(i cheltha, i chelthar). (VT46:14; in LR:386 s.v. SKEL the erroneous reading ”helta” appears.)
Quenya
pil-
verb. to steal
Cognates
- ᴺS. pil- “to steal, rob, thieve”
Derivations
- ᴺ✶. PIL “rob”
Sindarin
pil-
verb. to steal, rob, thieve
Cognates
- ᴺQ. pil- “to steal”
Derivations
- ᴺ✶. PIL “rob”
heltha
strip
heltha
strip
Primitive elvish
rob
root. astray, wandering, unsettled
pil
root. rob
Derivatives
rab
root. astray, wandering, unsettled
This root first appeared as unglossed ᴹ√RAB in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. ráva/N. rhaw “wild, untamed” and ᴹQ. ravanda/N. rhofan “wilderness” (Ety/RAB; EtyAC/RAB), the latter an element in the name N. Rhovanion from Lord of the Rings drafts (TI/296). The Quenya/Noldorin r-/rh- variation was a result of the fact that [[n|initial [r-], [l-] were unvoiced]] in Noldorin (PE22/32).
The root √RAB reappeared in Tolkien’s later writings with the gloss “astray, wandering, unsettled”; Tolkien contrasted it with √RAN by saying “it differed from √RAN in that it referred to absence of direction or purpose, whereas √RAN meant to ‘err’, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen)” (PE17/78). In Sindarin, however, initial r-, l- were no longer unvoiced, so Tolkien coined a new intensified variant √S-RAB “wild in senses ‘not tamed, domesticated’, and hence often ‘fierce, savage, hostile’ (to Elves and Men)”. This intensified variant served as a new basis for S. Rhovanion “Wilderland”, and also had other derivatives like Q. hráva “wild” and Q. hravan “wild beast”.
In another place Tolkien defined this root as √S)ROB with variant √D)ROB as the basis for Rhovanion (PE17/99), also explaining the element Drû in Drúadan, the Sindarin name for the Woses. These roots produced different Quenya derivatives like hróva.
Neo-Eldarin: Since the Quenya form (h)ráva “wild” is better known, I think it is best to ignore the √S)ROB and √D)ROB variants of this root for purposes of Neo-Eldarin. The Sindarin name for the Woses can be easily explain as a loan word from that people’s name for themselves: Drughu (UT/385).
Derivatives
- Q. ráva “free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless” ✧ PE17/078
Element in
- √SRAB “wild, not tamed/domesticated” ✧ PE17/078
Variations
- ROB ✧ PE17/182
Noldorin
heltha-
verb. to strip, to strip, *flay, peel skin; *to despoil, make bare
Changes
haltha→ heltha “strip” ✧ Ety/SKELCognates
- ᴺQ. helta- “to strip, bar, peel; *to despoil, denude”
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ✶skelta- > heltha [skelta-] > [skeltʰa-] > [skelθa-] > [sxelθa-] > [xelθa-] > [helθa-] ✧ Ety/SKEL On. skhalta- > haltha [sxalta-] > [sxaltʰa-] > [sxalθa-] > [xalθa-] > [halθa-] ✧ EtyAC/SKEL Variations
- heltha ✧ Ety/SKEL
- helta ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
- haltha ✧ EtyAC/SKEL (
haltha)
Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!
Old Noldorin
skhalta-
verb. to strip
Derivations
- ᴹ√SKEL “*strip” ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
Derivatives
- N. heltha- “to strip, to strip, flay, peel skin; to despoil, make bare” ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√SKAL > skhalta- [skalta-] > [sxalta-] ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
skhelta- Reconstructed
verb. to strip
Middle Primitive Elvish
skelta-
verb. to strip
Derivations
- ᴹ√SKEL “*strip” ✧ Ety/SKEL
Derivatives
Gnomish
er(e)tha-
verb. to isolate, rob, deprive
Variations
- ertha- ✧ GL/33
- eretha- ✧ GL/33
faltha-
verb. to strip, despoil, rob, make bare
Changes
falta-→ faltha- ✧ GL/33Cognates
- Eq. avalta- “to strip, despoil, denude”
Variations
- falta- ✧ GL/33 (
falta-)
Early Noldorin
gwath-
verb. to strip
Variations
- gwath ✧ PE13/146
Early Primitive Elvish
pili
root. rob
A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “rob”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. pili- “steal”, ᴱQ. pilu “thief, robber” and ᴱQ. pilwe “robbery, theft” (QL/74). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth retaining as the Neo-Eldarin basis for “theft” words. A possible later replacement might be the root √RAPH “seize, grab” from the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s which had the derivative Q. arpo “seizer, thief” (PE19/89), but the verb form Q. raf- was glossed “wave, brandish”, so I don’t think it is suitable for a direct replacement.
Derivatives
fulu
root. strip
hulu
root. strip
A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “strip”, with derivatives in both Qenya and Gnomish such as ᴱQ. hulqa/G. hulc “naked” (QL/41; GL/49). It had a variant ᴱ√FULU which seems to have no derivatives (QL/38). There are quite a few later roots of similar meaning, so likely the root was abandoned.
Derivatives
Variations
- FULU ✧ QL/038
Early Quenya
pili-
verb. to steal
Derivations
- ᴱ√PILI “rob” ✧ QL/074
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√PILI¹ > pili- [pili-] ✧ QL/074
naqa-
verb. to steal
Cognates
- G. nig- “to steal, creep, do or go by stealth”
Derivations
- ᴱ√NAQA “steal, take; get by stealth, unlawfully” ✧ QL/064
Element in
- Eq. naqar “thief” ✧ QL/064
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√NAQA > naqa- [nakʷa-] ✧ QL/064
(verb) heltha- (i cheltha, i chelthar). (VT46:14; in LR:386 s.v. SKEL the erroneous reading ”helta” appears.)