láta

open

láta adj. "open" (VT39:23), "open, not closed" (PE17:159, VT41:5)

panta

open

panta adj. "open" (PAT)

pen

without, not having

[pen prep. "without, not having" (PE17:171). Cf. Ú #1.]

-ië

openness

-ië (2) abstract ending, often used to derive abstracts from adjectives, e.g. látië "openness" vs. láta "open", mornië "darkness" vs. morna "black, dark", vanië (for *vanyië) "beauty" vs. vanya "fair".

látie

noun. openness

Elements

Word	Gloss
láta	“open (not closed)”
-ië	“abstract noun, adverb”

látië

openness

látië noun "openness" (VT39:23)

-enca

without, -less

-enca suffix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. nec-, q.v.

lerina

free

lerina adj. "free" of things: not guarded, reserved, made fast, or "owned" (VT41:5)

panta-

to unfurl, spread out, open

panta- vb. "to unfurl, spread out, open" (PAT).

pantië

unfolding, opening, revealing

pantië noun "unfolding, opening, revealing" (abstract formation or gerund formed from panta "open", adjective and noun) (QL:72)

aranya

free

aranya, also ranya, adj. "free". Another gloss was not certainly legible, but the editors suggest "uncontrolling" (VT46:10)

fairë

free

fairë (4) adj. "free" (LT1:250) (rather léra, lerina or mirima in LotR-style Quenya)

léra

free

léra adj. noun "free", of persons (VT41:5)

mirima

free

mirima adj. "free" (MIS). ("Free" is rather expressed as léra in Tolkiens later Quenya; mirima would be prone to confusion with mírima above.)

nec-

without, -less

nec- prefix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. -enca, q.v.

nec-

prefix. without

Derivations

• √NEK “divide, separate, part; deprive” ✧ PE17/167

Element in

• ᴺQ. necermëa “insubstantial, immaterial”
• ᴺQ. necestel “hopelessness, despair, desperation”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NEK > nec-	[nek-]	✧ PE17/167

latin

open, free, cleared (of land)

latin, latina adj. "open, free, cleared (of land)" (LAT). According to VT41:5, the adjective latina "is used rather of freedom of movement, of things not encumbered with obstacles".

lehta

free, released

lehta (2) adj. "free, released" (VT39:17); #lehta tengwë "free element, released element", a term for "vowel" (only pl. lehta tengwi [ñ] is attested; we would rather expect *lehtë tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective) (VT39:17)

au-

without

au- (3) privative prefix, = "without" (AWA)

ava-

without

ava- (3) prefix "without" (AR2, AWA). In some cases apparently used as a mere negation prefix: The form avalerya in VT41:6 is seemingly a negated form of the verb lerya- "release, set free"; the verb avalerya- is suggested to have the same meaning as the root KHAP = "bind, make fast, restrain, deprive of liberty". Likewise, the verb avalatya- from the same source seems to mean "to close, shut", this being a negated form of a verb *latya- "open" (q.v.)

ú

without, destitute of

ú (1) adv. and prep. "without, destitute of" (VT39:14). Usually followed by genitive: ú calo "without light" (cala). In one source, ú is seemingly also used as a negative verb "was not" (VT49:13), but Tolkien revised the text in question.

ráva

free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless

ráva (1) adj. "free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless" (PE17:78), "wild, untamed"_ (RAB). _In PE17:78, the gloss "wild" is given to the variant hráva instead.

lára

flat

lára (1) adj. "flat" (DAL, VT45:25)

óripanta

adjective. sincere, honest, open, (lit.) open-hearted

Elements

Word	Gloss
órë	“heart (inner mind); warning, caution, (pre)monition, heart (inner mind), *conscience; warning, caution, (pre)monition”
panta	“open, open, [ᴱQ.] wide, spreading”

apanta-

verb. to open, reveal, show, display

Element in

• ᴺQ. apantië “display, *revealing, revelation”

Elements

Word	Gloss
panta-	“to unfurl, spread out, open”

velu-

verb. to unfurl

Cognates

• ᴺS. beltha- “to open out (transitive), expand, unroll, set sail”

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. BELU “unroll”

Element in

• ᴺQ. velupantië “revelation”

edra-

verb. open

_ v. _open (out). >> edro

edro

verb. open!

pen

preposition. without, lacking, -less

pen-

without

(ben-) _ pref. _without,**less. pen-adar 'fatherless'. >> ben-, ú-

edra-

verb. to open

faug

adjective. gape, [N.] thirsty, [S.] gape

An adjective for “thirsty” appearing in names like Anfauglir “Jaws of Thirst”.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “thirsty” was G. luib (GL/55) clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOYO (QL/56). By Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the word had become ᴱN. faug “thirsty” (PE13/143), and N. faug “thirsty” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√PHAU̯ “gape” (Ety/PHAU). Christopher Tolkien gave faug the gloss “gape” in The Silmarillion appendix (SI/faug), but that seems to refer to the root meaning from the 1930s.

Derivations

• √PHAW “emit (foul breath), *breath, puff of breath, breath, puff of breath; blow, emit (foul breath); [ᴹ√] gape”
  • √PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)”

Element in

• S. Anfauglir “Jaws of Thirst” ✧ SA/faug
• S. Anfauglith “Gasping Dust” ✧ SA/faug
• S. Dor-nu-Fauglith “Land under Choking Ash” ✧ SA/faug

Variations

• faug- ✧ SA/faug

laden

adjective. open, cleared

lain

adjective. free, freed

pathu

noun. level space, sward

talu

adjective. flat

talu

adjective. flat

Derivations

• √TAL “foot; *flat; [ᴱ√] support”

talu

flat

(lenited dalu, analogical pl. tely). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” dalw (LR:353 s.v. DAL; notice how dalath from the same root was changed to talath in Sindarin).

edra

open

(verb) 1) *edra- (i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro. 2) panna- (i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.

edra

open

(i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro.

laden

open

(adj.) laden (plain, flat, wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

laden

open

(plain, flat,  wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

panna

open

(i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.

pen

without

1) pen (lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited. 2)

pen

without

(lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited.

laden

flat

1) laden (plain, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT), 2) *talu (lenited dalu, analogical pl. tely). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” dalw (LR:353 s.v. DAL; notice how dalath from the same root was changed to talath in Sindarin).

laden

flat

(plain, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

plant

adjective. flat, open, expansive; candid, blunt (of words)

Derivations

• √PAL “wide, broad, extended, wide, broad, extended; [ᴹ√] wide (open); [ᴱ√] flatness”

Element in

• ᴺS. mablanthos “sycamore”

adleitha

free

(i adleitha, in adleithar), also †adleg- (i adleg, in edlegir), pa.t. adlenc, pp. adlengen, pl. edlengin).

land

level

land (open space), pl. laind, coll. pl. lannath. Also used as adj. ”wide, plain”.

land

level

(open space), pl. laind, coll. pl. lannath. Also used as adj. ”wide, plain”.

rain

free

rain (wandering, erratic). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border” (VT46:10; suggested Sindarin form of ” Noldorin” rhain)

ledia-

verb. to open; unlock (transitive)

@@@ Discord 2022-04-18

Cognates

• Q. latya- “to open anything (so as to allow entry)”

Derivations

• √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry; low, lowlying, at ground level, open, unenclosed, free to entry, [ᴹ√] lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area); [√] low, lowlying, at ground level”

pathu

level place

(i bathu) (sward), analogical pl. pethy (i phethy). Cited in archaic form pathw in the source (LR:380 s.v. PATH); hence the coll. pl. is likely pathwath. In the Etymologies as printed in

leitha

set free

(i leitha, i leithar)

ar

without

(adv. prefix) ar- (outside)

ar

without

(outside)

ú

without

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad *”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

ú

without

u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad ✱”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

talath

flat surface

(i dalath, o thalath) (plane, flatlands, plain, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v. DAL. Compare the Talath Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the Silmarillion.

ler

root. free

A root appearing twice in a list of roots from 1959-60, the first time described as “free (of moveable things or moving things), able to move as willed, unimpeded, unhampered, loose, not fixed fast or static” and the second time as “am free to do, sc., am under no restraint (physical or other)” (VT41/5-6). In the second instance it was compared to √POL which had the sense of being physically able to do something. It seems that √LER = “able to do something because there is nothing preventing it” vs. √POL = “able to something because of physical ability”. It might also be contrasted with √LEK which has the sense of freeing something that was once bound, whereas with √LER the thing that is free may have never been bound in the first place.

Derivatives

• Q. léra “free (of persons)” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05
• ᴺQ. lerië “issue, release, edition”
• Q. lerina “free (of things)” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05
• Q. lerta- “to be free to do” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/06
• Q. lerya- “to release, set free, let go” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05

Element in

• Q. lerya- “to release, set free, let go”

Variations

• ler ✧ VT41/05; VT41/06

(ñ)gay

root. gape, become wide, open, vast

A root appearing in notes on words and phrases from The Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s, serving as an explanation for √GAY(AR) “sea” (PE17/27). Its gloss was “gape, become wide, open, vast”, but elsewhere “sea” words were generally attached to roots meaning “awe, dread”, so I think this was likely a transient idea. See the entry on √GAY(AR) for further discussion.

Derivatives

• Q. naira “vast, wide, empty” ✧ PE17/027

Elements

Word	Gloss
GAY(AR)	“awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea”

Variations

• GAY ✧ PE17/027; PE17/153
• ÑGAY ✧ PE17/027; PE17/153; PE17/169

lat

root. open, unenclosed, free to entry; low, lowlying, at ground level, open, unenclosed, free to entry, [ᴹ√] lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area); [√] low, lowlying, at ground level

This root has a lengthy history in Tolkien’s development of the Elvish languages.

Its development seems to have begun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with unglossed ᴱ√LAHA which had derivatives like ᴱQ. lá “moor, heath, open space” and ᴱQ. lāta- “spread, extend, lie (of country)” (QL/50). This root was compared to a variety of other roots: ᴱ√ALA, ᴱ√AŘA, ᴱ√ṆŘṆ, ᴱ√LAŘA and ᴱ√LATA, but the last of these was a later addition, both to the list and as an entry in the lexicon (QL/51). This newer entry had derivatives like ᴱQ. latwa “smooth, glossy” and ᴱQ. latsin(a) “level, smooth”, the latter transferred from ᴱ√LAHA. This new root also had Gnomish derivatives such as G. lad “a level, a flat; fair dealing” and G. ladin “level, smooth; fair, equitable” (GL/52).

After the 1910s it seems ᴱ√LAHA “✱open” faded out of use (though it may have remerged much later as √LAƷ “cross, pass over, go beyond”: PE17/91), but ᴱ√LATA “✱level, smooth” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√LAT “lie open” with derivatives like ᴹQ. latin(a) “open, free, cleared (of land)” and N. lhand “open space, level” (Ety/LAT). It is also evident in N. -lad “plain” from names like N. Lithlad “Plain of Ash” and N. Dagorlad “Battle Plain” from Lord of the Rings drafts (TI/208, 389), both of which reappeared in the published version (LotR/243, 636).

The root appeared again in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s with the gloss “be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” and a Quenya verb ᴹQ. lat- of similar meaning (PE22/126). In this document it was compared to ᴹ√LAD “lie flat, be flat”, and Tolkien said the two roots were confused in Noldorin as a way of explaining N. laden “flat (and wide)”.

The next appearance of √LAT is in etymological notes from 1959-60 with the gloss “open, unenclosed, free to entry” and contrasted with √PAK “shut” (VT41/5-6). In these notes the derivative Q. latina also reappeared with a meaning similar to the one it had in The Etymologies: “free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles”. The last appearance of √LAT in currently published materials is in 1968 notes on D/L variations in Common Eldarin, where it was glossed “at ground level, low; lowlying” and compared to √DAT “fall down” (VT48/24); in this document it had no derivatives.

All this amounts to considerable conceptual variation in the meaning of this root. To summarize:

• 1910s ᴱ√LATA “✱level, smooth” as alternate to ᴱ√LAHA “✱open” (QL/50-51).

• 1930s ᴹ√LAT “lie open” compared to (unglossed) ᴹ√LAD (Ety/LAD, LAT).

• 1940s ᴹ√LAT “be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” contrasted with ᴹ√LAD “lie flat, be flat” (PE22/126).

• 1959-60 √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry” contrasted with √PAK “shut” (VT41/5-6).

• 1968 √LAT “at ground level, low; lowlying” contrasted with √DAT “fall down” (VT48/24).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume this root has the sense “(lie) open, be extended, unenclosed”, as this is consistent with the largest number of derivatives of the root.

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. lat “flap, small hinged door, lid”
• Q. láta “open (not closed)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• ᴺQ. latil “key”
• Q. latina “free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles, free (of movement), not encumbered with obstacles, [ᴹQ.] open, cleared (of land)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• ᴺQ. latsë “area, space, room”
• ᴺQ. lattin “window”
• Q. latya “opening”
• Q. latya- “to open anything (so as to allow entry)” ✧ PE17/159; VT41/05
• S. lad “plain, valley, plain, valley; [G.] a level, a flat; fair dealing”
• ᴺS. lad- “to stretch, extend (in length)”
• ᴺS. ledia- “to open; unlock (transitive)”
• ᴺS. ledil “key”

Element in

• Q. avalatya- “to close, shut” ✧ PE17/171; VT41/06
• Q. imbilat “*deep valley”

Variations

• LAT ✧ PE17/159; PE17/159; PE17/171; VT48/24; VT48/30
• lat ✧ VT41/05; VT41/06

edro

verb. open!

edra-

verb. to open

edra-

verb. to open

Derivations

• ᴹ√ETER “open, come out (of flowers, sun, etc.)” ✧ Ety/ETER
  • ᴹ√ET “out, forth” ✧ Ety/ETER

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ETER > edro	[etra-] > [edra-]	✧ Ety/ETER

lhaden

adjective. open, cleared

laden

adjective. flat (and wide)

laden

adjective. flat (and wide)

lhein

adjective. free, freed

lhaden

adjective. flat (and wide); open, cleared, flat (and wide); open, cleared; [ᴱN.] smooth

Cognates

• ᴹQ. latina “open, free, cleared (of land)” ✧ Ety/LAT

Derivations

• ᴹ√LAT “lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” ✧ Ety/LAT
• ᴹ✶lătĭna “flat (and wide)” ✧ PE22/126
  • ᴹ√LAT “lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” ✧ PE22/126

Element in

• N. Lostladen “*Empty and Open”
• N. Tumladen “Level Vale” ✧ Ety/LAT

Elements

Word	Gloss
lhad	“plain”
-en	“adjective suffix”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√LAT > lhaden	[latina] > [latena] > [laten] > [l̥aten] > [l̥aden]	✧ Ety/LAT
ᴹ√LAT > lhedin	[latini] > [letini] > [letin] > [l̥etin] > [l̥edin]	✧ Ety/LAT
ᴹ✶lătĭna > laden	[latina] > [latena] > [laten] > [l̥aten] > [l̥aden]	✧ PE22/126

Variations

• laden ✧ PE22/126

panna-

verb. to open, to enlarge

panna-

verb. to open, enlarge

Cognates

• ᴹQ. panta- “to unfurl, spread out, open” ✧ Ety/PAT

Derivations

• ᴹ√PAT “*open, [ᴱ√] open, wide, spreading” ✧ Ety/PAT

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√PAT > panno	[patna-] > [padna-] > [panna-]	✧ Ety/PAT

rhain

adjective. free

Cognates

• ᴹQ. (a)ranya “free” ✧ EtyAC/RAN

Derivations

• ᴹ✶(a)ranyā “free, ?uncontrolling” ✧ EtyAC/RAN
  • ᴹ√RAN “wander, stray” ✧ Ety/RAN

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶(a)ranı̯ā > rhein > rhain	[ranjā] > [ranja] > [rania] > [renia] > [reni] > [rein] > [r̥ein] > [r̥ain]	✧ EtyAC/RAN

Variations

• rhain ✧ EtyAC/RAN
• erein ✧ EtyAC/RAN (erein)

lhain

adjective. free, freed

pathw

noun. level space, sward

dalw

adjective. flat

dalw

adjective. flat

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lára “flat” ✧ Ety/DAL

Derivations

• ᴹ√DAL “flat” ✧ Ety/DAL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√DAL > dalw	[dalwa] > [dalw] > [dalu]	✧ Ety/DAL