faran

noun. rowan, rowan, *ash

A Sindarin word for a “rowan” [a species of ash tree], cognate to Q. farnë and derivative of √PHAR(AN) (PE17/83), possibly a later iteration of N. †fêr “beech-tree” from the root ᴹ√PHER(EN) (Ety/PHER).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. soros “ash-tree” of unclear derivation (GL/68).

faran

noun. any growing thing or plant

_ n. _any growing thing or plant. Q. farne/pharne. >> farn-

farn-

noun. any growing thing or plant

_ n. _any growing thing or plant. Q. farne/pharne. >> faran

lith

noun. ash, sand, dust

lith

noun. ash, ash; [N.] sand

A noun for “ash” appearing as an element in names like Lithlad “Plain of Ashes” (RC/457) and Dor-nu-Fauglith “Land under Choking Ash” (WJ/239-240), as well as in the adjective lithui “ashy, ashen” (RGEO/66, RC/765). It is translated as “dust” in the name Anfauglith “Gasping Dust” (S/150), but since this is the name for Ard-galen after the region was burned by the forces of Morgoth, this may simply be a loose translation for “ash”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s N. lith was glossed “sand” from primitive ᴹ✶litse under the root ᴹ√LIT (Ety/LIT), and in this document N. Fauglith was translated “Thirsty Sand” (Ety/PHAU), as opposed to its original translation from the 1920s and early-to-mid 1930s which was simply “Thirst” (LB/275; SM/26, 101; LR/280).

Neo-Sindarin: For Neo-Sindarin I’d use lith mainly in its 1950s-60s sense “ash” but also allow its 1930s sense “sand”, but for “dust” I’d use [N.] ast. @@@ Maybe it would be better to coin a neologism for “sand”?

lith

ash

lith (sand, dust), no distinct pl. form.

lith

ash

(sand, dust), no distinct pl. form.****

phar(an)

root. *rowan

A root appearing in connection to notes on the name Q. Orofarnë “Mountain Ash” in both short form √PHAR and extended form √PHARAN, serving as the basis for Q. farnë/S. faran “rowan” or “ash” (PE17/83). It is most likely a later iteration of the root ᴹ√PHER or ᴹ√PHÉREN “beech” from The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. feren/N. †fêr “beech” (Ety/PHER). As for ᴹ√PHARAN, that root also appeared in The Etymologies, but was replaced by ᴹ√PHAS.

Neo-Eldarin: 1950s √PHAR(AN) and 1930s ᴹ√PHER(EN) probably did not coexist in Tolkien’s conception of Elvish, but for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it better to treat them as etymological variants, to retain both Q. farnë/S. faran “rowan, ash” and ᴹQ. feren “beech”, with archaic N. †fêr being replaced in modern Sindarin by S. neldor “beech” and S. brethil/S. hwinn “birch”.

pharne

noun. any growing thing or plant

farnë

noun. ash, rowan, ️ash, rowan; [ᴹQ.] foliage

A Quenya noun for the rowan-tree, appearing in an explanation of the name Orofarnë “Mountain Ash” in notes from the 1950s, though Tolkien marked it with a “?” as uncertain (PE17/83). Its older form was either fărnĭ or primitive ✶pharne; if the former, its stem form would be farni-.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, a similar word ᴹQ. feren/ferne appears as the Quenya word for “beech-tree” under the root ᴹ√PHER(EN) (Ety/PHER). Conversely, ᴹQ. farne appeared with the gloss “foliage” as a derivative of {ᴹ√PHARAN >>} ᴹ√PHAS (EtyAC/PHARAN, PHAS). As names of trees, it is possible that Tolkien intended to replace ferne < ᴹ√PHER(EN) with farnë < √PHAR(AN).

Neo-Quenya: For the purpose of Neo-Quenya writing, I think it is worth retaining both ᴹQ. feren “beech” and Q. farnë “ash, rowan” (along with its Sindarin cognate S. faran) as etymological variants referring to two distinct species of trees. For the sense “foliage”, it is probably better to use the later word olass(i)ë.

littë

noun. ash

A neologism for “ash” coined by Helge Fauskanger in his NQNT (NQNT), the Quenya equivalent of S. lith “ash”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s the Quenya cognate of N. lith was ᴹQ. litse (Ety/LIT), but in that document these words were glossed “sand”. Introducing a separate neologism ᴺQ. littë “ash” helps keep these two senses distinct.

lith

noun. ash, sand, dust