s

root. demonstrative stem

An element described as a “demonstrative stem” in The Etymologies of the 1930s serving as the basis for gendered primitive and Noldorin pronouns like ᴹ✶sī̆/sē̆/N. he “she”, ᴹ✶sū̆/sō̆/N. ho “he”, and N. ha “it” (Ety/S). It was a later iteration of the demonstrative root ᴱ√SA from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/81), and primitive ✶sa appeared in Tolkien’s later writings as a neuter pronoun (VT49/51-52), also sometimes used as a demonstrative (PE22/119). Genders based on sex were a feature of the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s (PE13/131), but in Tolkien’s later writings the Elvish grammatical genders were animate ✶se (= both “he” and “she”) vs. inanimate ✶sa “it” (VT49/37).

slignē

noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb

slingē

noun. spider, spider’s web, cobweb

spar

root. strew, spread, ?scatter

A rough root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the glosses “strew, spread” and third hard-to-read gloss, perhaps “?scat[ter]” (EtyAC/SPAR²). It had derivatives ᴹQ. fára/N. faur “beach, shore” and ᴹQ. farma/N. farf , the latter with another very hard-to-read gloss, perhaps “?string/stray, ?carpet”. Given the uncertainty of the meanings of this root and its derivatives, I would ignore it for purposes of Neo-Eldarin.

silip

root. SILIP

skyapat-

noun. shoe

syadā

noun. syadā

sag

root. *bitter, poison

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. sangwa/N. saew “poison” and ᴹQ. sára/N. saer “bitter” (Ety/SAG). Later poison words were derived from √SLOY, but I think this root is worth retaining in Neo-Eldarin as the basis for “bitter”.

salak

root. *grass

The first iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√SḶKḶ in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. salki “grass” and ᴱQ. silki- “mow, scythe, mow down” (QL/84). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. salc “green cut grass, ensilage” and G. salca- “to scythe or mow” (GL/66). The root reappeared as extended ᴹ√SALÁK-(WĒ) in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. salqe “grass” and N. salab “herb” (Ety/SALÁK).

sol

root. *surf

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. solor “surf” (< ᴹ✶solos) and ᴹQ. Solonyeldi “✱Surf Singers” as another name for the Teleri (Ety/SOL). It is a later iteration of ᴱ√SOLO from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. solme “wave” and ᴱQ. solor “surf”, and was in this period the basis for the name ᴱQ. Solosimpe “Shore Piper” (QL/85). Words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon like G. thloss “breaker” and G. Thlossibrim = ᴱQ. Solosimpi were derived from primitive thol-, indicating the early form of the root was actually ᴱ√ÞOLO (GL/73), which in Gnomish was intermingled with derivatives of ᴱ√FALA “✱wave” (GL/33, 35).

The etymology of the 1930s ᴹQ. solor “surf” < ᴹ✶solos is problematic, in that it shows final -s > -r, a remnant of ideas from Early Qenya. Tolkien’s use of Q. Falmari “Wave-folk” in later writings as the primary alternate name for the Teleri (S/53; PM/386) calls into question the continued validity of ᴹ√SOL. Nevertheless, I think it is useful to retain this root in Neo-Eldarin to salvage some early words like ᴱQ. sóla “tide”.

skyap

root. *shoe

This root appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as unglossed ᴱ√SAYAPA (QL/82), also given as ᴱ√SAYAP in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/66) and saẏap- in The Qenya Phonology (PE12/26), where the ẏ likely represented an ancient palatal spirants [ç] or [ʝ] (PE12/15-16). In this period it had derivatives like ᴱQ. hyapa/G. hab(in) “shoe” and ᴱQ. saipo/G. saib “boot” (QL/41, 82; GL/47, 66), with the shoe-words derived from ᴱ✶χı̯ap- [çap-?] after the loss of the first of the a’s (GL/47). The word hyapa “shoe” reappeared in Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s (PE16/144) and the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/8).

This root appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as unglossed ᴹ√SKYAP with extended form ᴹ✶skyapat- “shoe” and derivatives ᴹQ. hyapat/N. habad of the same meaning (Ety/SKYAP). This extended form was incorrectly glossed “shore” by Christopher Tolkien in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/386), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this to “shoe” in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/14).

In red-ink revisions to the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the 1950s Tolkien decided that the initial combination sky- was not possible (PE19/78 and note #51). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, this root might be salvaged by assuming its actual form was ᴺ√S(A)YAP, which would also allow the restoration of the 1910s words for “boot”.

srō

root. east

A root appearing in a rejected page of roots from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s (PE22/127), possibly as a variant of √RŌ/ORO that Tolkien introduced to explain S. rhûn “east” after he decided initial r- did not become rh- in Noldorin/Sindarin; see the entry on S. rhûn for discussion.

slig

root. *entwine, thread; spider

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, with derivatives like ᴹQ. lia/N. thlê “fine thread, spider filament” and ᴹQ. líne/N. thling “cobweb, [N.] spider” (Ety/SLIG). It is probably a later iteration of the primitive form ᴱ√LI+ya “unite many as one” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. lia “twine” and ᴱQ. liante “tendril” (QL/53), with analogous forms G. lind “twine” and G. -liont in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/54). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, it is probably best to assume this root is associated with collections of thread rather than directly with spiders, since in later writings spider words were based on √ungu- (PE22/160).

slus

root. whisper

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with variants ᴹ√SLUS and ᴹ√SRUS; it was glossed “whisper” with derivatives like ᴹQ. lussa- “to whisper” and ᴹQ. lusse/N. thloss/floss “whispering sound” (Ety/SLUS). The only sign of ᴹ√SRUS was the variant form N. thross of N. thloss/floss.

skel

root. *strip

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. helda/N. hell “naked”, ᴹQ. helma “skin, fell” and N. helf “fur” (Ety/SKEL). The root was initially given as ᴹ√SKAL, and various forms had a >> e after ᴹ√SKAL >> ᴹ√SKEL (EtyAC/SKEL).

swad

root. *sponge, fungus

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. hwan/N. chwann “sponge, fungus” (Ety/SWAD).

syal

root. *resound

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. hyalma “shell, conch, horn of Ulmo” and N. half “seashell” (Ety/SYAL). The verbs ᴱQ. hyal- “ring, resound” and ᴱQ. hyalta- “strike, make ring” from Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s might be related. If so, the meaning of the root may be “✱resound”, and the shell-words might have originally meant “✱a resounding thing” based on the noise they made from blowing through them.

stā

root. [unglossed]

A deleted root reference in The Etymologies apparently serving as the basis for the verbal action suffix ᴹ✶-stā “-ing” in ᴹ✶khau̯-stā “rest-ing” (Ety/KHAW; EtyAC/KHAW). See the entry on ✶-stā for further discussion.

skil

root. [unglossed]

A root mentioned in passing in as a variant of ᴹ√KIL “divide” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but it had no derivatives and appeared nowhere else (Ety/KIL).

sagmā

noun. poison

salakwē

noun. *grass

sar

root. *stone

smaldā

noun. gold (as metal)

stalag

root. *stalwart, steady, firm

staran

root. *stiff, hard

steleg

root. *point (of spear)

syadta

noun. axe-stroke

syatsela

noun. broadsword-blade, axe-blade

stin

root. [unglossed]

sis

root. hiss

srad

root. to flatten, lay low/flat, make flat what was standing

srus

root. whisper

sud

root. base, ground

sab

root. juice

This root was one of a surprisingly large number of roots Tolkien used for “juice”, appearing as ᴹ√SAB in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. sáva/N. saw “juice” (Ety/SAB). It might be a variant of (hypothetical) early root ✱ᴱ√WASA needed to explain the forms G. gwâs and ᴱQ. vasa “juice” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/44). The primitive form ᴹ✶sāba also appeared in a rough 1940 note with the word N. iofog “fruit drink”, though Tolkien ultimately decided the second element was derived from ᴹ√SUK “drink” (TMME/53).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume this root refers mainly fruit juice and pulp, as opposed to syrup and tree sap which would be derived from ᴹ√PIS.

slin

root. *fine, delicate

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, with derivatives like ᴹQ. linda “fair” (blended with ᴹ√LIN “sing”) and N. thlinn “fine, slender” (Ety/SLIN). It is probably a later iteration of the unglossed root ᴱ√SḶŘḶ (true form ᴱ√ÞḶÐḶ given in parenthesis) from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. silda “slender” (QL/84). The connection is made more obvious by derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. flidhra/thlidhra “willowy, graceful” and G. thlind “fine, slender” (GL/73).

spanag

root. *beard

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. fanga/N. fang “beard” (Ety/SPÁNAG). These forms appeared as ᴱQ. fange/G. fang “beard” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/34) where they replaced rejected ᴱQ. vanga/G. bang (GL/21). Tolkien’s continued use of Q. fanga/S. fang for “beard” in names like S. Anfang “Long Beard” indicate the durability of this root.

stab

root. *wood

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. sambe “room, chamber”, N. tham “hall”, and ᴹQ. samna/N. thafn “wooden post” (Ety/STAB). It seems to be a later iteration of the unglossed root ᴱ√SAMA from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. san (samb-) “hall, dwelling house” and ᴱQ. sambe “room, chamber” (QL/81). Its derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon seem to be G. tham “chamber, room” and G. thambros “hall”, pointing at a true root form ✱ᴱ√ÞAMA (GL/72). However, there are other words like G. sam- “arrange, put together, adjust, settle, reconcile” and G. samin “arranged, settled, done” that hint at a root form ᴱ√SAMA but with a different meaning “✱arrange” (GL/67). Looking forward, the later form S. sammath “chambers” in Sammath Naur “Chambers of Fire” (LotR/942) may imply a later shift back to ✱√SAM for this root, but that conflicts with other roots like √SAM “to have”.

sik

root. *dagger, knife

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed with derivatives ᴹQ. sikil/N. sigil “dagger, knife” (Ety/SIK).

spal(as)

root. *foam

The root ᴹ√SPAL with extended form ᴹ√SPÁLAS appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a variant of ᴹ√PHAL(AS) (Ety/SPAL). Given that both ᴹ√SPAL(AS) and ᴹ√PHAL(AS) produce the same results in both Quenya and Noldorin, it is had to say which derivatives belong to which root, but Ilk. espalass and ᴹT. spalasta- are definitely from ᴹ√SPAL(AS) (Ety/PHAL; EtyAC/PHAL). This root is likely a later iteration of unglossed ᴱ√Palas or ᴱ√Palat from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where Tolkien indicated it was related to ᴱ√PḶTYḶ “✱strike; flat of the hand” (QL/72); it had derivatives like ᴱQ. palasse “foam, splashing” and ᴱQ. palasya- “splash, foam” (QL/72), and it might be related to G. osp(a) “foam” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/63).

In general, however, Tolkien used √PHAL (earlier ᴱ√FALA) much more regularly as the basis for wave/beach/foam words.

sagrā

adjective. bitter

snas

root. *gore, triangle

spin

root. *hair

suk

root. drink, drain

sāba

noun. *juice

sak

root. ?hurt, injury

smal

root. yellow

smalinā

adjective. yellow

spāna

noun. cloud

stangasyandō

proper name. throng-cleaver, throng-hewer

snat

root. *gore, triangle

sok

root. drink

sug

root. drink

nus

root. sense, wisdom, sense, wisdom; *sense of smell

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sense, wisdom”, with the derivative ON. nuhina > N. noen “wise, sensible” (EtyAC/NUS). This is probably a later iteration of unglossed ᴱ√NUSU from the Qenya Lexicon with variant ᴱ√NUFU, both with derivatives having to do with “✱the act of smelling” such as ᴱQ. nuste “sense of smell” and ᴱQ. nuvu- “smell, sniff at” (QL/68). Derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon also had to do with “smell”, but there were also words like G. nus- “take notice, perceive” and G. nusimos “sagacity” (GL/61). Hence the early root was also connected to the meanings “perceptive” and “wise”. The verb ᴹQ. nusta- “smell” from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s indicates Tolkien’s later conception of the root was also still connected to “(sense of) smell”.

los

root. sleep

(o)los

root. sleep; dream

ras

root. stick up (intr.)

ris

root. slash, rip

litse

noun. sand

ot/otos/otok

root. seven

pus

root. stop, halt, pause

esek

root. *sedge, reed

A (Ilkorin-only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives Ilk. esg “sedge, reed”, Ilk. esgar “reed-bed”, and Ilk. Esgaroth “reed-lake” (Ety/ESEK). Elsewhere it seems S. lisg means “reed” as in S. Lisgardh “Land of Reeds” (UT/34), and similarly ᴹQ. liske < ᴹ✶lisge (PE19/51). Thus I suspect ᴹ√ESEK was a transient idea, one of the etymologies Tolkien considered for Esgaroth.

khyel(es)

root. glass

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “glass” with derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin with the same meaning: ᴹQ. hyelle and N. hele (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). After Tolkien changed Noldorin to Sindarin, he decided that “There was no common Eldarin word for glass”, and that the Sindarin word S. heledh was derived from Khuzdul kheled (PE17/37). Thus the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) was abandoned.

nas

root. point, sharp end

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “point, sharp end”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. nasse “thorn, spike”, N. nass “point, (sharp) end; angle, corner” and ᴹQ. nasta-/N. nasta- “to prick” (Ety/NAS). It also had an s-prefixed variant ᴹ√SNAS or ᴹ√SNAT whose most notable derivative was N. naith “gore” (Ety/SNAS). Tolkien used the name S. Naith for the wedge of land in Lórien between the rivers Celebrant and Anduin in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/347).

The derivation of N. naith from ᴹ√SNAS/SNAT is unclear, however, and later on Tolkien gave a new etymlogy of this word from the root √NEK “narrow” (PE17/55; UT/282). This may mean Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√(S)NAS, but I think it is worth retaining ᴹ√NAS for purposes of Neo-Eldarin for words like nasta- “to prick”.

phas

root. *tangle, shag, fringe

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. fasta- “tangle”, ᴹQ. fasse “tangled hair, shaggy lock” and N. fast “shaggy hair” (Ety/PHAS). Possible precursors include ᴱQ. fas/G. fath “tassel” and other related words from the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons of the 1910s (QL/37; GL/34). No root was given in these early documents, but it may have been ✱ᴱ√FAÞA.

mis

root. go free, stray, wander

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “go free, stray, wander”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. mista-/N. mista- “stray (about)”, ᴹQ. mirima “free” and N. mist “error, wandering” (Ety/MIS). It was originally just glossed “free” (EtyAC/MIS).

us

root. [unglossed]

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/US).

golos

root. *snow, white

khyelesē

noun. glass

amƀus

noun. breast

thelese

noun. *sister

gayas

root. fear

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “fear” (Ety/GÁYAS). One of its derivatives, N. gaer “dreadful” (< ᴹ✶gaisrā), was given a new etymology in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, where S. gaer “awful, fearful” was derived from ✶gairā (WJ/400). However, it is conceivable that √GAYAS could have survived as an extension of the later root √GAY “astound, make aghast”.

(s)ri

root. *edge, border

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. ríma “edge, hem, border” and N. rhîf “brink, brim” (Ety/RĪ). Tolkien then added a note “alter to SRI-” without revising the derivatives (EtyAC/RĪ). Given that all its derivatives indicate primitive rīm-, it is almost certainly a later iteration of the unglossed root ᴱ√RIMI from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. rim- “border on, lie at edge, neighbour” and ᴱQ. rímen “border, shore”, given in the same entry with the root ᴱ√RIPI with which it was apparently confused (QL/80). ᴱ√RIMI likewise had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. rim “a stripe, line; border, fringe” (GL/65), though blending with ᴱ√RIPI complicates the analysis; see that entry for further details.

es

root. *place

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with Quenya derivatives having to do with “place” (EtyAC/ES). In later writings, Q. nómë was the word for “place”.

pis

root. *juice

This root was one of a surprisingly large number of roots Tolkien used for “juice”, appearing unglossed in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. pirya/peich “juice, syrup” and N. pichen “juicy” (Ety/PIS). A similar primitive form ᴱ✶pisye appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s, with derivatives ᴱQ. pihye/ᴱN. hí “sap, juice” (PE13/147). This in turn might have been a later iteration of unglossed root ᴱ√PḶQḶ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with a single derivative: ᴱQ. pulqe “juice”.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume this root refers mainly to syrup and tree sap, as opposed to fruit juice which would be derived from ᴹ√SAB.

kas

root. head

kiris

root. cut

kas

noun. head

bes

root. wed

bessē

noun. wife

ese(t)

root. precede (forward)

gais-

verb. to dread

gaisrā

adjective. dreadful

glisi

noun. honey

is

root. *know

kwessē

noun. feather

lis

root. honey

rista-

verb. cut

ruskā

adjective. brown

ista-

verb. to know

lisge

noun. reed

nakse

noun. tooth

pas

root. *juice

sulup Reconstructed

noun. lap up

dar

root. stay, wait, stop, remain

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stay, wait, stop, remain” with derivatives N. dar- “stop, halt” and N. dartha- “wait, stay, remain, last, endure” (Ety/DAR). Given the appearances of the command S. daro in The Lord of the Rings, unglossed but clearly meaning “stop!” or “halt!”, this root almost certainly survived in Tolkien’s later conceptions (LotR/342). It was probably also the basis of the words Q. lár/S. daur “league”, which Tolkien said originally meant “stop, pause” (UT/279).

dem

root. sad, gloomy

An Ilkorin-only root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sad, gloomy” (Ety/DEM). It was first given as √DIM, which Tolkien rejected and replaced by √DEM (EtyAC/DEM), but given the Ilkorin name Dimbar in both The Etymologies and contemporaneous Silmarillion drafts (LR/261), Tolkien likely reversed himself and restored √DIM. In later iterations of The Silmarillion, it is likely that S. Dimbar became a Sindarin name.

gonod

root. stone

The Elvish words for “stone” were established very early as Q. ondo and S. gond. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave the root of these words as ᴱ√ONO “hard” with derivatives like ᴱQ. ondo “stone, rock” and ᴱQ. onin “anvil” (QL/70). But its Gnomish derivatives like G. gonn “stone” and G. gontha “pillar” (GL/41) indicate the actual root was ✱ᴱ√ƷONO, since initial ʒ &gt; g in Gnomish.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave the root as ᴹ√GONOD or √GONDO “stone” with essentially the same Elvish forms: ᴹQ. ondo and N. gonn (Ety/GOND). The root itself did not appear in later writings, but Tolkien continued to state, with great frequency, that the primitive form of the word was ✶gondō (Let/410; PE17/28; PE18/106; PE21/81; PM/374; RC/347).

kem

root. soil, earth

This root was established as the basis for “earth” words early in Tolkien’s writing. It first appeared as ᴱ√KEME “soil” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, its most notable Qenya derivative being ᴱQ. kemen “soil, earth” (QL/46). The root ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with ᴹQ. kén (kem-) or kemen “earth”, as well as various other Quenya and Noldorin derivatives (Ety/KEM). Tolkien’s continued use of Q. cemen and S. ceven for “earth” or “the Earth” in later writings indicates the continued validity of this root.

kyelek

root. swift, agile

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “swift, agile”, with derivatives ᴹQ. tyelka and N. celeg of the same meaning (Ety/KYELEK). The latter was an element in the name N. Celegorn, and in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from the late 1960s Tolkien give his name as Q. Tyelcormo, (North) S. Celegorm “Hasty-riser”, with tyelca “hasty” indicating the continued validity of this root, albeit with a slightly different meaning (PM/353). However, in 1957 Notes on Names (NN), Tolkien gave his Quenya name as Q. Celec-ormë (PE17/112), but the meaning of the initial element isn’t clear, since in these notes it was adapted phonetically into Sindarin rather than translated.

angwa

root. snake

The root √ANGWA “snake” with variant √ANGU appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as the basis for the words ᴹQ. ango “snake” (Ety/ANGWA) and angulóke “dragon” (Ety/LOK). The Noldorin equivalent am- seems to have survived only as a prefix (Ety/ANGWA), and is a good example of how [[on|[ŋgw] > [mb]]] in that language. There are a variety of other words for “snake” in Tolkien’s later writings, so whether this root remained valid is unclear.

ayak

root. sharp, pointed

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sharp, pointed”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. aika/N. oeg “sharp” and ᴹQ. aiqa “steep” (Ety/AYAK). Similar forms appear in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s such as ᴱQ. aiqa “steep” and ᴱQ. aiko “cliff”, though Tolkien did not produce an explicit early root for these words, marking it instead as “?” (QL/29). The early root might have been ✱ᴱ√AIK(W)-. Early Noldorin forms from the 1920s such as ᴱN. aig “high, steep” and ᴱN. aiglir “peak, mountain top” indicate the root was also adopted in the other branches of the Elvish languages (PE13/158).

The evolution ᴱN. aiglir >> N. oeglir >> S. aeglir “mountain peaks” indicate this root’s continued validity in Tolkien’s later conception of the language, as seen in S. Hithaeglir “Misty Mountains” (Let/180; RC/11; S/54). The element S. aeg “sharp” (<< N. oeg) appears in a variety of other late names such as S. Aeglos “Snow-point” (S/294) and S. Aegnor “Sharp Flame” (MR/323). Tolkien gave an alternate etymology for the last name as a phonetic adaptation of Q. Aicanáro “Fell Fire” (PM/346-347), but that variant was based on a different root √GAYA “awe” > ✶gayakā “fell, terrible” (PM/363), so it did not necessarily invalidate √AYAK “sharp, pointed”.

lak

root. swallow

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “swallow” with variant ᴹ√LANK and derivatives ᴹQ. lanko/N. lhanc “throat” (Ety/LAK¹, LANK), the latter an element in N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate” (Ety/TÁRAG). This last word was changed to S. tarlang in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/92; RC/536), consistent with an earlier but rejected form ᴹ√LANG for ᴹ√LANK in The Etymologies (Ety/LANK).

In later writings, Q. lango/S. lang meant “neck” rather than “throat”, so it is tempting to retain ᴹ√LAK for “throat” and other swallow-words. But it would be very confusing to have such similar but unrelated words for “neck” and “throat”, so I recommend using the root ᴹ√SLUK for “swallow” instead, and Q. lango, S. lang for both “neck” and “throat”.

lem

root. stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry”, with variants ᴹ√LEB and ᴹ√LEM (Ety/LEM), but some of its derivatives can only plausibly be derived from ᴹ√LEM: ᴹQ. lemya- “to remain, tarry” (EtyAC/LEB). Its most notable derivative was Q. Lembi “Lingerers”, but Tolkien’s seems to have abandoned this word and the root may have been abandoned with it. It nevertheless remains useful for the purposes of Neo-Eldarin.

ʒel

root. sky

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. helle/N. ell “sky” and ᴹQ. helwa/N. elw “(pale) blue” (Ety/ƷEL). It was the basis for the initial elements of the names N. Elrond, N. Elwing and ᴹQ. Elwe, but elsewhere Tolkien connected these names to √EL “star”. It was also an element in the word N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge”, later given as S. ninniach. On the basis of these changes, I think it is likely Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√ƷEL, but some of its derived words are still popular in Neo-Eldarin.

rak

root. stretch out, reach

The first iteration of this root was as ᴱ√RAHA “stretch forward” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. rá “arm” and ᴱQ. ráma “wing” (QL/78). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. rath “the full arm” and G. ram “wing, pinion” (GL/64-65). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, “wing” words were based on ᴹ√RAM (Ety/RAM), but “arm” words were derived from ᴹ√RAK “stretch out, reach”: ᴹQ. ranko/N. rhanc “arm” along with ᴹQ. rangwe/N. rhaew “fathom” (Ety/RAK). The relationship to earlier and later ᴱ√RAKA/✱√RAK “break”, if any, is unclear.

dil

root. stop up, fill up hole

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stop up, fill up hole”, with various Noldorin derivatives of similar meaning (Ety/DIL).

dyelek

root. sword?

A rejected root in The Etymologies whose gloss is unclear but may be “?sword” (EtyAC/DYELEK). Elsewhere sword words were derived from √MAK.

gengwa

root. sick

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sick” with derivatives ᴹQ. engwa/N. gem “sickly” (Ety/GENG-WĀ). It was given as ᴹ√GENG-WĀ, and thus represented an extension of an otherwise unattested root ᴹ√GENG. In the entry for ᴹ√YEN from The Etymologies it appeared as ᴹ√GEM in the discussion of N. ingem “old, (lit.) year-sick” (EtyAC/YEN), but I believe this represents the Noldorin phonetic developments of the true primitive form rather than a conceptual variation. The continued appearance of Q. Engwar in The Silmarillion narratives of the 1950s and 60s hints that this root may have remained valid as well.

ken

root. spearhead, gore

A rejected (Noldorin-only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “spearhead, gore” (EtyAC/KEN).

khor

root. set going, put in motion, urge on

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “set going, put in motion, urge on” with various derivatives like ᴹQ. hóre “impulse” and N. hûr “readiness for action, vigour, fiery spirit”, the latter an element in the name Húrin (Ety/KHOR). It is possible this root was later revised to √HOR “urge, impel, move” (VT41/13); see that entry for details.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is preferable to retain ᴹ√KHOR and its derivatives from the 1930s, since they are fairly distinct in meaning and the later root √HOR presents a number of phonological difficulties, and I prefer its earlier form √GOR.

lath

root. string, thong

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “string, thong”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. latta “strap” and N. lhath “thong of (?leather)”, the last gloss being somewhat unclear (Ety/LATH).

mbat(h)

root. screen, shield

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “screen, shield”, with derivatives ᴹQ. umbas/N. amath “shield” (EtyAC/MBAT(H)).

mit

root. small

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “small” with various Quenya and Noldorin derivatives of similar meaning (Ety/MIT).

ndar

root. sign

A rejected root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a single derivative: ᴹQ. narwe “sign, token”, along with an unglossed (and probably incomplete) form nar... (EtyAC/NDAR).

pith

root. spit

A root appearing in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s glossed “spit” with the derived verb ᴹQ. pis- of the same meaning (PE22/103). It may be a later iteration of the early primitive verb ᴱ✶pṣt- “spit”, first mentioned (unglossed) in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s and again in Early Quenya Grammar of the 1920s as well as several Early Noldorin Word-lists from this same period (PE13/147, 163). Other earlier roots for spit include ᴱ√RETYE from Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/79), ᴱ√KEREKE from Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/27), and ᴹ√PIW from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/PIW).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would stick with the better-known root ᴹ√PIW from The Etymologies of the 1930s for verbs meaning “spit”, as it has derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin. For nouns meaning “spit”, I personally adapt the early root ᴱ√KEREKE as a Neo-Eldarin root ᴺ√K(E)REK to salvage early Quenya and Gnomish words for spittle; see those entries for details.

piw

root. spit

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “spit” with derivatives like ᴹQ. piuta- and N. puia- of the same meaning (Ety/PIW). See the entry ᴹ√PITH for a discussion of other roots of similar meaning.

ñol

root. smell (intr.)

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “smell (intr.)”, with derivatives like N. angol or ongol “stench” and ᴹQ. holme “odour” (Ety/ÑOL; EtyAC/ÑOL). It is probably a later iteration of ᴱ√Y̯OLO “smell, stink, reek (intr.)” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s which included the derivative ᴱQ. yolme “stench, stink” (QL/106). In contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon the cognates of the Early Qenya forms began with g-, as in G. golod “stink, stench” (GL/41). By the 1920s, the initial primitive consonant had changed to ʒ- as in ᴱ✶ʒolwḗ > ᴱN. golw, ᴱQ. olwe or holwe “stink, stench” in Early Noldorin word lists from this period (PE13/145, 162), the latter probably representing vacillation on Tolkien part on the product of ʒ- in Qenya. ᴹ√ÑOL from The Etymologies of the 1930s is likely the latest iteration in this chain.

put

root. stop, halt, pause

dimbā

adjective. sad, gloomy

kiryā

noun. ship

(o)lor

root. sleep; dream

anār

noun. Sun

bel

root. strong

ek

root. spear, (sharp) point, thorn

eled

root. Star-Folk, Elves

eledā

noun. Star-folk, Elf

karak

root. sharp fang, spike, tooth

lindā

adjective. sweet sounding

mazgā

adjective. soft, pliant

telep

root. silver

(a)lak

root. swift, rushing

(n)dak

root. slay

alkwā

noun. swan

atalat-

verb. slip right down, collapse, fall to ruin

ay(ar)

root. sea

barathī

feminine name. Spouse of Manwe

belē

noun. strength

daiō

noun. shade, shadow cast by any object

day

root. shadow

edel-

noun. Star-folk, Elf

ektele

noun. spring, issue of water

el

root. star, starry sky

enek

root. six

eredē

noun. seed

et-kelē

noun. spring, issue of water

gal

root. shine

gil

root. shine (white or pale)

gilya

noun. star

glamba

noun. shouting, din

gondō

noun. stone, rock

hō

noun. shout

kal

root. shine

kantaya

adjective. shapely

kat

root. shape, make

katwā

adjective. shaped, formed

katwārā

adjective. shapely

ken

root. see, perceive, look at, observe, direct gaze

kham

root. sit (down)

khīmā

adjective. sticky, viscous

kiryaktō

noun. shipwright

kwa

root. something

kwet

root. say

kwǣnē

noun. small gull, petrel

kyelep

root. silver

lakra

adjective. swift, rapid

libda

noun. soap

lin

root. sing

lindō

noun. singer

lir

root. sing, trill

magnā

adjective. skilled

mak

root. sword; fight (with a sword), cleave

makla

noun. sword

mazgō

noun. sticky substance, mire

mbundu

noun. snout, nose; cape [of land]

mbundā

adjective. snouted

min

root. stand alone, stick out

miniya

adjective. single, distinct, unique

mitra

adjective. small

mōl

noun. slave, thrall

ndanithārō

masculine name. Saviour of the Dani

ndeuna

adjective. second

ndulna

adjective. secret

oktā

noun. strife, war

oññol-

noun. strong smell

pathnā

adjective. smooth

philik

root. small bird

raph

root. snatch

red

root. scatter, sow

rokkō

noun. swift horse

runya

noun. spoor, track, footprint

turumbē

noun. shield

turumā

noun. shield

ñol-

noun. smell

ṇdūnē

noun. sunset

dak

root. slay

glir

root. sing, trill

kyen

root. see, perceive, look at, observe, direct gaze

lak

root. swift

lank

root. swallow

leb

root. stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry

vag

root. stain, soil

berek

root. *sudden, fierce

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives having to do with quickness, suddenness and fierceness (Ety/BERÉK), replacing rejected ᴹ√MEREK and ᴹ√BHERÉK (Ety/MERÉK; EtyAC/MERÉK). One notable derivative is the name N. Bregolas “Fierceness”, which continued to appear as S. Bregolas (albeit untranslated) in later versions of The Silmarillion (S/148). It seems likely this root was also an element in the name Bregalad “Quickbeam”, first introduced in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/419) and retaining this form and meaning thereafter (LotR/482).

One of the 1930s derivatives of this root was N. Dagor Vregedúr “Battle of Sudden Fire [bregedur]”, which in the published Silmarillion became S. Dagor Bragollach “Battle of Sudden Flame” (S/151). This hints at a possible revision of this root, perhaps to ✱√BARAK, though whether it was a transient or lasting change is unclear.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin writing, I think it’s best to stick with ᴹ√BEREK and the forms from The Etymologies.

gir

root. quiver, shudder

A (Noldorin-only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “quiver, shudder”, with derivatives N. gir- “to shudder” and N. girith “shuddering” (Ety/GIR). The continued appearance of Sindarin names containing this last word such as S. Girithron “December, ✱Shuddering-one” (LotR/1110) and S. Nen Girith “Shuddering Water” (S/220) strongly indicates the continued validity of this root.

kap

root. leap, leap, [ᴱ√] spring

This root appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “leap” (Ety/KAP), and was simply a later iteration of ᴱ√KAPA “leap, spring” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45). The root appeared in various other places in the 1920s (PE14/66), 30s (PE19/42) and 40s (PE22/102), always with the same meaning. The root itself did not appear in Tolkien’s later writing, but his continued use of derivatives like S. cabed “leap” (S/224) and S. cáfru “✱flea” < ✶kamprū (PE17/131) indicate its continued validity.

khat

root. hurl, cast, send through air, loose from hand

This root appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√HATA “hurl, fling” (QL/39), and in this early period it had derivatives in both Qenya and Gnomish such as ᴱQ. hata- “hurl, fling” and G. hada- “throw at, aim at” (QL/39; GL/48). It appeared again in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√KHAT “hurl” with only Noldorin derivatives (Ety/KHAT), and appeared in a list of roots in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s with the gloss “hurl, cast, send through air, loose from hand but not nec[essarily] fast”, though the page where it appeared was rejected (PE22/127 note #152). Tolkien’s use of Q. hatal “spear” in writings from the late 1960s indicate its continued validity (VT49/14), as suggested by Patrick Wynne (VT49/33 note #15).

kwam

root. *sick

A root connected to sickness, first appearing as ᴱ√QAMA from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. qáme “sickness, nausea”, ᴱQ. qama- “to be ill, vomit”, G. cwam “ill”, and G. côma “disease, illness” (QL/76; GL/26, 28). It reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√KWAM with derivatives ᴹQ. qáme, N. paw and Ilk. côm “sickness” (Ety/KWAM). It does not appear again in Tolkien’s later writing, but there is nothing contradicting its validity either.

kwig

root. *bow (for shooting), *bow (for shooting); ?shoot

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s that was the basis of the words ᴹQ. qinga/N. peng “bow (for shooting)” (Ety/KWIG). It was a later iteration of ᴱ√QINGI from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which was the basis for ᴱQ. qinga and G. cwing “bow” (QL/77; GL/28). In The Etymologies, Tolkien contrasted this root with ᴹ√KU(Ʒ) which was “bow” as a shape. However, in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien contrasted ✶kūma > Q. cúma/S. cû(f) with Q. lúva “bow, bight (not for shooting)” < √LUB “bend” (PE17/122), and in the 1950s and 60s S. cû was the normal word for a “shooting bow” in Sindarin, in S. Cúthalion “Strongbow” and S. Laer Cú Beleg “Song of the Great Bow” (S/200, 209).

Given the above, it is possible that Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√KWIG. However, I think it is useful to retain for purposes of Neo-Eldarin as the basis for words having to do with “shoot”, especially since there are still some later derivatives of √KU(Ʒ) that have nothing to do with “shooting”, such as Q. cúna “bent, curved”.

lop

root. horse, horse; [ᴱ√] *run (of animals), gallop, lope

This root was the basis for horse words starting with the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it appeared unglossed as ᴱ√LOPO (QL/56). It was compared to the root ᴱ√LOQO, and these roots include the verbs ᴱQ. lopo- “gallop, run (of animals)” and ᴱQ. loqo- “run (of human beings)”, so I think it is likely those were the meanings of the roots as well (QL/56). In the Qenya Lexicon, ᴱ√LOPO had the derivatives ᴱQ. lōpa “horse or mare” and ᴱQ. lopsi “mare” (QL/56), but elsewhere in that document there was the word ᴱQ. lapatte “rabbit” < ᴱ✶lopatte, so I think that word is related as well, though Tolkien did mark the primitive form with a “?” (QL/51). The probably-related word ᴹQ. lopo “rabbit” appeared in a discussion of nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/31).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root ᴹ√LOP was glossed “horse”, and its derivatives ᴹQ. olombo and N. lobor had only that sense (EtyAC/LOP), but horse words were usually derived from ᴹ√ROK from the 1930s and later. The word Q. lopoldi “rabbits” appeared in some 1965 notes on Númenor, so It seems likely √LOP remained valid in some form. Another possibly related late word is S. ✱laba- “hop” as in S. Labadal “Hopafoot” (UT/60).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is worth retaining ᴹ√LOP with a verbal sense “✱gallop, lope”. In this way, it can remain the basis for rabbit words based on their loping run. The horse words from this root might be specialized for heavier loping horses like destriers, since ᴹQ. rokko was said to refer more specifically to a “swift horse” (EtyAC/ROK).

muy

root. *secret

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. muile “secrecy” and Ilk. muil “twilight, shadow, vagueness”, as well as Ilk. muilin “secret, veiled” in Ilk. Umboth Muilin “Veiled Pool” (Ety/MUY). Tolkien also gave N. muin “secret”, but he crossed that out and said the root was “not in N because it became identical with moina [MOY]” (Ety/MUY; EtyAC/MUY). Tolkien later abandoned the name Umboth Muilin, but S. muil reappeared in Emyn Muil “Drear Hills” (LotR/373; RC/334), hinting that this root may have remained valid.

pat

root. *open, [ᴱ√] open, wide, spreading

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. panta- “to unfurl, spread out, open” and N. panna- “to open, enlarge”, along with ᴹQ. panta “open” and N. pann “wide” (Ety/PAT). It seems to be a later iteration of ᴱ√PATA² or ᴱ√PṆTṆ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “open, spread out, show” with very similar derivatives like ᴱQ. panta “open, wide, spreading” and ᴱQ. panta- “open, unfold, spread” (QL/72). In Tolkien’s later writings, ✱√PAT seems to mean “step” or “walk”; see that entry for details.

Neo-Eldarin: Despite the later shift in meaning for √PAT, I think this earlier sense “open (wide)” can be salvaged by assuming that form of the root is actually ✱√PANAT or ✱√PANTA, which is consistent with most of its derivatives. For the non-verbal senses of “open”, I think √LAT is generally better.

tarag

root. *tough, stiff

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. tarya/N. tara “tough, stiff” and N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate” (Ety/TÁRAG). As pointed out by Christopher Tolkien, this last word is undoubtedly connected to S. tarlang in Tarlang’s Neck (LotR/790), which elsewhere was glossed “stiff-neck(ed)” (PE17/92, 98). In rough notes for Tolkien’s 1967 discussion of the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien indicated the initial element of this name was S. tarch, perhaps representing a shift of this root to ✱√TARAK (RC/536).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d stick with the better-known earlier form of this root: ᴹ√TARAG.

mbaw

root. compel, force, subject, oppress

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “compel, force, subject, oppress”, with derivatives ᴹQ. maure/N. baur “need” and N. baugla- “to oppress” (Ety/MBAW), the latter serving as the basic for one of the names of Morgoth: N. Bauglir “Constrainer” (LR/206). Tolkien’s continued use of S. Bauglir in later writings (S/104) indicate the ongoing validity of this root.

aiwē

root. (small) bird

A “root” (more likely just a primitive word) appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as the basic for the words ᴹQ. aiwe, N. aew “small bird” (Ety/AIWĒ). A precursor ᴱ√aı̯ to this root appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. aiwe, G. aigli “bird” (GL/17). The continued appearance of Q. aiwë (UT/401) and S. aew (S/119) in later writings strongly indicates this primitive form remained valid in Tolkien’s later writings.

dring

root. beat, strike

A Noldorin-only root in The Etymologies of the 1930s serving as the basis of N. Glamdring “Foe-hammer”, the name of Gandalf’s sword (Ety/DRING). This name continued to have this translation in Tolkien’s later writing (PE17/84), indicating the root likely also survived.

eter

root. open, come out (of flowers, sun, etc.)

A (Noldorin-only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “open, come out (of flowers, sun, etc.)” given as an extension of ᴹ√ET “out” and serving as the basis for the Noldorin verb N. edra- “open” (Ety/ET). The appearance of the verb S. edra- “open” in The Lord of the Rings indicates its continued validity (LotR/307).

kham

root. call to, summon, name by name

A root that was a later entry in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “call to, summon, name by name” and having rejected variants ᴹ√KHAL², ᴹ√KYAM and ᴹ√KHEM. Tolkien’s introduction of this root seems to have caused him to restore ᴹ√KHAD over ᴹ√KHAM “sit”; see the entry on √KHAD for further discussion. Meanwhile, ᴹ√KHAM² was probably introduced to explain ᴹQ. nahamna “summoned” in the version of the Lament of Atalante from the 1930s (LR/47). The phrase where it appeared underwent quite a few changes thereafter, ultimately becoming ar Sauron túle nukumna Númenórenna “and Sauron came humbled [to Númenor]” by the 1940s, so the future status of ᴹ√KHAM² “summon” is unclear.

It is a useful root for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, however, and I think it is worth retaining.

bew

root. follow, serve

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s meaning “follow, serve” with various Telerin and Noldorin derivatives (Ety/BEW). Its most notable derivative is N. Beor, which meant “vassal” at this conceptual stage. The phonetic development of this name was rather dubious, however, even in the Noldorin of the 1930s, so in later notes Tolkien said it was actually a word from the Bëorian language (WJ/218). Despite this, the root ᴹ√BEW remains popular as a source for neologisms in both Neo-Quenya and Neo-Sindarin for words having to do with service, as there are not really any other good alternatives.

phar

root. reach, go all the way, suffice

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “reach, go all the way, suffice” with derivatives like ᴹQ. fárea/N. farn “enough” and ᴹQ. farya- “suffice” (Ety/PHAR). The root was initially glossed “reach, catch” (EtyAC/PHAR). A possible precursor to this root is hypothetical ✱ᴱ√FATA which could have served as the basis for words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. fad “enough” and G. fadrin “sufficient” (GL/33).

tuluk

root. *support, prop; steady, firm

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. tulka “firm, strong, immoveable, steadfast”, N. tolog “stalwart, trusty”, and ᴹQ. tulko/N. tulu “support, prop” (Ety/TULUK). The “steady, firm” senses of the 1930s root are consistent with derivatives of the earlier root ᴱ√TULUK from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tulka- “fix, stick in, set up, establish”, G. tulga- “make firm, confirm, settle, steady; comfort” and ᴱQ. tulunka/G. tulug “steady, firm” (QL/95; GL/71); nearby ᴱ√TḶKḶ (with no derivatives) may also have been related (QL/93).

However, the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had a distinct root ᴱ√TḶPḶ with derivatives like ᴱQ. talpa/G. talp “support, prop”, ᴱQ. tulpu-/G. talpa- “prop up”, and G. clib- “uphold, support” (QL/93; GL/26, 69). This ᴱ√TḶPḶ may have been related to ᴱ√TULU as presented in the Qenya Lexicon, which in this document had the more ancient sense “uphold, support” (QL/95). Thus I think the 1930s derivatives of ᴹ√TULUK having to do with “support” may have been transferred from 1910s ᴱ√TḶPḶ.

ezge

root. rustle, noise of leaves; shade

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s “rustle, noise of leaves” (Ety/EZGE) or (originally) “shade” (EtyAC/EZGE). This root served as the basis for the river name Ilk. Esgalduin, but was deleted when that name was transferred to ᴹ√SKAL.

grad

root. to flatten, lay low/flat, make flat what was standing

A root glossed “to flatten, lay low/flat, make flat what was standing” appearing in a list of roots from rejected page in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, with variants and √G)RAD and √SRAD and no derivatives (PE22/127). It appears nowhere else.

krab

root. press

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “press” used as the basis for the [Noldorin] word for cram (Ety/KRAB). Later Tolkien decided this was a word in the language of the men of Dale; see Wes. cram for discussion.

laik

root. keen, sharp, acute

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “keen, sharp, acute” with derivatives like ᴹQ. laika/N. lhaeg of the same meaning; apparently the root was the result of a-fortification of ᴹ√LIK (Ety/LAIK; EtyAC/LAIK). It was thus distinct from ᴹ√LÁYAK “✱green, fresh” (Ety/LÁYAK). The root ᴹ√LAIK was clearly a later iteration of unglossed ᴱ√LAIKA from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. laika “keen, sharp” (QL/50), but in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon Tolkien gave the primitive form as ᴱ✶leika > both G. (g)leg “keen, sharp, piercing” and ᴱQ. laika (GL/53). Since [[eq|[ei] became [ai]]] in Early Qenya, ᴱ✶leika seems more represenative of the 1910s form of this root.

maiga

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) to illustrate certain patterns of root formation (PE18/66). It may have serving as the basis for ᴹQ. Maia, though this word was given different derivations later.

mil

root. *soft, gentle, weak

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with only one derivative: ᴹQ. milya “soft, gentle, weak” (EtyAC/MIL).

miw

root. *small, tiny, frail

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. míwa and N. mîw “small, tiny, frail” (EtyAC/MIW²).

riy

root. *scatter, [ᴱ√] scatter

This root first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√RIẎI “scatter” (gloss marked with a “?” by Tolkien) with derivatives like ᴱQ. ríma “line of seeds planted, row, series, furrow”, ᴱQ. rísima “scattered, ubiquitous, universal”, and ᴱQ. rista “shoot (sowing), plant, seedling” (QL/80). Tolkien also linked it to the root ᴱ√ORO⁽⁾, which he said could be analyzed as o- (“over”) + RIẎI; that root had derivatives like ᴱQ. ore (ori-) “seed, grain” and ᴱQ. orya- “sow” (QL/70). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien gave the root form ᴹ√RĪI̯ as the basis for ᴹQ. rí “reed, grass-stem” (PE21/38). There are no signs of this root thereafter.

Neo-Eldarin: In later writings, ᴹ√RED seems to be the basis for “scatter, sow” (PE19/91, Ety/RED), but I think it might be worth retaining the root √RIY as the basis for random scattering as opposed to intentionally scattering for purposes of planting = √RED. In theory ᴹ√RIY would conflict with ᴹ√RĪ “✱edge” (Ety/RĪ), but Tolkien revised that root to ᴹ√SRI.

khlip

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected paragraph from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s (PE22/112 note #78).

phan

root. [unglossed]

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/PHAN).

uruk

root. [unglossed]

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/URUK).

tyulmā

noun. mast

bar

root. raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)

dimbē

noun. gloom, sadness

khim

root. adhere, stick, cleave [to]

ndeuro

noun. follower, successor

tol

root. *stand up

ezdē

noun. rest

ligā

noun. fine thread, spider filament

lindē

noun. *singing

lum

root. *shadow

menel

root. heaven, sky

nyel

root. ring, sing, give out a sweet sound

phay

root. radiate, send out rays of light

phin

root. nimbleness, skill

ab

root. refuse, deny, say no; away, go away, depart

aikwā

adjective. tall, steep

akkala-

verb. to blaze, shine (suddenly and) brilliantly

akla(r)

root. radiance, splendour

auluta-

verb. [unglossed]

baradā

adjective. lofty, sublime

bay

root. [unglossed]

beuyā-

verb. follow, serve

e

pronoun. he, she, it

edenā

adjective. first

ednōno

noun. firstborn

erekwa

adjective. isolated

etkat-

verb. to fashion

graw

root. dark, swart

kaltwa

?. [unglossed]

karanā́

adjective. ruddy, scarlet

kat-

verb. to shape

khaimē

noun. custom, habit

khalatirnō̆

noun. fish watcher

khen(de)

root. eye; look at, see, observe, direct gaze

kot(h)

root. quarrel, strive, be wroth

kyab

root. taste

kōmā

noun. [unglossed]

laikwā

adjective. fresh

laikā

adjective. keen, sharp, acute

lam

root. *sound

lat

root. lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)

liñwi

noun. fish

londē

noun. narrow path, strait, pass

lur

root. be quiet, still, calm

lut

root. float, swim

mahtā-

verb. to handle, stroke, feel; to deal with, wield, treat

map

root. lay hold of with hand, seize

maʒiti

adjective. handy, skilled

maʒtā-

verb. to handle, stroke, feel

mbād-

noun. judgement, sentence

n(d)ur

root. bow down, bend (low), obey, serve; grow/be dark

n-

root. intensive

ndor

root. dwell, stay, rest, abide

ndākō

noun. warrior, soldier

ndū

root. go down, sink, set (of Sun)

ndūne

noun. west

nem-

verb. to seem

ngalambe

noun. barbarous speech

nik(w)

root. *snow; white

om

root. *sound

pan

root. place, set, fix in place (especially of wood)

path

root. *smooth

pathmā

noun. level place, sward

pen(ed)

root. *hillside, slope

phir

root. die of natural causes

ramya-

verb. to fly, sail; to wander

ran

root. wander, stray

reddā

noun. ‘sown’, sown field, acre

rik(h)

root. jerk, sudden move, flirt

rō/oro

root. rise, up, high

tan

root. *show

tawārē̆

noun. dryad, spirit of woods (f.)

tawārō̆

noun. dryad, spirit of woods (m.)

tui-

verb. to grow fat, swell‽

ñgolda

adjective. wise

edel

root. *star-folk

ered

root. *seed

gem

root. *sick

geng

root. *sick

iw

root. [unglossed], [ᴱ√] *fish

khal

root. (small) fish

khol

root. (small) fish

kyul(u)mā

noun. mast

lik

root. *keen, sharp, acute

ndag

root. *slay

oro

root. rise, up, high

yam

root. to cry, cry, [ᴱ√] *call, shout

ney

root. tear

Tolkien used similar forms throughout his life for Elvish words connected to “tears”, the most enduring being Q. Nienna “Lady of Pity and Mourning” and S. nirnaeth as in Nirnaeth Arnoediad “[Battle of] Tears Unnumbered”. The first manifestation of this root was as ᴱ√NYE(NE) “bleat” and ᴱ√NYEHE “weep” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though Tolkien considered moving all the derivatives of ᴱ√NYE(NE) to ᴱ√NYEHE (QL/68). Nonetheless it seems the distinction survived in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon which had both nı̯e and nı̯eχe as primitive forms (GL/59-60). Early derivatives include ᴱQ. nyé “bleat” and ᴱQ. nyéni “she-goat” along with ᴱQ. nyére/G. nîr “grief” and ᴱQ. nie/G. nîn “tear”, the last of these appearing in G. Nínin-Udathriol, the earliest name of S. Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

The root reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√NEI̯ “tear” (Ety/NEI), though Tolkien considered and rejected alternate roots ᴹ√NEÑ (EtyAC/NEI) and ᴹ√NEI̯(ET) “moist” (NEI̯(ET)), the latter becoming the primitive word ᴹ✶neiti > ᴹQ. níte “moist, dewy” and N. nîd “damp, wet; tearful”. Other derivatives include ᴹQ. nie “tear”/N. nîn “tear” (same as the forms from the 1910s) as well as N. nírnaeth “lamentation” (Ety/NEI). Tolkien’s continued use of Q. Nienna (S/28) and S. nirnaeth (S/192) in later versions of the Silmarillion indicate this root’s ongoing validity.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think some of the Quenya nye- forms from the 1910s might be salvaged as abnormal vocalization from n(e)ye- < √NEY.

wig

root. *foam

The Elvish words for “foam” were establish very early, retaining forms similar to Q. wingë and S. gwing throughout Tolkien’s life. The earliest basis for these words were the (unglossed) roots ᴱ√GWIŊI and ᴱ√GWIGI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. winge (QL/104) and G. gwing “foam”, the latter also connected to G. uin “whale” via ancient uı̯u (GL/45).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave the root as ᴹ√WIG with derivatives ᴹQ. winge and N. gwing, all of the same basic meaning. The continued appearance Q. wingë and S. gwing in Tolkien’s later writings indicates the continued validity of this root, but the related verb Q. winta- “scatter, blow about” (PM/376 note #6) hints the root may have become √WIÑ, or at least had such a variant. In notes from 1968 Tolkien’s considered having gwing along with ross “spray” be loan words from Beorian (PM/368, 371), but he ultimately abandoned this idea (PM/376 note #6); see the entry on √ROS for further discussion.

doʒ

root. night

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “night” that (along with ᴹ√DOM) was the basis for the ᴹQ. lóme/N. dû “night” (Ety/DOƷ). It replaced some rejected variants ᴹ√LOƷ and ᴹ√DAW (EtyAC/LOƷ). Many of the derivatives of ᴹ√DOƷ were later assigned to other roots: N. dûr “dark” became S. dûr “dark” < √NDU “under, down” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152) and ᴹQ. lóna “dark” became Q. lúna (PE17/22). There are no signs of ᴹQ. ló “night” and N. daw “night-time, gloom” in Tolkien’s later writing. Future derivations of Q. lómë/S. dû only mention the root √DOM (PE17/152; PE22/153) and thus ᴹ√DOƷ may have been abandoned.

In a message to the Elfling mailing list from July 2012 (Elfling/362.96), David Salo suggested there might be a later root ✱√DU serving as the basis for Q. lúna “dark” and Q. lúmë “darkness”, though the latter might instead be from √LUM. Such a root ✱√DU is not attested in Tolkien writings, but if it existed, it could be a later iteration of ᴹ√DOƷ. Another possible example of the root ✱√DU is primitive ✶durnŭ “dark of hue”.

karan

root. red

This root appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “red” (Ety/KARÁN), a later iteration of ᴱ√KṚN of the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s of the same meaning, but with syllabic ṛ (QL/48). Its main Quenya derivative, Q. carnë, retained the same form throughout Tolkien’s life, but its Gnomish forms G. carn(in) “scarlet” and G. crintha “rosy, pink” (GL/25, 27) became N. caran “red” in the 1930s, and retained that form thereafter.

ar

root. day

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “day” with various derivatives like ᴹQ. are, N. aur “day” and ᴹQ. arin “morning” (Ety/AR¹). In Tolkien’s later writings, the Quenya word for “day” became aurë (RC/727; S/190), and in 1957 Quenya Notes he devised a new etymology for these day-words from the root √UR “heat” as in ✶auri “heat, period of sun” (PE17/148). That opens the question whether the various 1930s Quenya “morning” words from ᴹ√AR remain valid, but many Neo-Quenya writers (including me) retain them since there aren’t really any good alternatives. They might be salvageable as derivatives of the later root √AS “warmth” (so that “day” = “hot” and “morning” = “warm”).

khar

root. helmet

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “helmet” with extended forms √KHÁRAP and √KHÁRAN (EtyAC/KHAR); one of its derivatives ᴹQ. Eldahar seems to be a precursor to Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm”. There are many other words for “helmet” in Tolkien’s later writing, and this root was probably abandoned.

narta

root. kindle

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “kindle”, with derivatives ᴹQ. narta- and N. nartha- of the same meaning (EtyAC/NARTA). There is a mark above the final A that might be a partially formed macron (NARTĀ), so this “root” may just be an ordinary causative verb “✱make fire” = ᴹ√NAR + ᴹ✶-tā. The root was originally glossed “spear point, gore, triangle” with a derivative [N.] Narthas “gore”, a name that appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts but was eventually replaced by N./S. Naith “angle” (TI/244 note #50).

nur

root. deep

A root mentioned in The Etymologies as an extension of ᴹ√NU with the gloss “deep” and derivatives ᴹQ. núra and N. nûr of the same meaning (Ety/NU). Possibly related is the later word Q. nurtalë “hiding” as in Q. Nurtalë Valinóreva “Hiding of Valinor” (S/102).

rauta

root. metal

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, first glossed “copper” and then “metal”, with derivatives ᴹQ. rauta/N. rhaud “metal” and serving mainly to explain names like N. Angrod and N. Finrod (Ety/RAUTĀ). It might have reappeared in the name S. Rodëol “metal of Eöl” from later Silmarillion drafts (WJ/322), but by 1957 Tolkien was explaining the final element of S. Finrod as S. raud “noble” (PE17/49, 118), so I think it is likely that ᴹ√RAUTA “metal” was abandoned.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d use Q. tinco (LotR/1122) and its cognate [N.] tinc (Ety/TINKŌ) for “metal” words. For “copper” I'd use derivatives of √(U)RUS (VT41/10).

tinkō

root. metal

The “root” ᴹ√TINKŌ (more likely just a primitive word) appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “metal” and derivatives like ᴹQ. tinko/N. tinc of the same meaning (Ety/TINKŌ). The reappearance of Q. tinco “metal” in The Lord of the Rings appendices (LotR/1122) strongly indicates its ongoing validity.

ᴹ√TINKŌ may have replaced the root ᴱ√SINI “pale blue” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. sink “mineral, gem, metal” and G. sinc “metal” (QL/83; GL/67); these early mineral words were originally attributed to ᴱ√SṆT͡YṆ “twinkle” before they were transferred to ᴱ√SINI, leaving only derivatives like ᴱQ. sintl “crystal” and ᴱQ. sinty- “sparkle” under ᴱ√SṆT͡YṆ (QL/85). However, in notes from the late 1960s Tolkien had primitive ✶sinki as an element ✶sinkitamo, the basis for Q. sintamo “smith” (PE17/108). Likewise there is evidence of the earlier root in Q. sinca “flint” as in Q. sincahonda “flint-hearted” (LotR/979), initially given as ᴹQ. tingahondo in Lord of the Rings drafts (SD/68).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would definitely use ✶tink- = “metal”, but I think it is worth keeping ✶sinki = “✱mineral = any inorganic solid including both stone and metal” as a variant.

galad

root. tree

The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.

dag

root. dig

A rejected root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dig” (Ety/DAG), it may have been a transient replacement for √SAP.

ed(er)

root. open

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “open” and the forms √ED and extended √EDÉR, but it had no derivatives (EtyAC/ED).

hyōlā

noun. trump

lot(h)

root. flower

galan

root. bright

kir

root. cleave

lan

root. weave

phaw

root. gape

dōmi

noun. night, twilight, gloom

galadā

noun. tree

ithil

noun. moon

kab

root. hollow

lab

root. lick

lin

root. pool

neth

root. young

ol

root. grow

phal

root. foam

ril

root. glitter

akrā

adjective. narrow

al

prefix. without

andā

adjective. long

anga

root. iron

ari

noun. day

atta

root. two

atta

cardinal. two

aı̯an-

adjective. holy

berékā

adjective. wild

bād-

noun. judgement

dagdā

noun. pit

dal

root. flat

danta-

verb. fall

dattā

noun. hole, pit

daʒ

root. great

dēr

noun. man

geiā

adverb. ever

glā

noun. radiance

golbā

noun. branch

gālæ

noun. light

kab-

verb. can, I can

kalaryā

adjective. brilliant

kalat

noun. light

kalrondō

noun. hero

karani

adjective. red

karpa

root. ?

kayan

root. ten

kelun

noun. river

khil

root. follow

khoth

root. gather

khugan

noun. hound

khōn

noun. heart

kil

root. divide

kott-

noun. quarrel

kuilez

noun. quiet

kul

root. golden-red

kuldā

adjective. red

kur

root. craft

kwen(ed)

root. Elf

kwenedē

noun. Elf

kwentā

noun. tale

kwetta

noun. word

kēm

noun. *earth

k’lā

noun. light

laibē

noun. ointment

lugni

adjective. blue

lungā

adjective. heavy

lāda

adjective. flat

lī

noun. number

maktā-

verb. to fight

manwege

masculine name. Manwe

mat-

verb. to eat

matna

noun. food

mbar-

verb. to dwell

met

root. end

metta

noun. end

mizdā

adjective. wet

mori

adjective. black

morókō

noun. bear

mā

noun. land

mālō

noun. friend

nauthe

noun. imagination

nay

root. lament

nayak

root. pain

neinē

noun. tear

nelek

root. tooth

nenle

noun. brook

nethrā

adjective. young

neñrē

noun. tear, weeping

ni

pronoun. I

nut-

verb. to tie, to tie, *bind

nāyǝ

noun. lament

nē̆n

noun. water

nūrā

adjective. deep

pal

root. beat

pantā

adjective. open

parkā

adjective. dry

parmā

noun. book

pheleg

root. cave

philínkē

noun. philínkē

ragnā

adjective. crooked

rambā

noun. wall

ranku

noun. arm

ranā

proper name. Moon

rāba

adjective. wild, untamed

rīgē

noun. crown

rǭda

noun. cave

tal

root. foot

tambā-

verb. to knock

tata

root. two

tiukā

adjective. thick, fat

tundu

noun. hole

ungwē

noun. gloom

waiwa

root. blow

yenrinde

noun. year

ñōle

noun. odour

kwantā Reconstructed

adjective. full

oth

root. fort

añkal-

verb. to blaze

kharan

root. helmet

kharap

root. helmet

nyol

root. ring

rī

root. *edge, border