skey

root. pass

A root in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 given as √SKEY “pass” serving as the basis for Q. xiétë “passing, impermanent”, and illustrating certain phonetic developments for the suffix Q. -itë (PE22/155).

laʒ

root. cross, pass over, go beyond

Tolkien considered several similar roots for the Elvish words “neck”, “throat” and “beyond”.

In The Etymologies, the words for “throat” were ᴹQ. lanko and N. lhanc from the root ᴹ√LAK with nasal-infixion (Ety/LAK, Ety/TARAG). The Noldorin form also appeared as an element in the adjective N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate”. In The Lord of the Rings, it seems that this last word had shifted to S. tarlang, as in the place name Tarlang (LotR/790). The earlier words reappeared as S. lang and Q. lango “neck, passage”, whose roots were either √LAG (PE17/65) or √LAƷA (PE17/91-92).

Tolkien also established the word Q. lá as the Quenya element meaning “beyond”, most notably in the preposition pella (the Namárië poem, LotR/377), whose literal meaning was “beyond the border”. There is an early hint of this sense in The Etymologies in the root ᴹ√LĀ, unglossed but said to be related to the “ablative element” ᴹ√LŌ (EtyAC/LŌ). Other possible precursors are ᴱ√ALA “spread” and related ᴱ√LAHA or ᴱ√LĀ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/29, 32, 50).

In notes from 1965, Tolkien stated that the root of lá “beyond” was √LAŊ, distinct from the root √LAG of lango (PE17/65). But in notes from 1967, Tolkien briefly considered using the root √ALA/LA for lá “beyond” (PE17/90), but quickly changed it to √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond” (PE17/91-92), the same as the root of Q. lango “neck” as noted above. This leaves us with two scenarios: that lango “neck” and lá “beyond” had distinct origins from the roots √LAG and √LAÑ respectively (1965: PE17/65), or that lango “neck” and lá “beyond” had the same origin in the root √LAƷ “cross, pass over, go beyond” (1967: PE17/91-92).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I prefer the 1967 scenario with the root √LAƷA “cross, pass over, go beyond”, and would assume “neck” is based on the sense “passage”, since it frees up the root √LAG to retain its meaning from The Etymologies: ᴹ√LAG “✱cut” (Ety/LAG). There are quite a few Quenya neologisms dependent the existence of √LAÑ “across”, however, so I would assume this exists as a variant of √LAƷ. For “throat” words, see the discusssion in the entry for ᴹ√LAK.

kirissi

noun. cleft

ambō

noun. hill

tā/taʒ

root. high, high, [ᴹ√] lofty; noble

This root and ones like it were used for “high” things for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√TAHA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tā “high; high above, high up”, ᴱQ. tahōra or tayóra “lofty”, and ᴱQ. tāri “queen”; it had a variant form ᴱ√TAʕA where the ʕ might be a malformed Y (QL/87). The corresponding forms in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon were G. dâ “high” and G. dara “lofty” (GL/29), indicating the true form of the root was ᴱ√DAHA, since initial voiced stops were unvoiced (d- > t-) in Early Qenya (PE12/17). Primitive forms like ᴱ✶dagá > ᴱN. dâ/ᴱQ. tá “high” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s indicates the root continued to begin with D for the following decade (PE13/141, 161).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this root as ᴹ√TĀ/TAƷ “high, lofty; noble” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tára “lofty, high”, ᴹQ. tári “queen” and N. taen “height, summit of high mountain” (Ety/TĀ). In Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 Tolkien gave the root as √TAG or Tā- “high”, and in notes from around 1967 Tolkien gave √TAƷ as the explanation of the initial element of Q. Taniquetil and contrasted it with √TĂR “stand” (PE17/186). In 1970 green-ink revisions to the Outline of Phonology (OP2), Tolkien wrote a marginal note giving √TAƷ > TĀ “high”, but this note was rejected with a statement “transfer to Gen. Structure. No [ʒ] existed in Eldarin” (PE19/72-73 note #22).

This last rejection seems to be part of Tolkien’s general vacillation on the nature and phonetic evolution of velar spirants in Primitive Elvish in 1968-70. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume the root form was √TAH or √TAƷ > √TĀ as the basis for “high” words, much like √MAH or √MAƷ > ✶mā was the basis for “hand” words.

tāra

adjective. high

Pass of Aglon

Pass of Aglon

Aglon means "the Narrow Pass".

aglon

place name. Narrow Pass

A pass between Himring and Dorthonion (S/123). This name seems to be a compound of [N.] agor “narrow” and lond “strait, pass” (Ety/AK, LOND). This name sometimes appeared as Aglond, probably an older form of the name (WJ/338, Ety/AK).

Conceptual Development: The name ᴱN. Aglon first appeared in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/227) and N. Aglon was used in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/127, 265). In The Etymologies, it was translated as “defile, pass between high walls”, and this was the source of the derivation given above (Ety/AK, LOD).

cirith

noun. cleft, ravine, defile, cleft, ravine, defile, [N.] pass

A noun for a cut through earth or rock: a cleft, ravine, defile or pass. It is an abstract noun formation from the root √KIR “cut, cleave”, and thus might have other non-geographic applications such as “a cutting”, but the word criss “cut, slash” is probably better for such purposes.

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in some revisions to Silmarillion drafts in the early 1930s, as {N. Cris-Ilfing >>} N. Kirith Helvin and {N. Cristhorn >>} N. Kirith-thoronath (SM/146). Neither of these names became established at this stage, but the word Kirith reappeared in Lord of the Rings drafts in 1940s, in names like N. Kirith Ungol “Spider Glen” (TI/330) and N. Kirith Gorgor “Dreadful Pass” (WR/122), after which Tolkien used this word widely. In the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings from 1967, Tolkien explained cirith as meaning: “a cleft, a narrow passage cut through earth or rock (like a railway cutting)” (RC/767).

cirith forn en andrath

place name. High-Climbing Pass of the North

Sindarin name of the High Pass over the Misty Mountains that Bilbo and the Dwarves followed on their Quest to Erebor (UT/271, 278 note #4). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft, pass”, forn “north”, en “of the” and Andrath “Long Climb”.

imrad

noun. path or pass between mountains or trackless forest, *(lit.) valley path

A noun appearing in notes from the late 1960s for “a path or pass between mountains, hills or trackless forest”, a combination of (archaic) S. †im “valley” and S. râd “path” (VT47/14). It is probably the clearest Sindarin word for a mountain pass.

lond

noun. (land-locked) haven, (land-locked) haven; [N.] narrow path, strait, pass

A Sindarin word for “haven”, used for example in the names Forlond “North Haven” and Harlond “South Haven” (LotR/1050). In a document from the late 1960s, Tolkien gave this word as S. lond, lonn “haven” in keeping with his vacillation on whether final nd became nd in Sindarin monosyllables, and in this document he derived lond/lonn from the (untranslated) root √LON (VT42/10).

Conceptual Development: A precursor to this word from The Etymologies of the 1930s was N. lhonn “narrow path, strait, pass” derived from ᴹ✶londē under the root ᴹ√LOD (Ety/LOD). In The Etymologies, the word for “haven” as instead N. lhorn “narrow path, strait, pass” derived from the root ᴹ√LUR “be quiet, still, calm”; its full translation was “quiet water, anchorage, haven, harbour” (EtyAC/LUR). In Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s Tolkien said [N.] lorn meant “haven” (TI/423), and the North and South Havens were N. Forlorn and N. Harlorn (TI/301).

These were revised to Forlond and Harlond for the published version of The Lord of the Rings, by which point it seems l(h)orn “haven” was abandoned and lond meant only “haven” rather than “pass, strait”. The only exception seems to be its use in Aglon(d) “Narrow Pass” (SI/Aglon), but that name could be a remnant of earlier ideas.

râd

noun. path, pass, path, pass, [N.] track, [G.] way

G. rada “track, path, way” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s under a root ᴱ√rad· [RATA] (GL/64). This became N. râd “path, track” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√RAT “walk”, where it was an element in the words N. ostrad “street [= city-path]” and N. athrad “crossing, ford [= cross-path]” (Ety/RAT).

S. athrad “ford, crossing” survived in Tolkien’s later writings, but may have been reconceived as the gerund of the verb athra- “to cross” (PE17/14). However, the word imrad appeared in notes from the late 1960s with the gloss “a path or pass between mountains, hills or trackless forest [= between-path]” (VT47/14), indicating the ongoing validity of S. râd “path”.

Cirith Dúath

noun. pass of shadow

cirith (“pass, cleft”), dû (“nightfall, night, dimness”) + gwath (“shadow”)

Cirith Forn en Andrat

noun. nothern high-climbing pass

cirith (“pass, cleft”), forn (“north”), en (gen. article), and (“long”) + rath (#“climbing passage”)

Cirith Niniac

noun. pass of rainbow

cirith (“pass, cleft”), niniach (“rainbow”) > nîn (“watery”) + #iach (“ford, bridge”)

Cirith Thoronath

noun. pass of eagles

cirith (“pass, cleft”), thoron (“eagle”) + ath (collective plural suffix)

Cirith Ungol

noun. pass of spider

cirith (“pass”), ungol (“spider”)

cirith gorgor

place name. Haunted Pass

The main entrance into Mordor, translated “Haunted Pass” (LotR/636). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft, pass” and gorgor “haunting fear” (RC/334-5).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared in some notes as N. Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” (WR/137), whose second element seems to be a variant class plural of N. neleg “tooth”. It was changed in the text to Kirith Gorgor “Dreadful Pass” (WR/122).

criss

noun. cleft, cleft, [N.] cut, slash, [G.] gash; [N.] pass, [G.] gully, ravine

A word for a “cleft, cut, slash” (PE21/81; Ety/KIRIS) derived from √KIRIS, a blend of the roots √KIR and √RIS (PE17/87).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it was probably already a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KIRISI as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/27; LT2A/Cris Ilbranteloth). In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien gave cris with the definition “a cleft, ravine, or narrow way of waters with high walls” (PE15/21), and in this period it typically appeared in this shorter form within names like G. Cris Ilbranteloth or G. Cris Thorn.

N. criss appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cleft, cut, slash” under the root ᴹ√KIRIS “cut” (Ety/KIRIS). It also appeared under the root ᴹ√KIR with the gloss “cleft, pass”, but this instance was deleted (EtyAC/KIR). S. criss “cleft” was mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure (EVS2) from the early 1950s as derived from primitive ✶kirissi (PE21/80-81), and it was mentioned as a blending of roots in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s as described above (PE17/87). Its use in names diminished over time, however, the only remnant in the final version of The Silmarillion being S. Crissaegrim (S/121).

Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems this word was principally used as for a “cleft, cut, slash” independent of geography. I would assume the same is true for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since criss is used only in a single geographic name in Tolkien’s later writings; S. cirith was use more broadly in geographic features. I would also assume it was a larger and more violent cut (a “gash” or “slash”) compared to S. rest for simple cuts.

aglonn

noun. defile, pass between high walls

cirith

noun. cleft, high climbing pass, narrow passage cut through earth or rock, ravine, defile

imrad

noun. a path or pass (between mountains, hills or trackless forest)

lonn

noun. (land-locked) haven, (land-locked) haven; [N.] pass

plada-

verb. to feel with the hand, to pass the sensitive palm over a surface

cirith

pass

(noun) 1) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cleft, cutting), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 2) lond (harbour, haven, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294). 3) (pass between mountains, hills or through trackless forest) imrad (path), pl. imraid.

cirith

pass

(i girith, o chirith) (cleft, cutting), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

imrad

pass

(path), pl. imraid.

lond

pass

(harbour, haven, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294).

hída-

verb. to (come to) pass, happen

A neologism coined by Elaran and posted on 2018-01-26 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a verb based on the root √SKEY “pass”, where [[os|ancient [ei] became [ī]]].

Cirith Ninniach

Pass of the Slender Crossing

Cirith Ninniach means "Pass of the Slender Crossing" in Sindarin (from cirith = "cleft, pass", ninn = "slender", and iach = "ford, crossing").

lúda-

verb. to pass (of time); to come to pass, occur, *happen

Andrath

high pass

andrath (literally "long climb"), pl. endraith.

aglonn

pass between high walls

(defile), pl. eglynn.

aglonn

pass between high walls

(defile), pl. eglynn;

aglonn

pass between high walls

aglonn (defile), pl. eglynn;

aglonn

pass between high walls

aglonn (defile), pl. eglynn.

andrath

high pass

(literally "long climb"), pl. endraith.

cîl

pass between hills

(i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

cîl

pass between hills

cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

cîl

pass between hills

cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

cîl

pass between hills

(i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

dîn

mountain pass

dîn (i dhîn) (opening, gap), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nîn); coll. pl. díniath. Note: a homophone means ”silence”.

dîn

mountain pass

dîn (i dhîn) (opening, gap), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nîn); coll. pl. díniath. Note: a homophone means ”silence”.

dîn

mountain pass

(i dhîn) (opening, gap), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nîn); coll. pl. díniath.  Note: a homophone means ”silence”.

Cirith Ninniach

Cirith Ninniach

Cirith Ninniach means "Pass of the Slender Crossing" in Sindarin (from cirith = "cleft, pass", ninn = "slender", and iach = "ford, crossing"). An early (Gnomish) name for the pass was Glorfalc, the "Golden Cleft".

aglonn

defile

(noun) aglonn (pass between high walls), pl. eglynn.

aglonn

defile

(pass between high walls), pl. eglynn.

cirith

cleft

(i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cîl

cleft

(i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”.

dîn

opening

dîn (i dhîn) (gap, mountain pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nîn); coll. pl. díniath. Note: a homophone means ”silence”.

dîn

opening

(i dhîn) (gap, mountain pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nîn); coll. pl. díniath. Note: a homophone means ”silence”.

imrad

path

(between mountains, hills or through trackless forest) imrad (pass), pl. imraid.

imrad

path

(pass), pl. imraid.

lond

narrow path

lond (harbour, haven, pass, strait), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294).

lond

narrow path

lond (harbour, haven, pass, strait), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294). Verb

plada

feel with the hand

(pass the sensitive palm over a surface) plada- (i blada, i phladar) (VT47:9)

rist

cleft

(noun) 1) rist (-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”, 2) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 3) cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”. 4) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”, 5) rest (ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 6) (deep cleft) falch (ravine[?]), pl. felch

im

noun. valley, valley; [N.] dell, deep vale

An archaic element meaning “valley” that survived only in compounds, a derivation of ✶imbi “between” (VT47/14). The basic sense “valley” was transferred to its more elaborate form imlad as in Imladris “Rivendell”, and †im “valley” fell out of use due to its conflicted with other words like the reflexive pronoun im.

Conceptual Development: N. imm “dell, deep vale” was mentioned in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√IMBE, alongside its elaboration N. imlad of the same meaning (Ety/IMBE).

Ara-

prefix. high, noble, royal

Rest

noun. cut

amon

noun. hill, steep-sided mount

amon

hill

pl1. emyn n. hill, lump, clump, mass, often applied to (esp. isolated) mountains. Q. umbo(n). FAmon Amarth

ar-

prefix. high, noble, royal

athra-

verb. to cross

v. to cross (to and fro).

cuia-

verb. to live

cuia-

verb. to live

A verb for “to live” appearing only in the imperative form cuio in the phrase cuio i Pheriain anann “long live the Halflings” or “may the Halflings live long” (LotR/953; Let/448; PE17/102). It already had this form when it appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (SD/46).

falch

noun. deep cleft, ravine

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

imloth

noun. flower-valley, flowery vale

This word only occurs in the place name Imloth Melui, a vale where roses grew

imrath

noun. long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise

iâ

chasm

_ n. _chasm, pit. >> Moria

lond

noun. narrow path or strait

lond

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

men-

verb. to go

The basic Sindarin verb for “go”, derived from the root √MEN (PE17/143). Its archaic past form emēnē was discussed in notes from around 1965 (PE17/93); its modern past would be ✱evín. It also appeared in its gerund form in the sentence niðin mened “I have a mind to go, I intend to go” in notes from 1969 (PE22/165).

ram

noun. wall

ram

noun. wall

The Sindarin word for “wall”, an element in several names such as Andram “Long Wall” and Ramdal “Wall’s End” (S/122).

Conceptual Development: The word was N. rham “wall” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where it was derived from ᴹ✶rambā under the root ᴹ√RAB (Ety/RAMBĀ; EtyAC/RAMBĀ). The root form did not appear in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/382), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne noted the actual root in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/10). The rh in the 1930s Noldorin form was because initial r was unvoiced in Noldorin, something that was not the case in later Sindarin.

The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. bant “wall” appearing between G. bada- “build” and G. bad “building”, so perhaps derived from an early root ✱ᴱ√BATA (GL/21).

riss

adjective. cleft

_ adj. _cleft, cloven, separate. Q. rista, risse, rinse. >> Imladris

rista-

verb. to cut

rista-

verb. to rend, rip

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

Cirith Ungol

Spider's Cleft

Cirith Ungol (pron. ) is a Sindarin name meaning "Spider's Cleft", composed of cirith and ungol.

Rest

cut

(noun) 1) rest (ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist), 2) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

amon

hill

1. amon (pl. emyn) (steep-sided mount), 2) dôl (i dhôl, construct dol) (head), pl. dŷl (i nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i nôl, pl. i ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n if the former derivation had been maintained). 3) tund (i dund, o thund, construct tun) (mound), pl. tynd (i thynd), coll. pl. tunnath.

amon

hill

(pl. emyn) (steep-sided mount)

athra

cross

(verb) #athra- (isolated from the gerund athrad "crossing") (i athra, in athrar), also athrada- (traverse) (i athrada, in athradar)

athra

cross

(isolated from the gerund athrad "crossing") (i athra, in athrar), also athrada- (traverse) (i athrada, in athradar)

bad

go

#bad- (i vâd, i medir), pa.t. bant. Isolated from trevad- ”traverse”.

bad

go

(i vâd, i medir), pa.t. bant. Isolated from trevad- ”traverse”.

brand

tall

(lofty, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind.

bâd

pathway

(i vâd, construct bad) (beaten track), pl. baid (i maid).

criss

cleft

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”

criss

cut

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

cuia

live

(i guia, i chuia; the attested form is the imperative cuio). Also cuina (i guina, i chuinar).

duinen

high tide

(i dhuinen), pl. duinin (i nuinin). (VT48:26).

dôl

hill

(i** dhôl, construct **dol) (head), pl. dŷl (i** nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i** nôl, pl. i** ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n** if the former derivation had been maintained).

falch

cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch

fû Speculative

noun. path

A noun appearing only it is plural form fui “paths” in the name Fui ’Ngorthrim “Paths of the Dead” (RC/526). The most plausible singular form is ✱fû “path”.

gondrath

highway

(i ’ondrath) (street of stone, causeway), pl. gendraith (i ngendraith = i ñendraith). Archaic pl. göndreith. (WJ:340). Possibly the pl. can also be gondraith, without umlaut of the first element.

groga

feel terror

(i ’roga, in grogar) (WJ:415).

hall

tall

(exalted); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”.

imloth

flowering valley

(pl. imlyth) (VT42:18).

imrath

valley

(long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith)

iphant

long-lived

(aged,  literally ”year-full”), pl. iphaint. The spelling used in the source is ”ifant” (LR:400 s.v. YEN), but since the f arises from earlier (n > m +) p via nasal mutation, it should be written ph according to the spelling conventions described in LotR Appendix E.

iâ

chasm

iâ (gulf, void, abyss), pl. iai (LR:400, RS:437, Letters:383)

iâ

chasm

(gulf, void, abyss), pl. iai (LR:400, RS:437, Letters:383)

lâd

valley

(lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid

matha

feel

(vb.) matha- (i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, handle; wield).

matha

feel

(i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, handle; wield).

nand

valley

1. nand (construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. nannath (VT45:36), 2) lâd (lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid, 3) (long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith).

nand

valley

(construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36)

or

high

(adjectival pref.) or- (above, over), also ar- (noble, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain. Nouns:

or

high

(above, over), also ar- (noble, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain. Nouns:

pada

walk

(i bada, i phadar)

plada

feel with the hand

(i blada, i phladar)** **(VT47:9)

ram

wall

1. ram, pl. raim (idh raim), coll. pl. rammath; 2) rammas, pl. remmais (idh remmais), coll. pl. rammassath.

ram

wall

pl. raim (idh raim), coll. pl. rammath

rammas

wall

pl. remmais (idh remmais), coll. pl. rammassath.

raud

tall

(eminent, noble), in compounds -rod,  pl. roed. Also used as noun ”champion, eminent man, [a] noble”.

rest

cleft

(ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)

rest

cut

(ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist)

rist

cleft

(-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”

râd

path

râd (track), construct rad, pl. raid (idh raidh).

râd

path

(track), construct rad, pl. raid (idh raidh).

talath

wide valley

(i** dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, plain), pl. telaith (i** thelaith). *Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v.*

talath

dal

Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the Silmarillion.

taur

tall

(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

telu

high roof

(i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely).

thanc

cleft

(adj.) thanc (forked, split), pl. thainc

thanc

cleft

(forked, split), pl. thainc

thangail

shield wall

(shield wall). No distinct pl. form? (UT:281)

tund

hill

(i** dund, o thund, construct tun) (mound), pl. tynd (i** thynd), coll. pl. tunnath.

arad dain

place name. ?High Pass

An alternate name of Annerchi(o)n “Goblin Gate” appearing in the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, preceded by a rejected word Tar (RS/432). The meaning of the name is unclear, Roman Rausch suggested it might mean “High Pass” based on the rejected element Tar. He further suggested the initial element Arad may be derived from the root √ARA “noble” (= “high”) and the second element Dain is a variant form of dîn “pass”, though he also considered the possibility the meaning of the elements was reversed. See EE/2.6 for further discussion.

cilgalad

place name. Pass of Light

Noldorin equivalent of ᴹQ. Kalakilya appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s glossed “Pass of Light”, a combination of cîl “pass” and the lenited form of calad “light” (Ety/KIL).

cîl

noun. cleft, pass between hills, gorge

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s, the equivalent of ᴹQ. kilya “cleft, pass between hills, gorge” and a derivative of ᴹ√KIL “divide” (Ety/KIL). Its most notable use was in the transient name N. Cilthoron(dor); this name eventually became S. Cirith Thoronath “Eagles’ Cleft”, so likely N. cîl became S. cirith.

dîn

noun. opening, gap, pass in mountains

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “opening, gap, pass in mountains”, the only derivative of ᴹ√DEN “hole, gap, passage” (Ety/DEN). It was an element in the names N. Din-Dûhir and N. Din-Caradras, but neither of these names appeared in the narratives.

cris-caron

place name. Red Pass

Earlier name for the pass of Caradhras in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/419), a combination criss “pass” and a variant of caran “red”. Roman Rausch suggested the second element might be Ilkorin instead of Sindarin (EE/1.11).

din-caradras

place name. *Pass of Caradhras

A name appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of dîn “pass” and the mountain-name Caradras (Ety/DEN), apparentlly referring to that mountain’s pass.

aglon

place name. defile, pass between high walls

cirith

noun. cleft, pass

criss

noun. cleft, cut, slash; pass

kirith gorgor

place name. Dreadful Pass

lhonn

noun. (narrow) path, strait, pass

aglon

noun. defile, pass between high walls

aglond

noun. defile, pass between high walls

cîl

noun. cleft, pass between hills, gorge

dîn

noun. opening, gap, pass in mountains

pendrad

noun. passage up or down slope, stairway

pendrath

noun. passage up or down slope, stairway

amon

noun. hill, steep-sided mount

amon

noun. hill

athrada-

verb. to cross, traverse

criss

noun. cleft, cut, slash

cuia-

verb. to live

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

lhonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lhonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lond

noun. narrow path or strait

lond

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. path

mindon

noun. isolated hill, especially a hill with a watch tower

mindon

noun. tower

osgar-

verb. to cut round, to amputate

rham

noun. wall

rham

noun. wall

rhamb

noun. wall

rhest

noun. cut

rhest

noun. cut

rhista-

verb. to cut

rhista-

verb. to rend, rip

râd

noun. path, track

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

tund

noun. hill, mound

tunn

noun. hill, mound

calacirya

place name. Pass of Light

The “Pass of Light” through the Pelóri mountains into the heart of Valinor (S/59). It is a compound of cala “light” and cirya “cleft, pass” (RGEO/62).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it was called ᴹQ. Kalakilya (LR/173), using an earlier word for “pass”: ᴹQ. kilya (Ety/KIL).

cirya

noun. cleft, pass

A noun for a “cleft”, most notably in Calacirya “Light-cleft” as mentioned in the Namárië poem (RGEO/62; LotR/377).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was ᴹQ. Kalakilya (LR/173; MR/102), and the word ᴹQ. kilya “cleft, pass between hills, gorge” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KIL “divide” (Ety/KIL). The word kilya also appeared with the gloss “chasm” in Lament of Atalante from the 1930s and 40s (LR/47, 56; SD/247, 310), but at some point when composing the final versions of the Namárië poem Tolkien switched to Calacirya, and he made the same change in later versions of Silmarillion drafts (MR/102).

Neo-Quenya: I’d avoid this word for Neo-Quenya, as it is too easily confused with cirya “ship”.

(a)nacca

noun. narrows, defile, pass, cut

A noun appearing in etymological notes from around 1964 (DD) with the glosses “narrows, defile, pass, cut” as a derivative of √NAKH “narrow, thin” (PE17/166).

Calacilya

pass of light

Calacilya ("k") place-name "Pass of Light", in which Kôr was built (KIL, KAL). Evidently a variant of Calacirya.

falqua

cleft, mountain pass, ravine

falqua ("q") noun "cleft, mountain pass, ravine" (LT2:341)

lahta-

verb. pass over, cross, surpass, excel

lahta- vb. "pass over, cross, surpass, excel" (PE17:92)

langa-

verb. to cross, go over, pass over

langa- vb. "to cross, go over, pass over" (VT49:65)

merin sa haryalyë alassë nó vanyalyë ambarello

I hope that you have happiness before you pass from the world

This sentence appeared in a letter from Tolkien to a girl (woman?) named Dorothy. This sentence was first described publicly by Michael Dawson in 1999 on the Tolkien mailing list. The date of the original letter is unknown, since it was only described indirectly in another letter from Dorothy to Dawson’s (deceased) mother, dated 1968 (see Tolklang/34.99), but it seems likely that it was written after The Lord of the Rings was published. In the literature, this phrase is usually referred to as the “Merin Sentence”.

The sentence was first analyzed by Helge Fauskanger (Tolklang/35.02) and Ales Bican posted a short description of the sentence on the Elfling website. Based on its use of vanya-, Helge Fauskanger suggested the sentence was probably written before the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, since in that essay the base verb form auta- (WJ/366, Tolklang/35.02). When first published, there was some question on the validity of the sentence, but later independent confirmation of the existence of the Quenya word nó “before” supports its authenticity (as discussed by Bill Welden, VT49/32 note #12).

In the original description of the phrase, the first word is given as meriu, but there is a general concensus is that this is probably a misreading of merin “I hope”, the aorist 1st-singular form of the verb mer- “to hope”. The second word sa “that” is used here as a relative pronoun. The third word haryalye “you have” is the aorist 2nd-singular-polite form of the verb harya- “to have”.

The fourth word is alassë “happiness” followed by nó “before”. The sixth word vanyalye “you pass” is the aorist 2nd-singular-polite form of the verb vanya- which appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/WAN); in late writings this verb is usually given as auta- “to pass away”. The last word Ambarello “from the world” is the ablative form of the noun Ambar “World”.

vanya-

verb. to pass, to pass [away], *be lost, [ᴹQ.] disappear; [ᴹQ.] go, depart

langa-

verb. to cross, go over, pass over

nacca

noun. narrows, defile, pass, cut

oia-

verb. live, pass one’s days

lango

passage

lango (2) noun "passage", especially across or over an obstacle, also "neck" (PE17:92)

mentië

passage, journey, direction of travel

mentië noun "passage, journey, direction of travel" (PE17:13); the elements are men- "go, proceed" + tië "path, road". Not to be confused with the gerund of menta- #1.

sauya-

verb. to flatulate, pass gas

A neologism for “flatulate, pass gas” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-11-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) based on the root √SAW “disgusting, foul, vile”. Its past form is half-strong söanye < sawanye

lúta-

verb. to have time pass

xéya-

verb. to pass (of time, intransitive)

xíta-

verb. to pass, spend (time, transitive)

@@@ Followed by the amount of time spent, e.g. xítanen loa Ondóresse “I spent a year in Gondor”. Compare to Q. cíta-

terma

noun. passage, aperture, pass

calacirian

place name. Anglicanized Calaciryan

An anglicanized form of Calaciryan appearing in Bilbo’s “Song of Eärendil” poem (LotR/235). In Lord of the Rings drafts it appeared in the form Calacilian (TI/93) matching the earier form ᴹQ. Kalakilya for the “Pass of Light”.

cilya

chasm

cilya noun "chasm", allative cilyanna ("k") "in-Chasm" (sc. "into [the] chasm") _(LR:47, 56). _In MR:471, cilya is defined as "cleft, gorge". Spelt kilya in Etym, there defined as "cleft, pass between hills, gorge" (KIL)

palta-

verb. feel with the hand, stroke

palta- (2) vb. "feel with the hand, stroke" etc. (basic meaning: "pass the sensitive palm [palta] over a surface") (VT47:9)

au-

prefix. away (from)

A prefix meaning “away” derived from √AWA of similar meaning (PE17/24). In one note from the late 1960s, it had variants o and va (VT49/24). In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, Tolkien further specified that it meant “away from the speaker or the place of his thought” (WJ/365) and thus could not be used with verbs like tul- “come” indicating motion towards something (WJ/368). For these other senses of “away (from)”, the prefix hó- is used instead; see that entry.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. au “away from” was mentioned as a prefix in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√AVA (QL/33).

londë

noun. (land-locked) haven, (land-locked) haven; [ᴹQ.] road (in sea), fairway, entrance to harbour; gulf

A word for “haven”, most notably as an element in Alqualondë “Haven of the Swans” (S/61). In notes from the late 1960s it was derived from the (untranslated) root √LON (VT42/10).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. {londa >>} londe was glossed “road (in sea), fairway, {anchorage >>} entrance to harbour”, and derived from the root {ᴹ✶londā >>} ᴹ✶londē under the root ᴹ√LOD (Ety/LOD). In a 1942 note, [ᴹQ.] londe was glossed “gulf”, as opposed to [N.] lorn “haven” (TI/423).

Nando

valley, wide valley

nando (2) "valley, wide valley", variant of nandë #1, q.v. (PE17:80)

Túna

hill, mound

Túna (also Tún) place-name, used of the hill on which Tirion was built (Silm, TUN, KOR), derived from a stem (TUN) apparently meaning simply *"hill, mound".

ambo

hill, rising ground

ambo noun "hill, rising ground" (Markirya, PE17:92), "mount" (PE17:157), allative pl. ambonnar "upon hills" in Markirya (ruxal' ambonnar "upon crumbling hills") According to VT45:5, ambo was added to the Etymologies as a marginal note.

ambona

noun. hill

amun

hill

amun (amund-) noun "hill" (LT2:335; in Tolkien's later Quenya ambo)

arata

high, lofty, noble

arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)

axa

narrow path, ravine

axa ("ks") (1) noun "narrow path, ravine" (AK)

ciris

cleft, crack

ciris _("k")_noun "cleft, crack" (LT2:337 - obsoleted by cirissë?)

coita-

verb. live, be alive, have life

cuita

verb. live

cuita-

verb. to live

A word appearing as Q. kuita “live” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969, most notably in the phrase kuita’r pare “live and learn”, derived from the root √KUY “live” (PE22/154, 156).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer to use √KUY for “wake” (NM/274) and √KOY for “live”; see those roots for discussion. As such, I would use Q. coita- for “to live” and would assume ᴺQ. cuita- means to “to waken, rouse”, as did its primitive form from the 1950s: ✶kuitā- (PE22/136). I further assume cuita- “to waken, rouse” is a transitive/causative verb (taking a direct object) based on the long ā in this primitive form, with a past tense cuitane “woke, roused”.

halda

adjective. high, tall

hyatsë

cleft, gash

hyatsë noun "cleft, gash" (SYAD), apparently changed by Tolkien from hyassë (VT46:16)

lanya-

verb. to cross

latya

opening

latya (1) noun "opening" (used as abstract in the source) (VT39:23). See sanwë-latya.

latya

noun. opening

An noun for “opening” appearing as an element in sanwë-latya “thought-opening” in the Ósanwe-kenta essay from 1959-60 (VT39/23). It is probably related to the verb latya- “open (so as to allow entry)”, perhaps an infinitive form.

lelya-

verb. go, proceed (in any direction), travel

lelya- (1) vb. "go, proceed (in any direction), travel", pa.t. lendë / elendë (WJ:363, VT14:5, PE17:139) At one point Tolkien assigned a more specific meaning to the underlying root LED: "go away from the speaker or the point in mind, depart" (PE17:52), which would make lelya- a near synonym of auta-. The same source denies that the derivatives of _LED _were used simply for "go, move, travel", but elsewhere Tolkien assigns precisely that meaning to lelya-.

lenna-

verb. go

lenna- vb. "go", pa.t. lendë "went" (LED; cf. lelya-). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word lenna- wrongly appears as **linna-; see VT45:27.

londa

path

[londa noun "path"], changed by Tolkien to londë noun "road (in sea)" (VT45:28)

men-

verb. go

#men- (4) vb. "go" (VT47:11, cf. VT42:30, VT49:23), attested in the aorist (menë) in the sentence imbi Menel Cemenyë menë Ráno tië "between Heaven and Earth goes the path of the Moon". In the verb nanwen- "return" (or go/come back), -men- is changed to -wen- following nan- "back" (etymological form cited as nan-men-, PE17:166). In examples from VT49:23, 24, Tolkien used men- in the sense of "go as far as": 1st person sg. aorist menin (menin coaryanna "I arrive at [or come/get to] his house"), endingless aorist menë, present tense ména- "is on point of arrival, is just coming to an end", past tense mennë "arrived, reached", in this tense usually with locative rather than allative (mennen sís "I arrive[d] here"), perfect eménië "has just arrived", future menuva "will arrive". All of these examples were first written with the verb as ten- rather than men-, Tolkien then emending the initial consonant.

nalda

valley

nalda adj. "valley" (used as an adjective), also "lowly" (LT1:261, QL:66)$

nandë

valley

nandë (1) noun "valley" in Laurenandë (UT:253), elided nand in the name Nand Ondoluncava (k") "Stonewain Valley" (PE17:28). Possibly the complete word is here meant to be the variant nando (PE17:80), as suggested by the alternative form Ondoluncanan(do) ("k") "Stonewain Valley". Also nan, nand- noun "valley" (Letters:308); Nan-Tasarion "Vale of Willows" (LotR2:III ch. 4) (Note that this and the next nandë would be spelt differently in Tengwar writing, and originally they were also pronounced differently, since nandë "harp" was ñandë in First Age Quenya.)

nandë

noun. valley

ramba

wall

ramba noun "wall" (RAM, SA, VT46:10)

ramba

noun. wall

A word for “wall” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶rambā under the root ᴹ√RAB (Ety/RAMBĀ; EtyAC/RAMBĀ). The root form did not appear in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/382), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne noted the actual root in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/10). The word ramba appeared as an element in some later names as well, such as Eärambar “Walls of Eä” in Silmarillion revisions of the 1950s (MR/63).

rissë

cut

rissë noun? The word is not clearly glossed but apparently means "cut" or "cleft" (ravine), the cognate of the final element of Imladris, Sindarin name of Rivendell. (PE17:87)

rista

cut

rista (2) noun "cut" (RIS), cf. #1 above.

sanca

cleft, split

sanca (þ) ("k") noun? (or adj, or both?) "cleft, split" (STAK)

tar-

affix. high, high; [ᴹQ.] king or queen (in compounds)

A prefix (and sometimes suffix) meaning “high” as in Tarcil “High Man” or Tarmenel “High Heaven”. It is often used in reference to royalty and nobility, as in Tarumbar “King of the World” or Sorontar “Lord of Eagles”, as well as the names of Númenorean kings and queens. It is related to the adjective tára “high” based on the root √TĀ/TAƷ of similar meaning (Ety/TĀ).

tarwë

cross, crucifix

tarwë noun "cross, Crucifix" (QL:89)

tier

path

tier is, besides the pl. form of tië "path" above, an ephemeral word for "so", abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)

tië

path, course, line, direction, way

tië noun "path, course, line, direction, way" (TE3, VT47:11); pl. tier in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67); tielyanna "upon your path" (UT:22 cf. 51; tie-lya-nna "path-your-upon")

tundo

hill, mound

tundo noun "hill, mound" (TUN)

tá

high

tá 2) adj. "high" (LT1:264; there spelt tâ. This is hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, but cf. tára "lofty".)

tána

high, lofty, noble

tána (meaning unclear, probably adj. "high, lofty, noble") (TĀ/TA3). Compare tára.

umbo

hill, lump, clump, mass

umbo, umbon noun "hill, lump, clump, mass" (PE17:93)

vanya-

verb. go, depart, disappear

vanya- (2) vb. "go, depart, disappear", pa.t. vannë (WAN). The verb auta- may have replaced this word in Tolkien's later conception.

arata

high, lofty, noble

arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)

sar-

verb. to cross

A neologism for “cross” appearing in ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000s, derived from ᴹ√THAR “cross”.

auta-

verb. to go, depart, pass away

akhâs

noun. chasm

A noun for “chasm” attested only in the prepositional phrase akhāsada “into chasm” (SD/247) and akhās-ada “chasm-into” (SD/311), the latter example making it clear which element means what.

yad-

verb. to go

A verb appearing in the Lament of Akallabêth in the form ayadda “(it) went” (SD/247, VT24/12). Its initial element is the 3rd persons neuter plural suffix a- “it”. This leaves the basic verb form yadda, which is the past tense according to the theories used here.

Conceptual Development: It appeared in the form yadda in the first draft version of the Lament, and this form was also briefly considered as a replacement for unakkha “he-came” in the first sentence of the Lament (SD/312).

duban

noun. valley

nand

noun. valley

Isolated from Lindórinand, Lórinand (q.v. for reference). While this word is not given in the Etymologies, it is clearly derived from the stem NAD (LR:374) and hence a close cognate of the similar Doriathrin word nand "field, valley". The Quenya cognate nanda (meaning "water-mead, watered plain") indicates a primitive form *nandâ; as in most cases, the final -â is lost in Nandorin.