rath

root. climb (with hands and feet, as in a tree or up a rocky slope)

Tolkien gave various roots meaning “climb” in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The first of these was ᴹ√RAP “climb (as a tree by clinging[?])” on a rejected page of verbal roots in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, with a single derived (verb?) form ᴹQ. rampa (PE22/127). In 1957 Notes on Names (NN) Tolkien gave √RET “climb” as part of an explanation of the name S. Orodreth, translated there as “Mountaineer (= ✱mountain climber)”, the only place Tolkien ever explained this name (PE17/182).

The root √RATH “climb” appeared in a 1968-69 explanation of the name S. Amroth as “upclimber, high climber” along with other words like Q. rasillo “squirrel” and Q. rantala “ladder” (UT/245; NM/363, 367). In these same notes Tolkien said S. rath “street” was influenced by this root, as it “applied to all the longer roadways and streets of Minas Tirith, nearly all of which were on an incline” (UT/255 note #16); he also said Sindarin had no other clear derivatives of the root (NM/363). Tolkien briefly mentioned √RAP “climb” in these same notes as a root that Sindarin did have, but this section was rejected (NM/367). Finally √RATH appeared in 1970 green-ink revisions to the Outline of Phonology, but there the root was unglossed (PE19/89 and note #101).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think √RAP is best abandoned, but I think it is worth retaining √RET as well as √RATH (verb vs. noun?), especially since √RATH seems to be unused in Sindarin, with the exception of its influence on S. rath.

rap

root. climb

ret

root. climb

rath

noun. course, river-bed

rath

noun. course, riverbed

rath

noun. street (in a city)

rathcarn

place name. Red Way

Variant of Crandir, an earlier name for Celebrant in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/433). Its first element is likely rath “course” and its second element a variant of caran “red”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/1.10).

rath a chelerdain

place name. Street of the Lampwrights

rath dínen

place name. Silent Street

rathloriel

place name. Golden-bed, Bed of Gold

Rathlóriel

Rathlóriel

The name Rathlóriel means "Golden-bed". In the Etymologies, the name Rath Loriel is said to contain the Noldorin word rath ("coarse, river-bed") and lor- ("gold").

ostrad

noun. street

crandir

place name. Red Way

Earlier name for Celebrant in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/433). Its first element is likely caran “red”, but the meaning of its second element is unclear; Roman Rausch suggested several possibilities (EE/1.10).

iôr

noun. course

iôr

noun. course

ostrad

noun. street

rath

noun. street, street; [N.] course, river-bed

rath

noun. street

n. street.

rath

noun. course, riverbed

rath

noun. street (in a city)

rath celerdain

place name. Lampwrights’ Street

A street in Minas Tirith translated “Lampwrights’ Street” (LotR/768), a combination of rath “street” and the plural of calardan “lampwright” (RC/523, PE17/96).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as (singular) N. Rath a Chalardain >> (plural) Rath a Chelerdain (WR/388). This form seems to included the genitive preposition N. an “of”, elided and causing nasal mutation of the following noun, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.25).

rath dínen

place name. Silent Street

A street in Minas Tirith translated “Silent Street” (LotR/826), a combination of rath “street” and (possibly lenited) dínen “silent” (RC/551).

Conceptual Development: When it first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was already Rath Dínen (WR/288).

rathlóriel

place name. Golden-bed

Another name of the river Ascar translated “Golden-bed” (S/235), a combination of rath “river-bed” and the lenited form of glóriel “golden” (SA/laurë; Ety/RAT, LÁWAR).

Conceptual Development: When it first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was N. Rathlorion “Golden-bed” (SM/134), later changed to N. Rathloriel “Bed of Gold” (LR/141). The second name appeared in The Etymologies, with essentially the same derivation as given above (Ety/RAT, LÁWAR). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s the o was lengthened (WJ/346), and Tolkien considered changing the name to Rathmalad or Rathmallen (WJ/191, 353).

Rath Celerdain

noun. street of lampwrights

rath (“street”), celerdain (pl. of calardan “lampwrights” < calar (“lamp”) + tan (“maker, smith”)

Rath Díne

noun. silent street

rath (“climbing passage, street”), dínen (“silent”) In WJ the form found is Rath Dhínen, with regular lenition.

rath

course

rath (climb, climbing path, street, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

riverbed

rath (climb, climbing path, street, course), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

climbing path

rath (street, course, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

climbing path

rath (street, course, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255).

rath

street

(climb, climbing path, course, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255).

rath

climbing path

(street, course, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

course

(climb, climbing path, street, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

riverbed

(climb, climbing path, street, course), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

andrath

long climb

(high pass), pl. endraith,

sennui

adverb. (?) rather, (?) instead (used as an adverb?)

sennui

adverb. ?rather, instead

sennui

rather

sennui (instead) (SD:128-31)

sennui

rather

(instead) (SD:128-31)

othrad

street

1) *othrad (pl. ethraid for archaic öthraid). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ostrad. 2) rath (climb, climbing path, course, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255). 3)

ŷr

course

*ŷr (construct yr; no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. yrath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iôr.

yr

course

; no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. yrath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iôr.

othrad

noun. street

ŷr

noun. course

othrad

noun. street

othrad

street

(pl. ethraid for archaic öthraid). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ostrad.

red-

verb. to climb

@@@ Discord 2022-03-27

rath-

verb. climb

rath-

verb. to climb

rathumo

noun. climber (professional or habitual)

lasir

conjunction. rather the reverse

hyano

adverb. rather

mallë

street, road

mallë pl. maller noun"street, road" (MBAL, LR:47, 56, LT1:263, SD:310)

ranta

noun. course

ret-

verb. to climb