red

root. scatter, sow

This root first appeared as ᴹ√RED “scatter, sow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with augmented variant ᴹ√ERÉD and derivatives like ᴹQ. erde/N. eredh “seed, germ” and ᴹQ. resta/N. rîdh “sown field, acre” (Ety/ERÉD, RED). √RED appeared again in the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s with the same gloss “scatter, sow” and derivatives Q. resta/S. rîdh “sown field” (PE19/91). The Quenya word resta reappeared in the 1964 phrase Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “✱may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” (VT49/38), which might indicate the ongoing validity of this root, but it is also quite possible that resta “✱fair” has a completely different etymology.

karani

adjective. red

kul

root. golden-red, golden-red; [ᴱ√] gold

The root √KUL was connected to gold and gold-coloured things throughout Tolkien’s life but gradually shifted in meaning. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√KULU “gold” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/49), but at this early stage it was connected to actual metallic gold as much as the colour, as opposed to ᴱQ. laure which was “magic” name of gold (LT1/100). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹ√KUL was first glossed “gold (metal)”, but was eventually revised to “golden-red” (replacing a rejected variant ᴹ√GUL), and metallic gold became ᴹQ. malta < ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL) while ᴹQ. laure shifted in sense to “golden light” (Ety/GLAW(-R)).

Tolkien’s continued use of names like Q. Culúrien (S/38) and Q. culumalda “tree with hanging yellow blossoms (prob[ably] a laburnum)” (RC/626) indicate the continued validity of this root, though I suspect in later writings it primarily referred to a golden-red or orangish colour.

rus

root. brownish red

The root ᴹ√RUS “flash, glitter of metal” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. russe “corruscation, †sword-blade” and N. †rhoss “polished metal” where it served as the basis for the second element of the name Maidhros “Pale-glitter” or (Anglicanized) Maidros (Ety/RUS; MAD). In The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968, the second element of the names S. Maedros and S. Amros were explained as S. ross < ✶russā referring to their red-brown hair (PM/353, 366; VT41/10). A related etymological note stated:

> Common Eldarin (u)rus [was] used of a varying brownish red from what we should call brick-red to auburn. Hence Quenya, Telerin urus (stem urust-), Sindarin rust “copper”, rustui adj.; Quenya {ruska “red-brown”} rusko “a fox” (rusku-, pl. rusqui; ruskuite “foxy”). (calarus(t)- polished copper, lairus(t) verdigris). russe a head or pelt of red hair, russa red-haired. S. rusc fox, ross ([primitive] russā) red-haired, copper coloured, especially used of animals, as fox, red deer, and [?similar kind] (VT41/10).

This use of √(U)RUS as brownish-red is not entirely without precedent: in The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave the “root” (more likely just a primitive form) ᴹ√RUSKĀ with derivative N. rhosc “brown” (Ety/RUSKĀ), the basis for the name N. Rhosgobel “Brownhay” from Lord of the Ring drafts from the 1940s (TI/164), later translated as “russet village or ‘town’ (enclosure)” (RC/241). However in notes also associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Tolkien gave the root √URUN = “copper” apparently as an extension of √RUN “red, glowing”, part of an explanation of the sobriquet of Nerdanel’s father: Q. Urundil “Copper-lover” (PM/366).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume 1930s ᴹ√RUS “flash, glitter of metal” was discarded in favor of 1968 √RUS “brownish red”. I’d also use √RUS as the basis for copper words rather than √URUN.

ruy

root. blaze (red)

The root ᴹ√ROY “ruddy, red” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with Noldorin variant ᴹ√GROJ and derivatives ᴹQ. roina/N. gruin “ruddy” (Ety/ROY²). The latter seems to be an element in the names N. Dunruin “Red Valley” and N. Ruinnel “Redway” from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/464; TI/114). These names eventually became S. Nanduhirion “Dimrill Dale” and S. Celebrant “Silverlode” (LotR/283; LotR/341).

A similar root √RUYU “blaze (red)” appeared in 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD), with derivatives like Q. ruinë “fire, blaze” and Q. ruimen/S. ruist “fireplace, hearth”. In this note Tolkien contrasted Q. ruine “fire, blaze” with nār- “fire as an element”. The note seems to be inspired by a proposed alternate name S. Angruin “Iron Fire” for S. Glaurung; this alternate name was rejected with an “X”, but the rest of the note was allowed to stand. It’s probable the element -ruin is the same one seen in S. Orodruin “Mountain of Fire” (LotR/899), a name that dates back to Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s.

The word ruin in turn was connected to the root √RUN “red, glowing” in notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968, having derivatives Q. runya/S. ruin “fiery red” (PM/365-6 note #61). Thus we tentatively have the conceptual development: 1930s ᴹ√ROY² “ruddy, red” >> 1964 √RUY “blaze (red)” >> 1968 √RUN “red, glowing”.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d stick with 1964 √RUY “blaze (red)” as the version of the root having the largest and must useful set of derivatives.

run

root. red, glowing

russā

adjective. red-haired, copper-coloured

anār

noun. Sun

raitē

noun. peculiar hue, (special) fashion

urun

root. copper