per-

prefix. half, half, [ᴹQ.] semi

Cognates

• S. per- “half”

Derivations

• √PER “half, half; [ᴹ√] divide in middle, halve”

Element in

• ᴺQ. pellauca “lukewarm”
• ᴺQ. pellopë “donkey, ass”
• ᴺQ. percoron “hemisphere”
• Q. Pereldar “Half-elven” ✧ Let/386
• Q. peresta “one half”
• ᴺQ. perranga “cubit”
• ᴺQ. pertol “peninsula”

Variations

• Per- ✧ Let/386 (Per-)

pereldar

collective name. Half-elven

The Quenya term for those with mixed Mannish and Elvish blood such as Elrond and Elros (Let/386, PM/348), though in The Lord of the Rings itself, only its Sindarin equivalent Peredhil was used (LotR/1034). Pereldar is a compound of the prefix per- “half-” and the plural of Elda “Elf”.

Conceptual Development: The term ᴹQ. Pereldar appeared in The Etymologies, but there it was translated “Half-eldar” and referred to those Elves such as the Danians who turned back on the journey to Valinor (Ety/PER, LR/215). Pereldar was first applied to the Half-elves in the draft of The Lord of the Rings (RS/412). In later writings, the term for the Elves who did not go to Aman was Q. Úmanyar.

Cognates

• S. Peredhel “Half-elf” ✧ PMI/Peredhil

Elements

Word	Gloss
per-	“half, half, [ᴹQ.] semi”
Elda	“Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk”

per-

prefix. half

Cognates

• Q. per- “half, half, [ᴹQ.] semi”

Derivations

• √PER “half, half; [ᴹ√] divide in middle, halve”

Element in

• S. Peredhel “Half-elf”
• S. Perhael “Samwise, (lit.) Half-wise” ✧ PE17/102
• S. Perian “Halfling, Hobbit”
• ᴺS. perthol “peninsula”

Variations

• Per- ✧ PE17/102 (Per-)

peringol

half-elf

(i beringol, o pheringol), pl. peringyl (i pheringyl), coll. pl. ?peringollath

per

half

(adj. prefix) per-.

per

half

.

per

root. half, half; [ᴹ√] divide in middle, halve

This root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√PER “divide in middle, halve” with derivatives like ᴹQ. perya- “halve” and N. perin “half” (Ety/PER). It reappeared in notes from around 1959-60 as √PER “half” (PE17/171, 173). In Tolkien’s earliest writings, the sense “half” was assigned to the root ᴱ√LEHE or ᴱ√LEFE² instead (QL/52; GL/53).

Derivatives

• Q. per- “half, half, [ᴹQ.] semi”
• ᴺQ. permë “half; side (of person or shape)”
• S. per- “half”

peringol

proper name. Half-elven, (lit.) Half-Noldo

Elements

Word	Gloss
perin	“half”
ÑGOL	“wise, wisdom, be wise”

perin

adjective. half, divided in middle

perin

adjective. half

Cognates

• ᴹQ. perya- “to divide in middle, halve” ✧ Ety/PER

Derivations

• ᴹ√PER “divide in middle, halve” ✧ Ety/PER

Element in

• N. Peringol “Half-elven, (lit.) Half-Noldo” ✧ Ety/PER; Ety/PER

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√PER > perin	[perine] > [perin]	✧ Ety/PER

per-

prefix. half, divided in middle

per-

prefix. half

Derivations

• ᴹ√PER “divide in middle, halve”

Element in

• N. Perhail “Halfwise” ✧ SD/118

Variations

• Per ✧ SD/118 (Per)