sa

pronoun. 3 sg. neuter [it], the thing, impersonal; this by me, [ᴱ√] demonstrative

sagrā

adjective. sagrā

sanā

noun. sanā

sará

?. sará

sab

root. believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact

A root in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 described as meaning “believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact”; it served as the basis for Q. sav- of the same meaning (PE22/158).

sad

root. strip, flay, peel off

A root glossed “strip, flay, peel off” in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69 given to explain the second element of S. Calenhad as S. sâdh, with Tolkien stating that “dh” is generally represented as “d” in his maps (VT42/20). The root is mentioned nowhere else.

sak

root. draw, pull

The root ᴱ√SAKA first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives having to do with “search” (QL/81). The root ᴹ√SAK also appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s with no gloss or derivatives (EtyAC/SAK). However, as pointed out by Lokyt in a Discord chat on 2019-07-26, the words ᴹQ. sak- “to be hurt” from Quendian & Common Eldarin Verbal Structure (EVS1) of the 1940s and Q. sahta “marred” (< ✶saknā?) from notes written in the late 1950s (MR/405) might be related.

The root appeared as √SAK “draw, pull” in notes associated with Quenya prayers from the 1950s as part of an alternate derivation of Q. úsahtië “inducement to do wrong, ✱temptation” (VT43/23); elsewhere this word was given as a derivative of √THAG “press” (VT43/22). The Sindarin cognate úthaes (VT44/30) is hard to explain as a derivative of √SAK, so it is likely that this was only a transient idea, especially since Tolkien indicates that the older form of the verb sahta- “to induce” was †þahta- (VT43/23).

Neo-Eldarin: For Neo-Eldarin writing, it is probably better to ignore this root and assume its later derivatives are from √THAG. For the senses “draw” and “pull” I recommend using the roots √LUK or ᴹ√TUK instead. In place of ᴱ√SAKA “✱search”, it is probably better to use derivatives of √KETH “examine, ✱seek”.

sal

root. [unglossed], *harp(ing), lyre

The unglossed root ᴱ√SALA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. salma “lyre, small harp” and ᴱQ. salumbe “harping, music” (QL/81). The root √SAL appeared again Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s to illustrate the reformed perfect form of its verb Q. asálie (PE22/132), but since these later forms are unglossed it is unclear whether they have the same meaning (“✱harp(ing)”) as the earlier version of the root.

sam

root. to have, have; [ᴹ√] unite, join

The root ᴹ√SAM “unite, join” was a later addition to The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivative ᴹQ. samnar “diphthongs” (Ety/SAM). There is also evidence for it in the word ᴹQ. sampane “combination” as in ᴹQ. Lámasampane “Combination of Sounds”, a term used in the first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/40), and again in the second version (TQ2) from around 1950 (PE18/90). In an isolated note from the late 1930s, Tolkien gave ᴹ√kam “bind, join” as a replacement for √sam along with a new word ᴹQ. okamna “diphthong” (VT44/13), but given the reappearance of Q. sampanë in TQ2 this may have been a transient idea, and in any case Tolkien used the word Q. ohlon for “diphthong” in the 1950s and 60s (VT39/9; VT48/29).

In notes grouped with Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, Tolkien gave √SAM as the basis for Elvish verbs for “to have”, with Q. samin and S. sevin “✱I have” (PE17/173). Whether this was connected to 1930s ᴹ√SAM “unite, join” is unclear. In notes associated with the 1959-60 essay Ósanwe-kenta, Tolkien gave the root √SAM with the gloss “mind, think, reflect, be aware” (VT41/5), but in later writings he used √SAN for “think, use mind” instead (PE22/158); see that entry for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d use √SAM = “have”.

san

root. think, use mind; (trans.) ponder, consider in thought

Tolkien used this root and ones like it on-and-off for Elvish “thought” words throughout his life. The first manifestation of this root was in words from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s like G. sana- “can, know how to, have knowledge, craft or skill” and G. santhi “knowledge, experience (in) or skill (in)” (GL/67), which suggests a (hypothetical) early root ✱ᴱ√SANA “know”, though such a root does not appear in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon. In etymological notes associated with the Ósanwe-kenta essay from 1959-60 Tolkien gave:

> √SAM mind, think, reflect, be aware. sāma a mind. sanwe an act of thinking, a thought (✱sam-we). ósanwe interchange of thought (between 2 samat). sanwekenda thought-inspection, thought-reading. sanwe-menta thought-sending, mental message (VT41/5).

However, in notes associated with óre that were contemporaneous with The Shibboleth of Feanor from 1968, Tolkien gave Q. sanar = “mind, reflector, thinker” (VT41/13), and in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (LVS) Tolkien gave the root √SAN “think, use mind; ponder, consider (in thought)” with derivative Q. sanwë “(act or process of) thinking, thought” (PE22/158). Thus 1959-60 √SAM “think” >> 1968-69 √SAN “think”, perhaps a restoration of the Gnomish root from the 1910s.

sap

root. *dig

This root first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√SAPA “dig, excavate” with derivatives like ᴱQ. sapa- “dig” and ᴱQ. sat (sap-) “hole” (QL/82). At some later point Tolkien wrote ÐAPA as a replacement above this root, but that is not reflected in any of its derivatives. Indeed, the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon has a base form sab- and derivatives like G. sabli “spade, shovel” and G. saptha- “to dig, to bite into” (GL/67), indicating ᴱ√SAPA not ᴱ√ÐAPA. Later hints of ᴱ√ÐAPA can be seen in the root ᴹ√DAG “dig” from The Etymologies of the 1930s, but this root was deleted (EtyAC/DAG).

The root √SAP reappeared in a list of roots from the Outline of Phonology (OP2) of the early 1950s with the derivative ✶sapnā > Q. samna “delved hole, pit” (PE19/86). This list was rejected but only because Tolkien revised his thinking on the demonstrated phonetic developments, not the roots themselves. Indeed, the appearance of S. -habar (soft-mutated ✱sabar) “delving” in various late words like S. Anghabar “Iron-delvings” (S/138) and S. Nornhabar “Dwarrowdelf” (WJ/209) indicate Tolkien probably never really abandoned √SAP “dig”.

sar

root. score, incise; write, score, incise; [extended sense] write; [ᴹ√] *stone

ᴹ√SAR appeared as unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. sar “(small) stone” and N. sarn “stone as a material” (Ety/SAR). Tolkien use of both these words in later writings in names like Q. Elessar “Elfstone” (LotR/375) and S. Sarn Athrad “Ford of Stones” (S/92) indicates the ongoing validatity of this meaning, though in later writings S. sarn also = “pebble, small stone” (RC/327; VT42/11).

However, in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, Tolkien gave a different meaning for this root as √SAR “score, incise”, from which it developed the extended sense “write” and became the basis for the name of the first alphabet of the Elves, the Q. sarati (WJ/396). This use ᴱQ. sar- as “write” dates back to Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/133). Despite the difference in meaning, I think two root could still be essentially the same, with √SAR = “stone” as a noun and √SAR = “score (stone)” as a verb, and from there eventually developing the sense “write” to serve as the basis for sarati. In one place in the Quendi and Eldar Tolkien revised √SAR >> √SYAR, perhaps indicating he considered making √SYAR an etymological variant of √SAR (WJ/419 note #24).

sat

root. space, place; divide, apportion, mark off

The root √SAT appeared in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from the late 1960s glossed “space, place, a limited area naturally or artificially defined” with various derivatives like Q. sati-/S. seidia- “set aside, appropriate to a special purpose or owner”, Q. satya/S. said “private, separate, not common, excluded”, and S. sad “place, spot” (VT42/19-20). The same root appeared in notes on fractions from 1968 with the gloss “divide, apportion”. It was likely also connected to the primitive suffix ✶-stā ( PE18/35; PE21/57, 82) that was the basis for the Sindarin/Noldorin collective suffix -ath, as well as the Quenya suffix Q. -sta often seen in place names like the regions of Númenor, and apparently meaning “any particular arrangement, grouping or collection [of things]” (VT39/16, 20 note #27).

A possible early precursor is the (hypothetical) root ᴱ√SATA needed to explain words in Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. sad- “reck, care, value, esteem, show respect for, consider” and G. sâd “riches, wealth” (GL/66), but the apparent meaning “✱value” is far removed from the later meaning of the root √SAT = “space; apportion”. There was, however, another root √SAT(AR) Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 with the gloss “faithful, trust, loyal, rely, steadfast” and derivatives like Q. astar/S. astor “faith, loyalty” and Q. satar/S. sadron “trusty follower, loyal companion” (PE17/183), the last appearing as an element in the name S. Echad i Sedryn “Camp of the Faithful” (UT/153). This 1957 root is a bit closer in meaning to ᴱ√SATA “✱value”, though still not an exact match.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume √SAT = “space; apportion” and unrelated √SATAR = “faithful, loyal”.

sath

root. pair

A root mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s as √SATHA “pair” (PE21/74). It had no derivatives in that document, but might be connected to ᴱQ. satto “both” from the 1910s (PE14/76-77) and Ad. satta “two” from the 1940s (SD/428). In the 1950s document, Tolkien wrote in the margin “Best get rid of s, th [for duals] ?”, indicating he likely abandoned √SATHA.

sam

root. mind, think, reflect, be aware

sam-wē

noun. an act of thinking, a thought

san-

noun. that

sapnā

noun. delved hole, pit

sarniye

noun. shingle, pebble bank

sat(ar)

root. faithful, trust, loyal, rely, steadfast

satarŏ

noun. trusty follower, loyal companion

satrā

adjective. steadfast, trusty, loyal

satya-

verb. set aside

saw

root. disgusting, foul, vile; bad, unhealthy, ill, wretched

sawā

noun. filth

srā

noun. flesh

sap

root. [ᴱ√] dig, excavate

sayak

root. hunger

kwet

root. say, speak, utter words

ekwē

preposition. say, says, said

kwet-

verb. say!

kwetnā

noun. saying, proverb

ay(ar)

root. sea

bā/aba

root. refuse, forbid, prohibit, say nay (in refusal or denial), refuse, forbid, prohibit, say nay (in refusal or denial), [ᴹ√] deny; away, go away, depart

The invertible root √BA or √ABA was principally connected to refusal, and its best known derivative was Avari, the group of Elves that refused to travel to Valinor. When Tolkien first introduced the root ᴹ√AB in The Etymologies of the 1930s and other contemporaneous writings on Ancient Quenya, he gave this root the meaning “go away, depart” (Ety/AB; PE19/045); in this sense it may have been a replacement for the early root ᴱ√AVA “go away, depart, leave” (QL/33). Indeed, the first application of Avari was to the Elves that left for Valinor, “the Departing”, rather than those that stayed behind (LR/169-170). But the sense “away” was soon transferred to ᴹ√AWA (Ety/AWA) and √AB was revised in The Etymologies to mean “refuse, deny, say no” (Ety/AB), a sense it retained thereafter.

Tolkien wrote about this root at great length in the 1959 when he decided that √BA was part of the Eldarin system of negation, distinguishing negation of volition (I will not) from negative of fact (it is not so). Tolkien seems to have introduced this notion at the same time he decided to abandon la-negation, so the corresponding negation of fact was the root √Ū (PE17/143). Even when Tolkien considered restoring la-negation in the late 1960s, √BA still retained a role as the negation of volition (PE22/161).

One peculiar feature of √BA is that it represented refusal from the perspective of the speaker. Thus in 1st person, √BA meant “I will not” (refusal), but in 2nd person or 3rd person it meant “do not” (forbiddance). Tolkien discussed this topic at some length in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 (WJ/370-2). In 1st person this was Q. ván(ye)/S. avon “I won’t” and Q. vamme/S. avam “we won’t” [using the circa-1960 pronominal suffix -mme; with later pronouns this would be valve and avof]. In 2nd person this used the interjection Q. vá/S. baw “don’t”, or the negative imperative particle Q. áva/S. avo, as in Q. áva care/S. avo garo “don’t do [it]”.

When Tolkien revisited his ideas for negation in 1969, he still kept this notion of 1st person refusal vs. 2nd/3rd person forbiddance (PE22/161-3), so that the system of √BA negation remained more or less the same (barring changes like new pronouns).

rek

root. recover, get out/away, save from ruin/peril/loss

A root glossed “recover, get out/away, save from ruin/peril/loss” in notes on the words from The Lord of the Rings, serving as an explanation for S. edraith “rescue, saving” (PE17/38).

bar

root. [ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)

The root ᴹ√BAR appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where its original sense was probably “raise” but the basic root gained the added sense of “uplift, save, rescue” (Ety/BAR). The basic root included derivatives like ᴹQ. varna “safe” and ᴹQ. varya-/N. beria- “to protect”. But it seems it also had several extensions as in ᴹ√BARAD or ᴹ√BARATH with the meaning “lofty, sublime” and ᴹ√BARAT which was the basis for the word N. barad “tower” (Ety/BARAD, BARAT, BARATH).

Tolkien mentioned this set of extended roots in later writings (date unclear, but probably the late 1950s or early 1960s) along with a fourth extension √BARAS, all having to do with “great height combined with strength, size, majesty” (PE17/22-23). √BARAT was still the basis for S. barad “tower”. The roots √BARAD and √BARATH were respectively the basis for Q. Varda and S. Elbereth (< Elen-barathī) as they had been in the 1930s. The new root √BARAS had derivatives tied to cliffs, as opposed to the 1930s where ᴹ√BARAS was an (unrelated) root having to do with heat (Ety/BARAS).

There was no mention of the base root √BAR in later writings, so it is unclear whether it retained the meaning “save”. In addition, there were certain phonological problems in the derivation of Elbereth from √BARATH in Sindarin that were not present in Noldorin (where frequently ei > e in polysyllables), and this word may have been transferred to the root √BER “marry”; see the entry on Elbereth for further details.

kwin

root. crest, salient or top edge

A root Tolkien introduced to explain S. pinnath “ridges” (class plural of pind) in Pinnath Gelin “Green Ridges” (PE17/173). It appeared below √PED “fall in steep slant, incline, slope”, which was the basis for the similarly formed S. pend “slope”. In notes elsewhere Tolkien said that pinnath was a blending of the two plural forms of pend: general plural pind and class plural pennath (PE17/24), but it seem he later decided pind was from the distinct root √KWIN.

mbandō

noun. custody, safekeeping; prison, duress

abta

verb. refuse, deny, say no

airē

noun. holiness, sanctity

bākwet-

verb. to refuse, prohibit, say no

rekti(e)

noun. rescue, saving

ñgolodō

noun. lore-master, sage

as

root. beside

As discussed in the entry for √AR, for a considerable time in Tolkien’s life the basis for the word “and” was the root √AR with the sense “beside”, so that Q. A ar B “A and B” originally had the sense “A beside B”. However, at some point during the writing of the Lord of the Rings he decided that the Sindarin word for “and” was a, making √AR no longer suitable for its etymology.

From this point forward Tolkien toyed with two possible roots for “beside; and”, either √AD and √AS, with another option √ÑAR considered and rejected in 1957 (PE17/169). It seems Tolkien vacillated between the √AD and √AS, so an exact timeline is hard to nail down. Their primary difference would be in the prevocalic form of Sindarin “and”: either edhil adh edain [ada > aða] or edhil ah edain [asa > aha] for “elves and men”. The most detailed breakdown of these two possibilities appeared in Tolkien’s notes on words in The Lord of the Rings, probably written in the late 1950s (PE17/41). In these notes he kept flipping back and forth between ancient asa and ada, though ultimately settling on ada.

However, ah appeared in the title of the document Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth “The Debate of Finrod and Andreth” most likely written in 1959 (MR/329), and in a 1968 note Tolkien said the primitive form was as with S. ah “and” before vowels and a before consonants (VT43/30). So either Tolkien reversed himself again and adopted √AS, or he continued to vacillate. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume the root was √AS.

One result of the change of √AR >> √AS/√AD is that the Sindarin prefix ar- could no longer mean “beside” as it did in Noldorin. Indeed, in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor written in the late 1960s he said “Arnen originally was intended to mean ‘beside the water’, sc. Anduin, but ar- in this sense is Quenya, not Sindarin” (VT43/17). This leaves us with no good word for “beside” in Sindarin; at one point I coined a neologism sa for this purpose, but it is a real stretch.

As a final note, these 1950s and 1960s roots were not the first time Tolkien used √AS for something like “beside”. All the way back in the 1910s, Tolkien had the root √AS(A) in both the Quenya and Gnomish Lexicons (QL/33; GL/48) with derived forms like ᴱQ. ar “to, against, next, on (wall)” (QL/33), G. hath- “close to, by, beside, touching” (GL/48), and [maybe] G. art “beside, alongside of” (GL/20), though the last form may be unconnected given the unlikeliness of s > r in Gnomish.

im Reconstructed

root. same, alike, [ᴱ√] same, alike

A root whose existence is implied in Tolkien’s writings from the 1950s and 60s by various reflexive pronouns such as Q. imni “myself” and S. im “self(same)” (VT47/37). Though the root itself did not appear in Tolkien’s later writings, it seems to have been a long standing idea of his, appearing as ᴱ√IMI “same, alike” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives such as ᴱQ. iminqa “exactly alike, identical” and ᴱQ. inye- “imitate, make like” (QL/42). It seems to have had Gnomish derivatives from this period as well, such as G. inco “the same, the identical”, though Tolkien put this form under the root for the definite article: ᴱ√I (GL/50). In any case, √IM as the basis for “sameness” and reflexives seems to have been a well established idea in Tolkien’s languages.

dim Reconstructed

root. sad, gloomy

siñgi

root. *salt

sikw

root. sigh, say alas

is

root. know

The root √IS was the basis for words having to do with “knowledge” for all of Tolkien’s life, as represented by the verb Q. ista- “to know” which likewise retained the same form and meaning for decades. The root first appeared as ᴱ√ISI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where somewhat cryptically Tolkien said its Gnomish form was GIS or IS (QL/43). This is mysterious because there were no such Gnomish words beginning with gis- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, but there is an Early Noldorin word ᴱN. gist- “to know” from the 1920s, probably derived from ᴱ✶ʒist- (PE13/144, 146); in this early period initial ʒ- &gt; g- in Gnomish (PE12/17).

Tolkien seems to have abandoned this Noldorin variant, giving the root only as ᴹ√IS in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/IS). In this form it continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/155; PE22/129; VT41/6; VT48/25). In one place Tolkien gave the root in inverted form √SI (PE22/134), and such an inversion appeared in some of its derivatives, such as Q. síma “imagination, mind” (VT49/16) and sinte the irregular past tense of Q. ista-. However, the vast majority of its derivatives are from √IS.

kaw

root. shelter

This root was primarily used as the basis for the word Q. coa “house”, which first appeared (without the root) in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/369). The root √KAW “shelter” appeared in various etymological notes from the mid-to-late 1960s (PE17/107-108, 164; VT47/35). The root √KAWA also appeared in the 2nd version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa written around 1950, but there it was unglossed and had no glossed derivatives, so whether it meant “shelter” in the early 1950s is unclear.

The only published root with form similar to √KAWA prior to 1950 is ᴱ√KAẆA “stoop” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), also appearing as kava- or cava- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/25, 27). The Ẇ is Tolkien’s usual representation of derivatives of ancient labialized velar spirants [ɣʷ] or [xʷ] (PE12/15-16). The derivatives of this root included words like ᴱQ. kauko/G. caug “humpback” and ᴱQ. kawa-/G. cam(m)a- “bow”, so it seems to have no connection to later √KAW other than its similarity in form.

anār

noun. Sun

kwen

root. speak with rational words

nar

root. fire, fire, [ᴹ√] flame

A root for “fire” first appearing as ᴹ√NAR “flame, fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with derivatives like ᴹQ. nár(e)/N. naur “flame” (Ety/NAR¹). There was also an augmented variant ᴹ√ANÁR that served as the basis for “Sun” words: ᴹQ. Anar and N. Anor (Ety/ANÁR). These roots and the various derivatives continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings in the 1950s and 60s (PE17/38; Let/425), and in one place Tolkien specified that nār- was “fire as an element” as opposed to √RUYU for an actual blaze.

graw Reconstructed

root. [unglossed], [ᴹ√] dark, swart

This root appeared as a primitive form grawa serving as the basis of the word Q. roa “bear” >> “dog” in notes on monosyllabic roots from 1968 (VT47/35); a Sindarin derivative S. graw “bear” appeared in other notes written around the same time (VT47/12). Patrick Wynne suggested that in the sense “bear” grawa might be connected to the root ᴹ√GRAWA “dark, swart” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/GRAWA).

asmarō

noun. *neighbor

khag

root. stake

thandā

noun. shield

thŏno

noun. pine

s(a)yap

root. *shoe

(a)tata

cardinal. two

atata

root. two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back

atta

cardinal. two

dāra

adjective. wise

ekka

noun. hole

gampa

noun. hook

gon-

noun. a stone

kayan

root. ten

keme

noun. earth

kemen

noun. earth

khamu-

verb. to sit down

kirissi

noun. cleft

kuldā

adjective. hollow

kway

root. ten

A root Tolkien introduced in the late 1960s as the basis for his latest Elvish word for “ten”: Q. quëan/quain, S. pae, T. pai(n) (VT42/24; VT48/6). It was an extension of √KWA “complete” as in “a complete set of (10) fingers”. Prior this late change, the usual word for “ten” was ᴹQ. kainen (along with other variants beginning with kai- or kea-) from the root ᴹ√KAYAN or ᴹ√KAYAR as it appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAYAN). This basis for “ten” dates back to the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49, PE14/82). Tolkien was still considering √KAYAN for “10” in the late 1960s before replacing it with √KWAY(AM) (VT48/12).

kwayam

cardinal. 10

lemek

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s illustrating certain phonetic combinations (PE19/98), and therefore possibly not a “real” root.

mbā

noun. sheep

melnā

noun. dear, beloved

māmā

noun. sheep

nābā

noun. hollow

nāro

noun. fire

pathnā

adjective. smooth

phut

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) as an etymological variation of √PUT (PE18/90).

si

root. know

sirya-

verb. to flow, to flow [smoothly]

srāban

noun. wild beast

The primitive form of S. rhovan is attested in two different forms: ✶srāban < √SRAB (PE17/78) and ✶roban < √DROB or √SROB (PE17/99). Only the first of these could be the primitive of the attested Quenya cognate hravan.

stona

noun. pine

stor

root. steadfast

A root appearing Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 serving as an explanation for the element S. thorn “steadfast” in the name S. Arathorn, first appearing in a rejected page with variants √STOR and √THOR (PE17/113-114) and then later as only √THOR (PE17/113). This root may be connected to Q. torna “hard” in notes on Quenya intensive forms written between the first and second edition of The Lord of the Rings, where it was an element in Q. tornanga “hard iron”, with intensive forms aristorna, anastorna that imply derivation from √STOR (PE17/56).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume this root is √STOR to avoid conflict with ᴹ√THOR(ON), the basis for “eagle” words.

stuk

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected section of the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s, serving to illustration certain phonetic developments: ✶stuknā > Q. thúna (PE19/86).

syar

root. score, incise; write

tata

masculine name. Two

tekmā

noun. letter

thor

root. steadfast

tig

root. [unglossed]

A root appearing in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as the basis for the verb Q. tinga- “go (for a long while)” (PE22/157). The etymology was marked with an “X” and so was probably a transient idea (PE22/157 note #70).

turuk

noun. stake

yu

root. both, both, [ᴹ√] two

This Elvish root was connected to the sense “two” or “both” throughout Tolkien’s life. The first clear manifestation of this root was ᴱQ. yú “twice” and ᴱQ. yúyo “two” from the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49-51, 82-84). The root ᴹ√YŪ “two, both” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. yúyo “both” and ᴹQ. yúkale/N. uial “twilight” (Ety/KAL, YŪ). The root √YU appeared several times in Tolkien’s later writings, generally with the sense “both” (PE17/70; PE21/74; VT48/8, 10). It was likely related to the ancient dual suffix ✶-ū.

yulmā

noun. drinking-vessel

yŭ

conjunction. both

en

root. name

nom Reconstructed

root. place

A hypothetical root serving as the basis for Q. nómë “place”.