raw

root. *roar

Tolkien used similar Elvish words for “lion” for much of his life. Lion words were connected to a pair of related roots in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s: ᴱ√RAVA or ᴱ√RAẆA (QL/79). The first of these had derivatives like ᴱQ. rauna “prey” and ᴱQ. rauta- “chase, hunt, pursue” as well as ᴱQ. rau “lion”. The second had derivatives like ᴱQ. rauka “swift” and ᴱQ. rawa- “run, chase”. In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, words like G. raug “rushing, swift” were probably derived from ᴱ√RAẆA and words like G. rau “lion” and G. raust “hunt, chase” were probably derived from ᴱ√RAVA (GL/65).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave only the root ᴹ√RAW (unglossed) with derivatives like ᴹQ. rá/N. rhaw “lion” (Ety/RAW). Hints of this root are also seen in later words like S. Rauros “Roaring Spray” (RC/327) and Q. rávë “roaring noise” (MC/223), indicating that the root meaning might be “✱roar”. As for “lion”, in the Outline of Phonology of the early 1950s (OP2) Tolkien gave two distinct primitive forms: ✶rāw “lion” and ✶raurō “roarer” (PE19/99, 102, 104).

Derivatives

• ✶raurō “roarer”
  • Q. rauro “lion” ✧ PE19/104
• ✶rāw “lion”
  • Q. rá “lion” ✧ PE19/099; PE19/104
  • Q. rauro “lion” ✧ PE19/099
• ᴹ✶rāu “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW
  • ᴹQ. rá “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW; PE19/062; PE21/69
  • On. rō “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW
  • N. rhaw “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW; Ety/RAW
• Q. raumo “(noise of a) storm”
• Q. rávë “roaring noise”
• ᴺQ. ravennë “she-lion, *lioness”

Element in

• Q. Raurossë “Roaring-rain”
• ᴺQ. rav- “to roar”
• S. Rauros “Roaring Spray”
• N. Rauros “Rush-rain, Roar-rain”

rāu

noun. lion

Derivations

• ᴹ√RAW “*roar” ✧ Ety/RAW

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. rá “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW; PE19/062; PE21/69
• On. rō “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW
  • N. rhaw “lion” ✧ Ety/RAW; Ety/RAW

Variations

• rāu̯ ✧ Ety/RAW
• rāwa ✧ PE19/062
• rắwă ✧ PE21/69

rāmā

noun. wing

Derivations

• ᴹ√RAM “*wing, fly” ✧ Ety/RAM

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. ráma “wing” ✧ Ety/RAM