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 from the late 1950s or early 1960s, derived from the root √NEK having to do with angles (PE17/55).

Derivations

• √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ PE17/055

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NEK > nekel	[nekel]	✧ PE17/055

Variations

• nekel ✧ PE17/055

sorna

steadfast

sorna (þ) adj. "steadfast" (PE17:113)

sorna

adjective. steadfast

Cognates

• S. thorn “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113

Derivations

• √STOR “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√THOR > thorna > sorna	[tʰorna] > [θorna] > [sorna]	✧ PE17/113

sorno

eagle

sorno (þ) noun "eagle" (archaic thorno) _(Letters:427). Also soron. Early "Qenya" has sor, sornë (LT1:266)_

sorno

noun. eagle

soron

eagle

soron (or sornë) (þ) noun "eagle", before an ending sorn- as in pl. sorni, "gen.sg....sornen"; in LotR-style Quenya this would be the dative singular instead (THOR/THORON). SD:290 has the pl.soroni "eagles", changed to sorni as in the Etymologies. Early "Qenya" has the forms sor, sornë (LT1:266)

soron

noun. eagle

The Quenya word for “eagle”, appearing in a number of compounds, derived from primitive ✶thorono and the root ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down” (PE22/159; Let/427; Ety/THOR; PE21/33). It had couple variants such as sorno (Let/427) and sorne (Ety/THOR), but consistently appeared as soron- in compounds. Its stem form isn’t entirely clear: its most common plural form was sorni (Ety/THOR; SD/290), which is the expected result from the Quenya syncope, but in one place it had the plural soroni and the presence of the variant sorne muddies the waters.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared as ᴱQ. sorne or sor (sorn-) “eagle” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s derived from the early root ᴱ√ŠORO [ÞORO] (QL/86). The form sorn- “eagle” also appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa where Tolkien indicated the primitive form was sorni- (PME/86). The form ᴱQ. soron appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s as a cognate of ᴱN. thorn “eagle” (PE13/154), and Tolkien mostly stuck with that form thereafter, though he occasionally used variants like sorne and sorno as noted above.

In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien listed a large number of declined forms for ᴹQ. soron “eagle”, and those declensions used soron- (or sorun-) as their base. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, Tolkien gave plural sorni and genitive sornen indicating a stem form sorn-, but that document also gave sorne as an alternate form of soron “eagle”. Nevertheless, I think from the 1930s forward, it is more likely that Quenya syncope would have come into play in the declension of this word, so it would have plural sorni, dative sornen, ablative sornello, etc. The only noun case where the primitive stem would be preserved would be possessive soronwa.

Cognates

• S. thoron “eagle” ✧ Let/427; SA/thoron; PE22/159

Derivations

• ✶thorono “eagle” ✧ Let/427
  • ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down”

Element in

• ᴺQ. sornion “eyrie”
• Q. Soronildi “Eorlingas”
• Q. Sorontar “King of Eagles” ✧ SA/thoron
• Q. Sorontil “Eagle-horn”
• Q. Soronto
• Q. Soronúmë “*Eagle of the West” ✧ SA/thoron

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶þorono > þorno > sorno	[tʰorono] > [tʰorno] > [θorno] > [sorno]	✧ Let/427

Variations

• sorno ✧ Let/427

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).

Soronto

eagle

Soronto (þ?), masc. name, seems to incorporate soron "eagle"; the ending -to is rare (occurs in suhto, q.v.), here apparently used to derive a masculine name.

sor

eagle

sor, sornë noun "eagle" (LT1:266); rather soron in LotR-style Quenya

Soronúmë

eagle

Soronúmë (prob. þ) (name of a constellation, apparently incorporating soron "eagle") (SA:thoron)

ercassë

holly

ercassë ("k") noun "holly" (ERÉK)

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.

pontë

back, rear

pontë (ponti-) noun "back, rear" (QL:75)

yelca

sword

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

ëaren

eagle

ëaren noun "eagle" or "eyrie" (LT1:251; this early "Qenya" word is evidently no more valid than ëa "eagle" in LotR-style Quenya.)

ecco

spine

ecco ("k") noun "spine". (In the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry EK/EKTE, the gloss is given as "spear", but according to VT45:12 this is a misreading of Tolkien's manuscript.)

ehtë

spear

ehtë (stem *ehti-, given the primitive form ekti) noun "spear" (EK/EKTE). Another word for "spear" is hatal.

opto

noun. back

hatal

noun. spear, spear, *javelin

Derivations

• ᴹ√KHAT “hurl, cast, send through air, loose from hand”

Element in

• Q. antanen hatal sena “I cast a spear at him” ✧ VT49/14

hatal

spear

hatal noun "spear" (VT49:14, 33). Another word for "spear" is ehtë.

sarta

steadfast, trusty, loyal

sarta adj. "steadfast, trusty, loyal" (PE17:183)

ëa

eagle

ëa (3) "eagle" (LT1:251, LT2:338), a "Qenya" word apparently superseded by soron, sornë in Tolkien's later forms of Quenya.

catta

noun. back

A neologism for “back” coined by Paul Strack in 2022 specifically for Eldamo, based on Q. ca(ta) “behind, at back of place”. This word can refer to the back of body as well as the back of other things.

Elements

Word	Gloss
ca(ta)	“behind, at back of place, behind, at back of place; [ᴹQ.] after”

thorn

noun. eagle

thorn

adjective. steadfast

adj. steadfast. Q. thorna, sorna. >> Arathorn

thorn

adjective. steadfast

Cognates

• Q. sorna “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113

Derivations

• √STOR “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113

Element in

• S. Arathorn “Steadfast King” ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113
• ᴺS. thornang “steel”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√THOR > thorn	[tʰorna] > [θorna] > [θorn]	✧ PE17/113
√STOR > thorn	[storna] > [sθorna] > [θorna] > [θorn]	✧ PE17/113

Variations

• thorn ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113

thoron

noun. eagle

thoron

noun. eagle

The Sindarin word for “eagle”, derived from ✶thorono (Let/427).

Possible Etymology: The form of this word is difficult to explain. Since final nasals vanished after vowels, in the ordinary phonetic development of Sindarin it should have become thôr, a form that did appear as variant in the Etymologies (Ety/THOR, KIRIS). Tolkien himself suggested that the (Noldorin) word was a back-formation from the archaic genitive ON. thoronen (Ety/THOR). While this specific genitive form did not survive in (Old) Sindarin, there are plenty of other mechanisms that might result in such a back-formation in Sindarin. For example, David Salo suggested that it could be a back-formation from its plural ✱theryn (GS/291), perhaps also influenced by ancient names where it still appeared, such as Thorondor “King of Eagles”.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s this word appeared as G. thorn (GL/73), which was also the usual form in names of this period. In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it reappeared as ᴱN. thorn (PE13/154), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as N. thoron beside the variant thôr as noted above (Ety/THOR, KIRIS). The names of this period also began to reflect this change, and names after the 1940s consistently show thoron, though the form þorn did appear at least once in later notes (PE22/159).

Cognates

• Q. soron “eagle” ✧ Let/427; SA/thoron; PE22/159

Derivations

• ✶thorono “eagle” ✧ Let/427
  • ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down”

Element in

• S. Cirith Thoronath “Eagles’ Cleft” ✧ SA/thoron
• ᴺS. thorombar “eagle’s nest, eyrie”
• S. Thorondir “*Eagle-man”
• S. Thorondor “King of Eagles” ✧ Let/427; SA/thoron
• S. Thorongil “Eagle of the Star” ✧ Let/427

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶þorono > Thoron	[tʰorono] > [θorono] > [θoron]	✧ Let/427

Variations

• Thoron ✧ Let/427
• þorn ✧ PE22/159

thôr

noun. eagle

thoronath

noun. eagles

ereg

noun. holly, thorn, holly, [N.] holly-tree, [S.] thorn

The Sindarin word for “holly”, most notably as an element in the name S. Eregion “Hollin” (SA/ereg; PE17/42). N. ereg “holly-tree” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s based on the root ᴹ√EREK “thorn”, along with a longer variant N. eregdos where the second element was N. toss “low-growing tree” (Ety/ERÉK, TUS).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had two different words for “holly”: G. criscolas “holly” = crisc “sharp” + lass “leaf” (GL/27), as well as G. sempios “holly” = sen “brown-red” + a variant of piog “berry” (GL/67).

Element in

• S. Eregion “Hollin, (lit.) Holly-region” ✧ PE17/042; SA/ereg
• S. Region “*Hollin” ✧ SA/ereg

ereg

noun. holly-tree, thorn

ereg

noun. holly

_ n. Bot. _holly. >> Eregion

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

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

ad

back

(as prefix) ad-, also meaning "second, again, re-", e.g. aderthad "reunion".

ad

back

also meaning "second, again, re-", e.g. aderthad "reunion".

aeg

thorn

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

rêg

thorn

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

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

thoron

eagle

thoron, pl. theryn, coll. pl. thoronath. The sg. may also appear as thôr (with stem thoron-); thôr is also an adjective ”swooping, leaping down”. In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was therein (LR:392 s.v. THOR).

thoron

eagle

pl. theryn, coll. pl. thoronath. The sg. may also appear as thôr (with stem thoron-); thôr is also an adjective ”swooping, leaping down”. In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was therein (LR:392 s.v. THOR).

tadhos

noun. hawthorn

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. TAD “enclosure”

thalion

steadfast

thalion (dauntless, strong), pl. thelyn. Also used as a noun ”hero, dauntless man”.

thalion

steadfast

(dauntless, strong), pl. thelyn. Also used as a noun ”hero, dauntless man”.

ecthel

thorn point

(pl. ecthil). See also

hadron

hurler of spears or darts

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

aith

point of spear, spear point

(no distinct pl. form)

aith

noun. spear-point, [ᴱN.] spear, thorn

Element in

• ᴺS. eitheb “thorny, *(orig.) full of points; sharp”
• ᴺS. eithron “*spearman, [ᴱN.] warrior”

lang

sword

(cutlass), pl. leng.

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.

megil

sword

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

naith

spearhead

(gore, wedge, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form;

rêg

holly

rêg (construct reg) (thorn), pl. rîg (idh rîg). See also LOW-GROWING TREE

rêg

holly

(construct reg) (thorn), pl. rîg (idh** rîg**). See also

thela

point of spear, spear point

(-thel), pl. ?thili

egnas

sharp point

egnas (peak; literally "thorn-point"), pl. egnais, coll. pl. egnassaith.

ecthel

point of spear, spear point

(pl. ecthil), literally "thorn point&quot

hathel

broadsword blade

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

roval

great wing

(pinion, wing), pl. rovail (idh rovail). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *rhoval* pl. *rhovel*.

dan

back

(prep.) dan (lenited nan) (again, against);

dan

back

(lenited nan) (again, against);

ech

spine

(= pricle or thorn) ech (pl. ich) (VT45:12)

ech

spine

(pl. ich) (VT45:12)

him

steadfast

1) him (abiding), lenited chim, no distinct pl. form. Note that homophones include both the adjective ”cool” and the adverb ”continually”.

him

steadfast

(abiding), lenited chim, no distinct pl. form. Note that homophones include both the adjective ”cool” and the adverb ”continually”.

narak

noun. eagle

A noun attested only in the plural subjective form Narīka “eagles” (SD/251). This formation is peculiar, because it seems to be a neuter subjective form, but the names of animals are generally common-nouns, as pointed out by Andreas Moehn (EotAL/NAR’K). If it were declined as a common noun, the subjective plural should be ✱narkim: compare Nimir “Elf” whose subjective plural form is nimrim (SD/436). Perhaps when Narīka was written, Tolkien had not finished working out the Adûnaic gender and case system.

Element in

• Ad. narîka ’nBâri ’nAdûn yanâkhim “The Eagles of the Lords of the West are at hand” ✧ SD/251

thor

root. steadfast

thorono

noun. eagle

Derivations

• ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down”

Derivatives

• Q. soron “eagle” ✧ Let/427
• S. thoron “eagle” ✧ Let/427

Element in

• S. Arathorn “Steadfast King” ✧ Let/427

Variations

• þorono ✧ Let/427

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.

Derivatives

• Q. sorna “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113
• Q. torna “hard”
• S. thorn “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113

Element in

• Q. Hyarastorni “?South Fastness”

Variations

• THOR ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113; PE17/186; PE17/187

khan

root. back

Derivatives

• Q. han- “*back as an answer or return by another agent” ✧ PE17/166

Variations

• KHAN ✧ PE17/157; PE17/166

tō/oto

root. back

A root in a discussion of prefixes for “back” from around 1959, which Tolkien specified as meaning: “back as an answer, or return by another agent to an action affecting him, as in answering, replying, avenging, requiting, repaying, rewarding”; Tolkien also considered the forms √UTU/TŪ (PE17/166). But Tolkien crossed this all through and seems to have replaced it with √KHAN. Tolkien mentioned the root √OT in a discussion of numbers from the late 1960s, but only to specify that “there was no primitive base OT-” (VT47/16).

Element in

• Q. tóquet- “to answer” ✧ PE17/166

Variations

• TŌ/OT(O) ✧ PE17/166 (TŌ/OT(O)); PE17/187 (TŌ/OT(O))
• OT ✧ PE17/167; VT47/16 (OT)
• OT(O) ✧ PE17/171 (OT(O))
• TŪ ✧ PE17/188 (TŪ)
• UTU/TŪ ✧ PE17/189 (UTU/TŪ)

makla

noun. sword

Derivatives

• Aq. makal “*sword” ✧ PE19/083

Variations

• makil ✧ PE21/71

ek

root. sharp point, (sharp) point, [ᴹ√] spear, thorn

The root √EK was associated with pointed things for all of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as the root ᴱ√EKE with variant ᴱ√EHE [eχe] in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/35), and as eke and eχe in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon where Tolkien made it clear it was the blending of two roots of similar meaning (GL/31). In the Gnomish Lexicon it had a third variant aχe, but Tolkien seemed less certain of that variant. In the 1910s and 1920s it was the basis for words meaning “sword”, “spear” and “thorn”.

By the 1930s, the sword-words had fallen away, transferred to ᴹ√MAK. The root ᴹ√EK appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “spear”, but I believe that gloss applied only to its extended form ᴹ√EKTE/EKTI; in rough notes from the 1940s ᴹ√EK was glossed “point, sharp point, thorn” (PE22/127). The primitive form eke appeared in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-1960 with the gloss “sharp point”, and √EK appeared again in etymological notes from 1968 with this same gloss (VT48/25). Thus this root seems to have been very well established in Tolkien’s mind as the basis for pointy things.

Derivatives

• ✶ektā- “prick with a sharp point, stab” ✧ WJ/365
  • ᴺQ. ehta- “to stab”
  • S. eitha- “to prick with a sharp point, stab; to treat with scorn, insult” ✧ WJ/365
• Q. ecellë “urchin, hedgehog”
• Q. ecet “short stabbing sword”
• ᴺS. eglin “needle”

Element in

• ᴺS. píeg “mosquito”

Variations

• eke ✧ WJ/365

êg

noun. thorn

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).

Cognates

• ᴺS. eithos “thorn bush”

Derivations

• ᴹ√EK “spear, (sharp) point, thorn” ✧ Ety/EK

Element in

• N. Egnor ✧ Ety/EK
• N. Ecthelion ✧ Ety/EK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√EK > êg	[ek] > [eg] > [ēg]	✧ Ety/EK

thoron

noun. eagle

thoron

noun. eagle

Cognates

• ᴹQ. soron “eagle” ✧ Ety/THOR; Ety/THOR

Derivations

• ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down” ✧ Ety/THOR
• On. thoron “eagle” ✧ Ety/THOR
  • ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down” ✧ Ety/THOR

Element in

• N. Amon Thorn
• N. Cilthorondor “*Eagle Cleft Land” ✧ Ety/THOR
• N. Cristhorn “Eagle’s Cleft” ✧ Ety/KIRIS
• N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” ✧ Ety/THOR
• N. Thorondor “King of Eagles” ✧ Ety/THOR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√THÓRON > thôr	[tʰoron] > [θoron] > [θoro] > [θor] > [θōr]	✧ Ety/THOR
ᴹ√THÓRON > therein	[tʰoroni] > [θoroni] > [θœrœni] > [θœrœin] > [θerein]	✧ Ety/THOR

Variations

• thôr ✧ Ety/KIRIS; Ety/THOR

thôr

noun. eagle

thôr

noun. eagle

maethon

noun. sword

ereg

noun. holly-tree, thorn

eith

noun. spear-point

Changes

• aith → eith “spear-point” ✧ EtyAC/EK

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ehte “spear” ✧ Ety/EK

Derivations

• ᴹ√EK “spear, (sharp) point, thorn” ✧ Ety/EK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√EK > aith	[ektē] > [ekte] > [ektʰe] > [exθe] > [eiθe] > [eiθ] > [aiθ]	✧ Ety/EK
ᴹ√EK > eith	[ektē] > [ekte] > [ektʰe] > [exθe] > [eiθe] > [eiθ]	✧ Ety/EK

Variations

• aith ✧ Ety/EK

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

magol

noun. sword

Cognates

• ᴹQ. makil “sword” ✧ Ety/MAK; EtyAC/MAK

Derivations

• ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword), cleave” ✧ Ety/MAK
• ᴹ✶makla “sword” ✧ EtyAC/MAK
  • ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword), cleave” ✧ Ety/MAK; EtyAC/MAK

Element in

• N. Magladhûr “Black-sword” ✧ Ety/MAK; Ety/MAK
• N. Maglavorn “Black-sword” ✧ Ety/MAK
• N. Mormegil “Black-sword” ✧ EtyAC/MAK (Mormegil)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MAK > magl > magol	[makla] > [makl] > [magl] > [magol]	✧ Ety/MAK
ᴹ✶makili- > megil	[makili] > [makile] > [mekile] > [mekil] > [megil]	✧ EtyAC/MAK

Variations

• megil ✧ Ety/MAK; EtyAC/MAK (megil)

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

eregdos

noun. holly, holly-tree

ech

noun. spine

The Etymologies as published gloss this word as "spear", but the correct reading is provided in VT/45

him

adjective. steadfast, abiding

him

adjective. continually

ad-

prefix. back, again, re-