Primitive elvish

spin(id)

root. fine thread, filament; hair

Tolkien had Elvish “hair” words that began with fin- for most of his life, but the details of their derivation evolved. The earliest form of this root was unglossed ᴱ√FIÐI [FIÐI] in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. findl “lock of hair” and ᴱQ. firin “ray of sun” (QL/38). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. fiðra “collective hair” and {findel >>} G. finn “a lock of hair” (GL/35), the latter an element in the name G. Glorfindel “Golden Hair”, a name that retained this form and meaning for all of Tolkien’s life.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had unglossed ᴹ√SPIN with derivatives like ᴹQ. finde “tress, braid of hair” and N. finnel “(braided) hair” (Ety/SPIN). He made a point that this root was distinct from ᴹ√PHIN “nimbleness, skill” (Ety/PHIN), a distinction he reemphasized in later writings as well (PE17/17, 119). The additional form ᴹQ. fine “larch” (a species of tree with needle-like leaves) indicates the 1930s root was not limited exclusively to “hair” (Ety/SPIN). The root √SPIN appeared a number of times in Tolkien’s later writings, variously glossed “single hair, filament” >> “fine thread, filament” (PE17/17), “lock, tress of human/elvish hair” as extended √SPIN-ID (PE17/119), or “single hair” (PE17/185). However, in The Shibboleth of Feanor from 1968 Tolkien gave the root as √PHIN “hair” (PM/340).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would ignore this 1968 change of √SPIN >> √PHIN. Furthermore, I would assume √SPIN referred to a single hair or other kind of filament, and extended √SPINID referred to a tress of hair.

Primitive elvish [PE17/017; PE17/119; PE17/185; PM/340] Group: Eldamo. Published by

spindilā

noun. head of hair

Primitive elvish [PE17/017; PE17/119; PE17/151] Group: Eldamo. Published by

spindē

noun. tress, braid of hair

Primitive elvish [PE17/017; PE17/185] Group: Eldamo. Published by

spini-

noun. thin thread

Primitive elvish [PE17/017] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nor

root. run (or leap) of animals or men, run (or leap) of animals or men; [ᴹ√] run as of wheels, roll along, [ᴱ√] go smoothly, ride, spin

This root was the basis for Elvish words having to do with “running” and (in earlier notes) “rolling” for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/67), and it had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon like G. nor- “run, roll” (GL/61) as well as dronn “race, course, track” < ✱n’rond- (GL/31). ᴹ√NORO “run as of wheels, roll along” reappeared in a page of roots in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, though this page was deleted (PE22/127 note #152). √NOR “run (or leap: of animals, men etc.)” also appeared in some etymological notes associated with The Lord of the Rings, probably from the late 1950s (PE17/168).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d retain both senses “run” and “roll” for this root, but limit the latter to the rolling of wheels as an extrapolation from the movement of legs.

Primitive elvish [PE17/168; PE17/169; PE17/181] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ros

root. spindrift, spray, spindrift, spray; [ᴹ√] distil, drip

This root appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√ROS “distil, drip” with derivatives like ᴹQ. rosse “fine rain, dew” and N. rhoss “rain”, the latter an element in N. Celebros “Silver-rain” (Ety/ROS¹). In later versions of The Silmarillion, the name S. Celebros was translated “Foam-silver” (WJ/151), indicating a shift in meaning, though the element still meant “rain” in other later names like S. Silivros “Sparkling Rain” (MR/155) and S. Dimrost “Rainy Stair” (S/220).

Tolkien discussed this root at length in a 1968 essay labeled The Problem of Ros (PM/367-371). He indicated that by this point, the intended meaning of the root √ROS was “spindrift, spray”, but he felt this meaning was problematic due to its conflict in Sindarin with S. ross “red haired” and the similarity of the root to Latin “rōs” = “dew” (PM/368). He then launched into a lengthy discussion formulating a new theory whereby the element -ros was actually Beorian to explain its use in various Beleriandic names, only to remember at the last minute that he had also used this element in the Third Age place name S. Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam”, rendering his alternate theories unviable (PM/371). Presumably at this point the original meaning of the root was restored.

Primitive elvish [PM/368] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kwir

root. stir, spin

phindē

noun. tress

Primitive elvish [PM/362] Group: Eldamo. Published by