ō

root. be, exist

okswē

noun. okswē

orbat-

noun. orbat-

orbı̯a-

noun. orbı̯a-

ot·g’lāta

noun. ot·g’lāta

ou̯lē

masculine name. Ou̯lē

ono

root. ONO

oyo

root. *poor

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. oika “poor”, ᴱQ. oise “poverty” and ᴱQ. oito- “lack” (QL/71). In later writings √OY usually referred to “eternity”.

oẏo

root. salve, rub, oil

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “salve, rub, oil”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. oine “unguent” and ᴱQ. oiwa “glossy” (QL/71). The Ẏ probably represented an ancient palatal spirant [ç] or [ʝ] (PE12/15-16). In later writings √OY usually referred to “eternity”, whereas the root for “ointment” became ᴹ√(G)LIB.

oso

root. *enclosure

olo

root. *increase, more

oro

root. *sow

oto

root. knock

owo

noun. *wool

oŋo

root. *pain

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s given as ᴱ√ONGO, but parenthetical ᴱ√OŊO seems to be more representative of its actual primitive form; it had derivatives ᴱQ. ongo- “it pains me” and ᴱQ. ongwe “pain” (QL/70). G. ong “great pain” and G. ongos “anguish” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon are probably related (GL/62). In later writings Tolkien used different roots for “pain”, such as ᴹ√NAYAK.

olo

root. tip

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “tip”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. óleme “elbow” and ᴱQ. ole “three” (QL/69). It seems to have served as the basis for ᴱ√LOHO, an early root for various flower words (QL/55). There are no signs that ᴱ√OLO was used for “tip” in Tolkien’s later writings (except perhaps in √OLOB “branch”), and ᴱ√LOHO evolved into √LOT(H) “flower”.

oho

root. *egg

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. ohte “egg” and ᴱQ. oi “bird, hen”; Tolkien speculated it was in fact the same root as ᴱ√OHO “cry” (QL/69). G. och “egg” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is clearly related (GL/62), and probably also G. uil “hen” and G. uitha- “lay eggs, nest” given than they appear adjacent to uith “eggs”, the plural of och (GL/74). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth retaining in Neo-Eldarin as ᴺ√OKH.

omo

root. all, every

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “all, every”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. oma “everywhere”, ᴱQ. ompa “each; all, every” and various words for omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence (QL/70). In Tolkien’s later writing these senses were assigned to √IL.

oso

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. oksa “joint” and ᴱQ. oswe “hip” (QL/71). In Tolkien’s later writings “joint” words seem to be based on √LIM “link, join” as in Q. málimë/S. molif “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” (VT47/6), but ᴱQ. oswe “hip” may be salvaged as a derivative of ᴹ√OS “round, about” referring instead to a rotating joint rather than a link.

oðo

root. *dawn

ou̯a

noun. the sea

oldō

noun. cliff, seaward precipice

oro

root. steepness, rising

oho

root. cry

olo

root. *dream

ornĕ

noun. tree

ourū̆

noun. sun

ou̯χē

noun. fleece

ořo

root. *dawn

tołᵂo

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s illustrating a hypothetical series of ancient lateral approximants, with derived roots like ᴱ√TOLO and ᴱ√TOẆO [with ẇ = ɣʷ] (PE12/16). The former appeared in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon as the basis for island words (QL/94), but the latter appeared nowhere else in Early Qenya writings.

mḷgo

noun. *oil

The primitive form ᴱ✶mḷgo appeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s serving as the basis for various “oil” words (PE13/139). It may have replaced ᴱ√ILI “shine oily” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/42), and may in turn have been replaced by √LIP “oil” from a list of roots from 1968 (VT44/15), though in this list √LIP had no derivatives.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is worth positing a Neo-Eldarin root √MILIG to salvage derivatives of 1920s ᴱ✶mḷgo.

toẇo

root. [unglossed]

loro

root. doze, slumber

ho

root. shout, scream

lopse

?. [unglossed]

togō

noun. wool

tou̯

noun. wool

sovo

root. wash

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√SOVO and ᴱ√SOW̯O glossed “wash”, having derivatives like ᴱQ. sovo- “wash” and ᴱQ. saune “bath” (QL/85), the latter a result of the Early Qenya sound change whereby [[eq|[ei], [ou] became [ai], [au]]] (in later Quenya phonology, these generally became [ī], [ū]). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, the primitive form was given as soƀ with derivatives like G. sô- “wash, clean, bathe” and G. sôn “pure, clean” from primitive ᴱ✶sou̯na (GL/68). This last primitive form reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s where it had derivatives like ᴱQ. sauna “clean” and ᴱN. hûn “polished, burnished, shining” (PE13/148).

Neo-Eldarin: I think it is worth positing an Neo-Root ᴺ√SOW “wash” and variant ᴺ√SAW “bath” to salvage some of these early words.

’o’o

root. *sea

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives having to do with the sea such as ᴱQ. oar “merchild” and ᴱQ. Ô “The Sea, Ocean” (QL/70). G. ô “the sea” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is probably related, but its Qenya cognate was given as ᴱQ. ua and its primitive form as ᴱ✶ou̯a (GL/61). In later writings Tolkien used different roots for the “sea”, such as √AY(AR) or √GAY(AR).

gwori

root. ‽

po

root. ‽

pol-i

root. ‽

tloiwe

noun. sling

orotse

noun. impetus, speed, haste, rash courage

oqo

root. curve, bend

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “curve, bend” with derivatives ᴱQ. okka “knee” and ᴱQ. oqi “snake” (QL/70). G. octha “knee” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is clearly related (GL/62). There are plenty of other roots for “bend” in Tolkien’s later writings, but this root remains popular as the basis for Neo-Eldarin “knee” words.

afa

root. open, begin

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “open, begin” (QL/29). Although the root itself was not repurposed in Tolkien’s later writings, there are later words of similar meaning but with different derivations. For example, circa 1959-60 words having to do with opening a thing were attributed to the root √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry” vs. √PAK “close, shut” (PE17/159, 171; VT41/5-6). The sense “beginning” was assigned to words like Q. yesta (PE17/120), probably from ✱√YESET. It is quite likely Tolkien abandoned this root.

enu

root. origin‽

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “origin” but this gloss was marked with a “?” by Tolkien (QL/35). In this document, the root was the basis for ᴱQ. Enu “God”. Given the later alteration of the Elvish word for God to Q. Eru, it is pretty unlikely the root remained valid in Tolkien’s later conception of the Elvish languages.

mehe

root. ooze‽

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “ooze”, but Tolkien marked that gloss with a “?”, and its Qenya and Gnomish derivatives all had to do with “gore”: ᴱQ. mear, G. †mais, and G. mechor (QL/60; GL/56-57). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Eldarin root ᴺ√MEKH for “gore” words.

eðe

root. out

pṇtṇ

root. open, spread out, show

ndoðo Speculative

root. *oak

ese

root. out

eře

root. out

ʒono Reconstructed

root. hard

fṇðṇ

root. *omen, ominous

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, first given as ᴱ√FANA but then changed to ᴱ√FṆÐṆ (QL/38). It had derivatives such as ᴱQ. fando “portent, omen” and ᴱQ. fandelu “monster”, so it perhaps had a basic sense like “✱omen, ominous”. One notable derivative was ᴱQ. Fantor used a collective name for Lórien and Mandos (QL/38; LT1/79). In later writings this name became ᴹQ. Fantur “Lord of Cloud” (Ety/SPAN) and then Q. Fëanturi “Masters of Spirits” (S/28), making it likely this early root was abandoned.

saw̯a

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/82), which may have reemerged as √SAWA “disgusting, foul, vile” in notes from the 1950s (PE17/172, 183).

sivi

root. [unglossed]

Unglossed roots in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√SIVI and ᴱ√SIWI and a single unglossed derivative ᴱQ. sivilda (QL/84). It is difficult to guess what Tolkien intended for these forms to mean, though they conceivably reemerged as the later roots ᴹ√SIW “excite, egg on, urge” (Ety/SIW) or √SIB “rest, quiet” (VT44/35).

uluku

root. wolf

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “wolf”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. ulku and G. ulug of the same meaning (QL/97). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon Tolkien first gave G. ulug “wolf”, but this word’s gloss was revised to “dragon” as a cognate to ᴱQ. lōke (GL/74), and Tolkien added a new word G. urc “wolf” as an equivalent to harw. None of the later Elvish “wolf” words resemble either √ULUK- or √URUK-.

-ō

suffix. -ō

ere

root. remain alone

mī

root. *one

siði

root. flow

tiri

root. watch; guard; observe

-yǝ

suffix. [unglossed]

ama

root. *mother

apa

preposition. to, on

hili

root. *youth, offspring

kala

root. *grow

kar-

verb. to make

kele

root. flow, run; ooze, trickle

keme

root. soil

kulu

root. gold

kulū

noun. gold

laha

root. *open, extend

lepse

?. [unglossed]

mala

root. yellow

mat-

verb. to eat

meχse

noun. gore

mḷkḷ

root. possess

nele

root. point

nene

root. flow

swandǝ

noun. dog

sōđā

noun. house

tala

root. support

taruku

noun. bull, ox

teled-

noun. [unglossed]

ŋaista-

noun. to oppress, cause great grief to

siři

root. flow

tḷkḷ

root. [unglossed]

gana Speculative

root. young

A hypothetical early root that would explain words appearing in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as ᴱQ. kana and G. gân “young” (GL/37). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writings.

sweke Speculative

root. broom

ᴱ√SWEKE is a hypothetical root underlying Gnomish “sweep” and “broom” words like G. fweg and G. fwegra- (GL/36), where sw > fw as usual in Gnomish. I would retain this as a (Sindarin-only) Neo-Root ᴺ√SWEK “broom” to salvage these Gnomish words, adapting them with fw >> hw to better fit Sindarin phonology.

ƕawa Speculative

root. snow

A hypothetical root explaining words in the Gnomish Lexicon such as ᴱQ. fáwe/G. fô “snow” and ᴱQ. fauta-/G. fôtha- “to snow” (GL/35). Given the existence of ᴱ√FAWA “smell”, I theorize this root may be slightly different, perhaps ?ᴱ√ǶAWA, but that’s just a guess. There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

dala Reconstructed

root. support

maþa

root. dusk

This root was given as ᴱ√MASA¹ “dusk” in its main entry in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, but its Gnomish form math- indicates the true root was ᴱ√MAÞA (QL/59). This was clarified in a list of roots at the end of the M-section in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/63) and its representation as maþ- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/59). Its most notable use in the Legendarium was in the name G. Umboth-muilin “Pools (muil-plural) of Twilight (umboth)”, where G. umboth or umbath “nightfall” was derived from a strengthened form of the root, ᴱ√mbaþ- (GL/75). However, in later writings this name was reconceived as Ilk. Umboth Muilin “Veiled (muilin) Pool (umboth)”, with the first element umboth meaning “large pool” (Ety/MBOTH, MUY). The name was ultimately replaced with S. Aelin-uial (S/114), by which point the early root ᴱ√MAÞA was long abandoned.

fawa

root. smell

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “smell” along with several Qenya derivatives, most unglossed (QL/37). It seems this was a neutral “smell” root based on words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, such as G. faust “smell, odour (neither pleasant nor unpleasant)” (GL/34). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

fumu

root. sleep

A root from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “sleep” with Quenya derivatives beginning with f- such as ᴱQ. fum- “sleep” (QL/38). This root was first given as (deleted) ᴱ√HUMU, as reflected in words appearing in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. hum- “sleep, drowze” (GL/49). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, Tolkien gave the (unglossed) Qenya verb hum-, which might be a reversion to ᴱ√HUMU. However, in later writings Tolkien generally attributed the meaning “sleep” to the root √LOR and its variants, so ᴱ√HUMU/ᴱ√FUMU was probably abandoned.

nulu

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s marked by Tolkien with a “?” having a single derivative ᴱQ. NÛLE “lead” (QL/68). There are no signs of this root elsewhere in Tolkien’s later writing, and even in the early period he generally used ᴱQ. kanu for “metallic lead” (LT1/100; QL/44).

reðe

root. kinsman

The form reðe was a root added under ᴱ√RESE [REÞE] “aid, support” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives of ᴱ√RESE having to do with “kinship” reassigned to reðe, such as ᴱQ. renda “related, of the same kin or clan” and ᴱQ. resse “kinswoman, cousin” (QL/79). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon Tolkien had a similar set of words likewise derived from distinct reth- vs. redh-, with the latter most likely being the basis for words like G. redhin “related” and G. ress “cousin (f.), relative” (GL/65). The root was given as RESE- “kinsman” in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/79), but the addition of reðe may be later than that document.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√RE(N)D to preserve these early kinship and cousin words, for which we have no later alternatives. It might be considered a variant of later root √RED “scatter, sow” (Ety/RED; PE19/91) and thus applied only to more distant kin.

ru’u

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, probably actually ✱ᴱ√RUƷU, with derivatives like ᴱQ. rú “dwelling, village, hamlet”, ᴱQ. rue “rest, stillness, remaining, steadfastness”, and ᴱQ. ruin “peace” (QL/80). There were a number of likely-related words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. rô “enduring, long suffering; quiet, gentle, docile”, G. rû “dwelling, house”, and G. rûtha- “dwell, remain”, though Tolkien seems to have rejected the Gnomish forms beginning with rô- (GL/66). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√RUH “✱still” to preserve some of these early words.

siŋi

root. ‽

The root ᴱ√SIŊI appeared unglossed in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. singe “salt” and (adjective) ᴱQ. singwa “salt” (QL/83). It had similar derivatives the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. sing and singrin “salt”, noun and adjective (GL/67). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SIÑGI to salvage these early words.

sṣtyṣ

root. ‽

The unglossed root ᴱ√SṢT͡YṢ appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. sastya “sore, galled” and ᴱQ. sist (sisty-) “ulcer, sore” (QL/86). The latter word was also mentioned as siste in “ulcer, boil” as a derivative of ᴱ✶sṣtē (PE12/14), and the primitive form was given as sistyi, though Tolkien did say it was indicative of ancient syllabic ṣ (PE12/3). However, in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s it seems primitive ᴱ✶sṣt- = “✱hiss” (PE13/163); see the entry on ᴹ√SUS “hiss” for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SISTI to salvage some of these early words.

vōri

root. fur

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “fur” with derivatives like ᴱQ. vōre “fur” and ᴱQ. vōriva “like fur” (QL/102). In later writings “fur” words were derived from ᴹ√SKEL.

vḷkḷ

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. valkane “torture” and ᴱQ. vilkin “bitter, evil”, serving as the basis for ᴱQ. Valkarauke, the Qenya name of Balrogs (QL/100). In later writings the initial element of this name was derived from √BAL “(divine) power”.

ðana

root. day

A primitive form in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives meaning “day” (GL/38). There were a variety of different roots for “day” in later writings such ᴹ√AR or √UR.

ŏrŏmǣ

masculine name. Ŏrŏmǣ

faka Speculative

root. cut

A hypothetical early root to explain words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. fag- “cut” and G. fanc “cut” (GL/33). It might be related to ᴱ√FḶKḶ “cleave, hew”. There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

fasa Speculative

root. wash

A hypothetical early root to explain words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. fas- “wash” and G. fôs “bath” (GL/34). It seems to have at least one Qenya derivative as well in the 1910s-name: ᴱQ. Faskala-númen “Bath of the Setting Sun” (LT1/187). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

firiŋi Reconstructed

root. necklace

A hypothetical early root to explain words such as ᴱQ. firinga and G. fring “carcanet, necklace” (GL/36). The latter reappeared in Early Noldorin word lists from the 1920s as ᴱN. fring “necklace” (PE13/143), but in versions of the Silmarillion later in Tolkien’s life the Sindarin word for “necklace” was S. sigil (WJ/258). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√FIRING to salvage some of these early words.

pṛtṛ Reconstructed

root. judge

A hypothetical root explaining words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such G. pridu- “decide” and G. pridwir “judge” (GL/64). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

am(u)

root. up(wards)

tum(b)u

root. ‽

hama

root. ‽

ili

root. many

ini

root. small

kasa

root. head

kere

root. turn

kupu

root. hump

lōtetarwa

noun. garden

m(b)ṛtṛ

root. chance

mata

root. eat

nā

root. be, exist

nṝgwé

noun. pain

pana

root. arrange

pelesa

noun. fence

ske-ndá

noun. eye

snóra

noun. muscle

sē

root. ‽

taþ·

noun. bush

tyulu

root. tall

t’lépe

noun. silver

vī

root. as

w̯i

feminine name. w̯i

ī

root. be

ŋuarenđā

noun. family

aya(la) Speculative

root. lake

bē Reconstructed

root. ‽

liŋi Reconstructed

root. snake

nawa Speculative

root. dwarf

pelek Reconstructed

root. axe

wasa Speculative

root. juice

kwere

root. turn

kyere

root. turn

lefe

root. half

lehe

root. half

mī

root. in

rese

root. kinsman

þχe-ndǝ

noun. eye