tel

roof

tel noun "roof" (LT1:268). Rather tópa in Tolkiens later Quenya.

tópa

roof

tópa noun "roof" (TOP)

tópa-

roof

tópa- vb. "roof" (TOP)

rotto

cave, tunnel

rotto noun "cave, tunnel" (VT46:12), "a small grot or tunnel" (PM:365)

rotelë

cave

rotelë noun "cave" (LT2:347)

felco

cave, mine, underground dwelling

felco noun "cave, mine, underground dwelling" (PE17:118); also felca, felehta

felya

cave

felya noun "cave" (PHÉLEG), "mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwel[ling]" (PE17:118)

rond

noun. cave roof

rond

noun. vaulted or arched roof, as seen from below (and usually not visible from outside), or a (large) hall of chamber so roofed

rond

noun. (vaulted or arched) roof; vaulted chamber or cavern; heavens [as a roof of the world]

A noun for a vaulted or arched roof, as well as chambers with such a roof, both constructed and natural. Tolkien’s most complete description of this word appeared in the Quendi and Eldar essay:

> S rond, Q rondo are from ✱rono “arch over, roof in”. This could be applied both to natural and to artificial structures, but its view was always from below and from the inside ... CE ✱rondo meant “a vaulted or arched roof, as seen from below (and usually not visible from outside)”, or “a (large) hall or chamber so roofed”. It was still often applied pictorially to the heavens after the Elves had obtained much greater knowledge of star-lore. Cf. the name Elrond “Star-dome“ (WJ/414).

Thus this word was sometimes also applied (metaphorically) to describe the dome of heaven. This definition of rond as both a roof and a cavern appeared elsewhere in Tolkien’s writings as well (RC/421; EtyAC/ROD).

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor to this word was G. grûd(a) “cavern” (archaic †rûda) from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√roto “hollow” (GL/42, 45, 66; QL/80). This was followed by a word ᴱN. gorod “cave” in the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s (PE13/123), and ᴱN. gronn (archaic †grond) in contemporaneous Early Noldorin Word-lists with glosses like “cave” (PE13/145) or “cavern” (PE13/162).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. rhonn (archaic †rhond) “roof, cave” from the root ᴹ√ROD of the same meaning (Ety/ROD). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road Christopher Tolkien gave the gloss “cave” (LR/384), but in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies, Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this to “roof, cave” (EtyAC/ROD). In this document it was already the basis of N. Elrond = “Starry-dome” (Ety/EL). In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, Tolkien seems to have kept the basic definition from The Etymologies of the 1930s but updated its form and etymology, deriving it from a new root √RON “arch over”.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer the earlier root form ᴹ√ROD as this lets us retain more of the 1930s forms.

Cognates

• Q. rondo “vaulted or arched roof, vaulted hall, vaulted or arched roof, vaulted hall; [ᴹQ.] cavern, cave” ✧ WJ/414

Derivations

• ✶rondō “vaulted roof or chamber; cave; †heavens” ✧ WJ/414
  • √RON “arch over, roof in” ✧ WJ/414

Element in

• S. Aglarond “Glittering Cavern” ✧ RC/421; SA/rond
• S. Elrond “Star-dome” ✧ SA/rond; WJ/414
• S. Hadhodrond “Dwarrowdelf, (lit.) Dwarrowvault” ✧ SA/rond; WJ/414
• S. Menelrond “Heaven-dome”
• S. Merethrond “Great Hall of Feasts”
• S. Nargothrond “*Underground Fortress of Narog” ✧ SA/os(t); SA/rond
• S. othrond “underground stronghold, underground stronghold, [N.] underground city, fortress” ✧ WJ/414

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶rondō > rond	[rondō] > [rondo] > [rond]	✧ WJ/414

roth

noun. cave

n. cave. Q. rondo.

groth

noun. cave, tunnel, large excavation

groth

noun. delving, underground dwelling

fela

cave

(pl. fili). In the Etymologies (LR:381 s.v. PHÉLEG) the name Felagund is said to include this word, but since Tolkien later re-explained this name as a borrowing from Dwarvish, some would consider fela as a word for ”cave” conceptually obsolete.

feleg

noun. cave

n. cave, mine, underground dwelling. Q. felco. Q.

tham

hall

tham, pl. thaim, coll. pl. thammath;

tham

hall

pl. thaim, coll. pl. thammath;

rond

cave

(construct ron) (cavern, vault, vaulted ceiling, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

rond

hall with vaulted roof

(construct ron) (cave, cavern, vault, vaulted ceiling), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

rond

cavern

(construct ron) (cave, vault, vaulted ceiling, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

rond

hall with vaulted roof

rond (construct ron) (cave, cavern, vault, vaulted ceiling), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

rond

vault, vaulted ceiling

rond (construct ron) (cave, cavern, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

rond

vault, vaulted ceiling

(construct ron) (cave, cavern, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath

grôd

cave

1) grôd (i **rôd, construct grod) (delving, excavation, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414), 2) groth (i **roth) (delving, large excavation), pl. gryth (in gryth) (VT46:12), 3) rond (construct ron) (cavern, vault, vaulted ceiling, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath, 4) roth (delving, large excavation), pl. ryth, 4) gathrod (i **athrod), pl. gethryd (i ngethryd = i ñethryd), 5) fela (pl. fili). In the Etymologies (LR:381 s.v. PHÉLEG) the name Felagund is said to include this word, but since Tolkien later re-explained this name as a borrowing from Dwarvish, some would consider fela** as a word for ”cave” conceptually obsolete.

grôd

cave

(i ’rôd, construct grod) (delving, excavation, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414)

othronn

fortress in a cave/caves

(pl. ethrynn for archaic öthrynn) (underground stronghold). Cited in archaic form othrond in the source (WJ:414).

tobas

roof, roofing

(i** dobas, o thobas), pl. tebais (i** thebais) for archaic pl. töbais (VT46:19)

orthel

roof

(verb.) orthel- (i orthel, in erthelir for archaic in örthelir) (screen above);

orthel

roof

(i orthel, in erthelir for archaic in örthelir) (screen above); 

roth

cave

(delving, large excavation), pl. ryth, 4) gathrod (i ’athrod), pl. gethryd (i ngethryd = i ñethryd)

telu

roof

(noun, high roof) telu (i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely);

telu

roof

(i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely);

groth

cave

(i ’roth) (delving, large excavation), pl. gryth (in gryth) (VT46:12)

gath

cavern

1) gath (i **ath), pl. gaith (i ngaith = i ñaith), 2) rond (construct ron) (cave, vault, vaulted ceiling, hall with vaulted roof), pl. rynd (idh rynd), coll. pl. ronnath**

gath

cavern

(i ’ath), pl. gaith (i ngaith =  i ñaith)

rhûd

artificial cave

(construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd – *the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (dwelling underground, rockhewn hall, mine), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid). (PM:365)*

rhûd

rockhewn hall

(construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd – the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (dwelling underground, artificial cave, mine), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid). (PM:365);

toba

roof over

(i** doba, i** thobar) (cover). Cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -o (tobo).**

thamas

great hall

pl. themais, coll. pl. thamassath;

rond

noun. cave

rhond

noun. cave roof

rhond

noun. vaulted or arched roof, as seen from below (and usually not visible from outside), or a (large) hall of chamber so roofed

rhonn

noun. cave roof

rhonn

noun. vaulted or arched roof, as seen from below (and usually not visible from outside), or a (large) hall of chamber so roofed

rhonn

noun. roof, cave

Cognates

• ᴹQ. rondo “roof; cave, cavern” ✧ Ety/ROD

Derivations

• ᴹ√ROD “roof, cave” ✧ Ety/OS; Ety/ROD

Element in

• N. Aglarond “Caves of Splendour”
• N. Elrond “Starry-dome, Sky”
• N. othrond “underground city, fortress” ✧ Ety/OS; Ety/ROD

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ROD > rhond > rhonn	[rondo] > [rond] > [r̥ond] > [r̥onn]	✧ Ety/ROD

Variations

• rond ✧ Ety/OS

gathrod

noun. cave

gathrod

noun. cave

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cave”, apparently a combination of N. gath “cavern” and ᴹ√ROT “tunnel” (Ety/GAT(H)). Its initial element also appeared in the name N. Doriath “Land of the Cave”, but in later writings S. Doriath was redefined as “Land of the Fence” with final element S. iath “fence” (WJ/370), so N. gathrod “cave” was probably abandoned.

Elements

Word	Gloss
gath	“cavern”
ROT	“bore, tunnel”

gath

noun. cavern

gath

noun. cavern

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cavern” derived from the root ᴹ√GAT(H), an element in the name N. Doriath “Land of the Cave” (Ety/GAT(H)). In later writings S. Doriath was redefined as “Land of the Fence” with final element S. iath “fence” (WJ/370), so N. gath “cavern” was probably abandoned.

Derivations

• ᴹ✶gattā “cavern” ✧ Ety/GAT(H)
  • ᴹ√GAT(H) “*cave” ✧ Ety/GAT(H)

Element in

• N. Doriath “Land of the Cave” ✧ Ety/GAT(H)
• N. gathrod “cave” ✧ Ety/GAT(H)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶gattā > gath	[gattā] > [gatta] > [gattʰa] > [gaθθa] > [gaθθ] > [gaθ]	✧ Ety/GAT(H)

orthel-

verb. to roof, screen above

thamas

noun. great hall

thambas

noun. great hall

fela

noun. cave

fela

noun. cave

Cognates

• ᴹQ. felya “cave” ✧ Ety/PHÉLEG

Derivations

• On. phelga “cave” ✧ Ety/PHÉLEG
  • ᴹ√PHELEG “cave” ✧ Ety/PHÉLEG

Element in

• N. Felagund “Lord of Caves” ✧ Ety/PHÉLEG

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. phelga > fela	[pʰelga] > [ɸelga] > [ɸelɣa] > [felɣa] > [felɣ] > [fela]	✧ Ety/PHÉLEG
On. phelga > fili	[pʰelgi] > [ɸelgi] > [ɸelɣi] > [felɣi] > [filɣi] > [filī] > [fili]	✧ Ety/PHÉLEG

tham

noun. hall

tham

noun. hall

Cognates

• ᴹQ. sambe “room, chamber” ✧ Ety/STAB

Derivations

• ᴹ✶stambē “room, chamber” ✧ Ety/STAB
  • ᴹ√STAB “*wood” ✧ Ety/STAB

Element in

• N. thamas “great hall” ✧ Ety/STAB

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶stambē > thamb > tham	[stambē] > [stambe] > [sθambe] > [θambe] > [θamb] > [θamb] > [θamm] > [θam]	✧ Ety/STAB

thamb

noun. hall