtyAC/ED).

sluk

root. swallow

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no derivatives (Ety/SLUK).

phor

root. right-hand

This root appeared as ᴹ√PHOR “right-hand” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives having to do with “right [vs. left]” and also “north” such ᴹQ. formen and N. forod “north” (Ety/PHOR). These words for “north” reappeared in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1123), and the connection between “north” and “right” was reaffirmed in Tolkien’s discussion of the Ambidexters Sentence from the late 1960s, since the Elves aligned the cardinal directions by facing west towards Aman (VT49/6-8). ᴹ√PHOR was likely a later iteration of the early root ᴱ√PO from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with various derivatives having to do with “north” (QL/74).

snar

root. tie

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “tie” with derivatives ᴹQ. narda/N. nardh “knot” (Ety/SNAR).

galad

root. tree

The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.

wed

root. bind

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “bind” with derivatives like ᴹQ. vére/N. gwaedh “bond, troth, compact, oath” and ᴹQ. vesta-/N. gwesta- “swear”, though Tolkien deleted Quenya derivatives of this root beginning with ves- saying they fell out of use due to conflict with ᴹ√BES “wed” (Ety/WED). This root might be a later iteration of the hypothetical early root ✱ᴱ√FEDE indicated by words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s like G. fedhin “bound by agreement; ally, friend” and G. fedhra- “unite in a band” (GL/34), but the 1910s and 1930s forms are rather dissimilar so it is hard to say.

yur

root. run

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “run” with derivatives like ON. yur- “run” and N. iôr “course” (Ety/YUR). It was a later iteration of ᴱ√ẎURU “run” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. yuro “a run, race” and ᴱQ. yuru- “run” (QL/106). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, it is probably better to stick to the better attested root √NOR.

al

prefix. without

kan

root. dare

anār

noun. Sun

doron

root. oak

nay

root. lament

ndorē

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

nut-

verb. to tie, to tie, *bind

tārā

adjective. lofty

ñgoroth

root. horror

anga

root. iron

angosse

noun. horror

berékā

adjective. wild

bérya-

verb. to dare

dagdā

noun. pit

danta-

verb. fall

daʒ

root. great

dēr

noun. man

eʒ

root. be

eʒ-

verb. to be

galadā

noun. tree

gayas

root. fear

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “fear” (Ety/GÁYAS). One of its derivatives, N. gaer “dreadful” (< ᴹ✶gaisrā), was given a new etymology in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, where S. gaer “awful, fearful” was derived from ✶gairā (WJ/400). However, it is conceivable that √GAYAS could have survived as an extension of the later root √GAY “astound, make aghast”.

ilpirin

adjective. immortal

kab

root. hollow

kandā

noun/adjective. bold

karpa

root. ?

kas

root. head

kas

noun. head

khan(ak)

root. giant

kiukā

noun. thigh

kwen(ed)

root. Elf

kwenedē

noun. Elf

kyelep

root. silver

lak

root. swallow

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “swallow” with variant ᴹ√LANK and derivatives ᴹQ. lanko/N. lhanc “throat” (Ety/LAK¹, LANK), the latter an element in N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate” (Ety/TÁRAG). This last word was changed to S. tarlang in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/92; RC/536), consistent with an earlier but rejected form ᴹ√LANG for ᴹ√LANK in The Etymologies (Ety/LANK).

In later writings, Q. lango/S. lang meant “neck” rather than “throat”, so it is tempting to retain ᴹ√LAK for “throat” and other swallow-words. But it would be very confusing to have such similar but unrelated words for “neck” and “throat”, so I recommend using the root ᴹ√SLUK for “swallow” instead, and Q. lango, S. lang for both “neck” and “throat”.

lank

root. swallow

lepet

root. finger

lī

noun. number

magā

noun. hand

mapā

noun. hand

maʒ

root. hand

melā-

verb. to love

mā

noun. land

māʒ

noun. hand

n-

root. intensive

ndar

root. sign

A rejected root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a single derivative: ᴹQ. narwe “sign, token”, along with an unglossed (and probably incomplete) form nar... (EtyAC/NDAR).

ndulna

adjective. secret

nis

root. woman

nyadrō

noun. rat

nāyǝ

noun. lament

nī

noun. woman

nī̆s

noun. woman

orku

noun. goblin

pantā

adjective. open

rap

root. bind

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “bind” but without derivatives (EtyAC/RAP). The element S. raph (“?rope”) in S. Udalraph “Stirrupless” (“?without (U-) foot-rope”) might be related (UT/313).

star

root. stiff

telep

root. silver

tha

root. forward

tiukō

noun. thigh

waiwa

root. blow

waw

root. blow

wā

root. blow

yē

root. to be

ñgolda

adjective. wise

ē

root. to be

ī

root. to be