megil

noun. sword

_ n. _sword. i·arben na megil and 'The Knight of the Long Sword'.

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

malvegil

masculine name. ?Sword of Gold

The 6th king of king of Arthedain (LotR/1038), perhaps a combination of malt “gold” and the lenited form of megil “sword”.

megil

noun. sword, longsword

crist

noun. cleaver, cleaver; [N.] sword; [G.] knife; slash, slice

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

magor

noun. swordsman

magor

noun. swordsman

magol

sword

(i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language.

megil

sword

1) megil (i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32). 2) magol (i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language. 3) lang (cutlass), pl. leng.

lang

sword

(cutlass), pl. leng.

megil

sword

(i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32).

lang

noun. cutlass, sword

hador

masculine name. Warrior

Leader of the House of Hador, one of the three tribes of the Edain (S/147). In a geneology from 1959, the name seems to be translated “Warrior” in Hador Lorindol “the Warrior Goldenhead”, appearing beneath S. Magor “the Sword” and S. Hathol “the Axe” (WJ/234).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name appeared as N. Hádor and Hador with both long and short a (LR/146). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. hador was translated as “thrower” (Ety/KHAT).

magor

swordsman

magor (i vagor), analogical pl. megyr (i megyr)

magor

swordsman

(i vagor), analogical pl. megyr (i megyr)

hathel

broadsword blade

(i chathel, o chathel) (axe blade), pl. hethil (i chethil)

crist

cleaver

crist (i grist, o christ) (sword), no distinct pl. form except with article (i christ)

crist

cleaver

(i grist, o christ) (sword), no distinct pl. form except with article (i christ)

lang

cutlass

lang (sword), pl. laing

lang

cutlass

(sword), pl. laing

rist

cleaver

(sword) rist (cutter), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleft”.

în

adjective. his (referring to the subject)

-deid

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deith, -dyn, -ed, [[]]

-deith

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deid, -dyn, -ed, [[]]

-dyn

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deid, -deith, -ed, [[]]

Rest

noun. cut

rista-

verb. to cut

rista-

verb. to rend, rip

tîn

adjective. his

tîn

pronoun. his

Non-lenited form suggested by Carl Hostetter (VT31/21).

Rest

cut

(noun) 1) rest (ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist), 2) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

aeg

thorn

(peak, point). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing". See also SPINE.

criss

cut

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

daug

warrior

(i naug, o ndaug) (soldier), pl. doeg (i ndoeg), coll. pl. dogath. Compounded as -dog in the name Boldog (= baul-daug, ✱”torment-warrior”)

ecthel

thorn point

(pl. ecthil). See also

hadron

warrior

(i chadron, o chadron), pl. hedryn (i chedryn), coll. pl. hadronnath.

hâdh

cleaver

†hâdh (i châdh, o châdh, construct hadh, pl. haidh (i chaidh). _(Tolkien_s gloss of the word hâdh was illegible [LR:389 s.v. SYAD], but a compound including hâdh is equated with Quenya Sangahyando ”Throng-cleaver”.)

hâdh

cleaver

(i châdh, o châdh, construct hadh, pl. haidh (i chaidh). *(Tolkien’s gloss of the word hâdh was illegible [LR:389 s.v.*

hâdh

syad

is equated with Quenya Sangahyando ”Throng-cleaver”.)

maethor

warrior

1) maethor (i vaethor), analogical pl. maethyr (i maethyr), 2) (”thrower” or ”hurler”, i.e. of spears or darts) hadron (i chadron, o chadron), pl. hedryn (i chedryn), coll. pl. hadronnath. 3) (primarily Orkish warrior) daug (i naug, o ndaug) (soldier), pl. doeg (i ndoeg), coll. pl. dogath. Compounded as -dog in the name Boldog (= baul-daug, *”torment-warrior”)

maethor

warrior

(i vaethor), analogical pl. maethyr (i maethyr)

rest

cut

(ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist)

rist

cleaver

(cutter), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleft”.

rêg

thorn

(construct reg) (holly), pl. rîg (idh rîg)

tín

his

*tín (only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín* is used instead (e.g. i venn sunc i haw ín** ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but *i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody elses) juice”.

tín

his

(only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín is used instead (e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody else’s) juice”.

êg

thorn

1) êg (construct eg), pl. îg; 2) rêg (construct reg) (holly), pl. rîg (idh rîg), 3) aeg (peak, point). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing". See also SPINE.

êg

thorn

(construct eg), pl. îg

ín

his

(pronoun referring to the subject, e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his [own] juice”, as opposed to ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his [= another’s] juice”)

macil

sword

macil ("k")noun "sword" (MAK, LT1:259, VT39:11, VT45:32, VT49:17); macilya "his (or their) sword" (PE17:130), see -ya #4.

yelca

sword

[yelca noun ?"sword" - Tolkien's gloss is not certainly legible, and the word was struck out anyway. (VT45:11)]

calmacil

masculine name. *Sword of Light, Shining Sword

Tar-Calmacil was the Quenya name of 18th ruler of Númenor, also known as Ad. Ar-Belzagar (UT/222), and Calmacil was the 18th king of Gondor (LotR/1038). This name seems to be a compound of cala “light” and macil “sword”.

menelmacil

proper name. *Sword of the Sky

A variant form of the name for Orion: Menelmacar (WJ/411). It seems to be a compound of menel “the heavens” and macil “sword”, so meaning “✱Sword of the Sky”.

russë

corruscation, †sword-blade

russë (2) noun "corruscation, †sword-blade" (RUS)

macil

noun. sword, forged sword blade, cutting sword, sword, forged sword blade, cutting sword, [ᴱQ.] broadsword

hyando

noun. cleaver, cleaver, [ᴹQ.] hewer (sword)

menelmacar

proper name. Swordsman of the Sky

A name of the constellation Orion, also called Telumehtar (LotR/1038). This name is a compound of menel “the heavens” and macar “swordsman”, and was translated “Swordsman of the Sky” (MR/71).

Conceptual Development: In the Early Quenya from the 1920s, another name for Orion was ᴱQ. Taimordo (QL/62), though in the narratives he appeared as ᴱQ. Telimektar (LT1/101), precursor to Q. Telumehtar. In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, there is a variant form of this name: Q. Menelmacil “✱Sword of the Sky”.

macar

swordsman

macar ("k") (1) noun "swordsman" (VT39:11). In Menelmacar (see menel). According to VT41:10, macar is literally "forger" (derived from maca-, q.v.), "often used in later use of a warrior".

mectar

swordsman

mectar _("k")_noun"Swordsman". In Telimectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in LotR-style Quenya mehtar, also macar)

macar

noun. swordsman; †forger

-ya

his

-ya (4) pronominal suffix "his" (and probably also "her, its"), said to be used in "colloquial Quenya" (which had redefined the "correct" ending for this meaning, -rya, to mean "their" because it was associated with the plural ending -r). Hence e.g. cambeya ("k") "his hand", yulmaya "his cup" (VT49:17) instead of formally "correct" forms in -rya. The ending -ya was actually ancient, primitive ¤-jā being used for "all numbers" in the 3rd person, predating elaborated forms like -rya. It is said that -ya "remained in Quenya" in the case of "old nouns with consonantal stems", Tolkien listing tál "foot", cas "head", nér "man", sír "river" and macil "sword" as examples. He refers to "the continued existence of such forms as talya his foot", that could apparently be used even in "correct" Quenya (VT49:17). In PE17:130, the forms talya "his foot" and macilya ("k") "his (or their) sword" are mentioned.

Menel

heavens

Menel noun "heavens" (Markirya, SA), "the heavens, the firmament" (SD:401), "the apparent dome in the sky" (MR:387). Menel Cemenyë ("k") "Heaven and Earth" (VT47:30). Found in names like Meneldil "Heaven-friend" = astronomer (Appendix A; Letters:386), Meneldur masc. name, "Heaven-servant" (Appendix A, Tar-Menelduras a Númenórean King, UT:210); menelluin "sky-blue", used as noun = "cornflower" (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 193). Menelmacar "Swordsman of the Sky", the Orion constellation (also called Telumehtar, Appendix E, first footnote); the older name was Menelmacil "Heaven-sword" (WJ:411); Meneltarma "Pillar of Heaven", name of the great central mountain of Númenor (SA:tar, VT42:21).Menelya fifth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the heavens (Appendix D) Locative meneldë "in heaven"; abandoned forms menellë, menelzë (VT43:12, 16). Adj. meneldëa "(being) in heaven", evidently based on a locative form meneldë "in heaven"; abandoned forms menelzëa, menellëa, menelessëa (VT43:13, VT44:16; the last of these forms would suggest the locative form #menelessë).

maca-

to forge metal

maca- ("k")vb. "to forge metal" (which rang at the stokes of hammers). (VT41:10; in this source this is suggested as the origin of the word macil "sword", but mac- above would also seem to be relevant, so Tolkien may have changed his mind about the precise etymology of macil.)

Telimbectar

orion

Telimbectar ("k") noun,name of constellation:"Orion", lit. "Swordsman of Heaven". Also Telimectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya Telumehtar, q.v. The combination ct is not found in LotR-style Quenya.)

Telimectar

orion

Telimectar ("k")noun, name of constellation,"Orion", lit. "Swordsman of Heaven". Also Telimbectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya Telumehtar)

mahtar

warrior

mahtar noun "warrior" (MAK; original gloss "swordsman", VT45:32)

orvincë

 noun. little apple, pommel

Compound consisting of orva "apple" [PE13/116] and -ince diminutive ending [UT/195].

mehtar

noun. warrior

-rya

his, her

-rya 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "his, her" and probably "its" (VT49:16, 38, 48, Nam, RGEO:67), attested in coivierya *"his/her life", máryat "her hands", ómaryo "of her voice" (genitive of *ómarya "her voice"), súmaryassë "in her bosom" (locative of súmarya "her bosom"); for the meaning "his" cf. coarya "his house" (WJ:369). The ending is descended from primitive ¤-sjā via -zya (VT49:17) and therefore connects with the 3rd person ending -s "he, she, it". In colloquial Quenya the ending -rya could be used for "their" rather than "his/her", because it was felt to be related to the plural ending -r,e.g. símaryassen "in their [not his/her] imaginations" (VT49:16, 17). See -ya #4.

-zya

his, her, its

-zya, archaic form of the pronominal ending -rya "his, her, its", q.v. (VT49:17)

Taimondo

orion

Taimondo, also Taimordo masc. name "Orion" (LT1:268; Orion is rather called Telumehtar or Menelmacar in Tolkien's later Quenya)

ehtar

spearman

[ehtar] noun "spearman" (EK/EKTE, VT45:12)]

ehtyar

spearman

ehtyar noun "spearman" (EK/EKTE). According to VT45:12, Tolkien at one point also meant ehtyar to be the name of Tengwa #15 with overposed dots to indicate a palatal sound; the letter would thus have the value hty. However, according to the classical Tengwar spelling of Quenya as outlined in LotR Appendix E, such a letter would rather have the value **ncy (since #15 is there assigned the value nc in Quenya), but since **ncy is not a possible Quenya combination, a palatal variant of #15 would not occur in the classical Quenya mode.

hyar-

cleave

#hyar- vb. "cleave" (1st pers. aorist hyarin "I cleave") (SYAD). Pa.t. probably *hyandë since the R of hyar- was originally D; cf. rer- "sow", pa.t. rendë, from the root RED.

hyar-

verb. cleave

mordo

warrior, hero

mordo (2) noun "warrior, hero" (LT1:268 - probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

nassë

thorn, spike

nassë (2) noun "thorn, spike" (NAS). Not to be confused with nassë "(s)he is", VT49:30 or nassë # above. Note that in late material, the unambiguous word necel appears for "thorn" (PE17:55).

necel

thorn

necel ("k") noun "thorn" (PE17:55)

necel

noun. thorn

A word for “thorn” in notes on the Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, derived from the root √NEK having to do with angles (PE17/55).

ohtacáro

warrior

[ohtacáro] ("k")noun "warrior" (KAR). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the accent of the word ohtacáro was omitted (VT45:19).

ohtar

warrior, soldier

ohtar noun "warrior, soldier" (UT:282)

ohtar

masculine name. Warrior

The squire of Isildur (LotR/243, UT/272). This name is simply the word ohtar “warrior” used as a name. Since it is a name out of legend, this name might have originally been the man’s title instead of his name, with his true name now lost (UT/282, note #17).

ohtar

noun. warrior

rissë

cut

rissë noun? The word is not clearly glossed but apparently means "cut" or "cleft" (ravine), the cognate of the final element of Imladris, Sindarin name of Rivendell. (PE17:87)

rista

cut

rista (2) noun "cut" (RIS), cf. #1 above.

magol

noun. sword

maethon

noun. sword

magl

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

deleg

noun. sword?

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

crist

noun. cleaver, sword

crist

noun. cleaver, sword

lhang

noun. cutlass, sword

êg

noun. thorn

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “thorn” under the root ᴹ√EK (Ety/EK). In The Etymologies this root was glossed “spear”, but I think this gloss applied only to the extended form of the root √EKTE, because elsewhere √EK had other glosses like “sharp, (sharp) point, thorn” (WJ/365; VT48/25; PE22/127).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. eg merely meant “point” (GL/32) while G. aith was “thorn” (GL/18), both from the early root ᴱ√EKE or ᴱ√EHE having to do with points (GL/31; QL/35). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips this became G. aithr “thorn” which also had an archaic sense “†sword” (PE13/108), a word that also appeared as ᴱN. aithr “thorn, [archaic] †sword” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/136).

daug

noun. warrior, soldier (chiefly used of Orcs)

hâdh

noun. (?) cleaver

maethor

noun. warrior

maethor

noun. warrior

osgar-

verb. to cut round, to amputate

rhest

noun. cut

rhest

noun. cut

rhista-

verb. to cut

rhista-

verb. to rend, rip

êg

noun. thorn

makla

noun. sword

mak

root. strike; cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, strike; cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); [√] forge metal; kill, slay

This root was the basis for “sword” words throughout Tolkien’s life, but the meaning of the root itself shifted over time. The first appearance of this root was as ᴱ√MAKA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with derivatives like ᴱQ. mak- “slay”, ᴱQ. makil “sword”, and ᴱQ. makka “slaughter” (QL/57-58). The root was also given the gloss “slay” in a section of the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon along with etymologies of names of the various Valar, but this section was deleted (GL/18). Derivatives of this root appeared elsewhere in the Gnomish Lexicon, however, such as G. mactha- “slay, kill” and G. magli “a great sword” (GL/55). Thus, the meaning of this root in the earliest period seems to be “slay”.

The root ᴹ√MAK appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but the entry went through quite a few revisions. The gloss apparently was “cleave” >> “kill, cleave with sword” >> “sword, or verbal [stem] fight with sword, cleave” >> “sword, or as verb-stem: fight (with sword), cleave” (EtyAC/MAK; Ety/MAK). Thus the 1930s root was more directly connected with swords and wielding swords, and its derivatives included ᴹQ. makil/N. magol “sword” and ᴹQ. mahta-/N. maetha- “fight” (Ety/MAK).

In Tolkien’s later writings, the words for “sword” remained nearly the same: Q. macil and S. megil (PE17/130, 147), but the gloss of the root √MAK varied considerably based on whatever linguistic puzzle Tolkien was trying to solve at that particular moment. In notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, its gloss was very similar to that from The Etymologies: “cut, hew with a sharp edge” (VT39/11). In notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien glossed {m(b)aka- >>} maka- as “forge metal” as part of a new etymology of the name S. Maglor as an adaptation Q. Makalaure “Forging Gold” (PM/353; VT41/10).

In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien gave √MAK “strike” as the basis for ✶makwā > S. mâb “hand”, but this idea was rejected immediately (VT47/19). The same gloss “strike” appeared in a document on the Common Eldarin Article, deleted there with a reference back to the “Hands, Fingers and Numerals” document (PE23/144). This was part of Tolkien’s rather surprising decision to abandon the long-standing root √MAP (VT47/20 note #13); elsewhere in these notes he said √MAK meant “kill, slay” as it did in the 1910s (VT47/20).

Lokyt suggested in a Discord chat from 2018 that there may be a common underlying meaning for all these glosses, referring to “the movement one does when chopping with a tool”, as supported by the late 1960s gloss “strike”. Assuming this is true, the other associations of the root (“sword; slay; fight; forge”) may be the result of a narrowing of the meaning of the root in more specific contexts. I assume the based meaning of this root is something like “strike” purposes of Neo-Eldarin, as it allows us to retain the largest set of derivatives of the root.

makār

noun. *forger, swordsman

kiris

root. cleave, cleave, [ᴹ√] cut, [ᴱ√] split

gimilzagar

masculine name. ?Sword of Stars

Second son of the 18th ruler of Númenor Ar-Belzagar (Q. Tar-Calmacil “✱Light-sword”) and younger brother to the 19th ruler Ar-Abattârik (UT/227). The first element gimil means “stars”. The second element zagar most likely means “sword” if his father’s Quenya and Adûnaic names have the same meaning.

zagar Reconstructed

noun. ?sword

An element appearing in the names Gimilzagar (UT/227) and Belzagar (UT/222). The Quenya name of Gimilzagar is Calmacil, the final element of which means “sword”, so perhaps this word means the same thing. Most authors have suggested this interpretation (AAD/24, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/ZAG’R, NBA/20) as well as its possible relationship to azgarâ- “wage war”.