thu

bad

_adj. _bad. >> thugar. This gloss was rejected.

Thú

Thú

{ū}

thugar

thugar

>> thu. This gloss was rejected.

thuin

noun. thuin

n. >> Dor i Thuin . This gloss was rejected.

thurin

masculine name. Secret

A name that Finduilas gave to Túrin translated “Secret” (UT/157), simply the adjective thurin “secret, hidden” used as a name.

thû

noun. horrible darkness, black mist, [N.] stench; [S.] black mist, horrible darkness

thû

noun. horrible darkness

n. horrible darkness, black mist.

thuia

breathe

thuia-

thurin

secret

(adjective) 1) thurin (hidden); no distinct pl. form, 2) dolen (hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin;

thund

root

(construct thun; pl. thynd; coll. pl. thunnath) (VT46:16)

thuia

breathe

thurin

hidden

(secret); no distinct pl. form

thurin

secret

(hidden); no distinct pl. form

thû

stench

1) thû (pl. thui), 2) angol (pl. engyl). Note: a homophone of the latter means "magic, deep lore".

thû

stench

(pl. thui)

naub

noun. thumb

A word for the thumb given as nawb in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968 (VT48/5), clearly based on the root √NAP “pick up” (VT47/29). Its dual form nobad was used to refer to the “thumb and index [finger] as a pair” (VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: In rough drafts of these notes, Tolkien used lebed for “thumb, picker” from primitive ✶lepet(ā) (VT47/27). In early writings N. lhebed was instead “finger” (Ety/LEP), and its use for “thumb” was likely a transient idea.

lebed

noun. thumb

atheg

noun. thumb (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

nawb

noun. thumb

nobad

noun. the pair of fingers composed of the thumb and the index (grouped together as in the act of picking something)

naub

thumb

*naub (pl. noeb). The spelling used in the source is nawb (VT48:5). Dual nobad, used of the thumb and the index finger grouped together in the act of picking something (VT48:5, 6). In childrens play the thumb was also called atheg, ”little father” (pl. ethig) (VT48:6, 17)

thond

noun. root, root, [N.] base; root-word

A noun in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E glossed “root”, given as an examples of how “nd remained at the end of fully accented monosyllables” (LotR/1115). It was an element in the river-name S. Morthond “Black Root” (LotR/770), so named “because its source was in the dark caverns of the Dead Men” (RC/766). As such this word refers to things that are the root or base of something, not just plant roots.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. sunn and sonnas as cognates to ᴹQ. sundo “base, root, root-word” under ᴹ√SUD “base, ground” (Ety/SUD; EtyAC/SUD). These Noldorin forms were revised to N. thund/thonn and N. thonnas while the root was revised to ᴹ√STUD (EtyAC/SUD). The Etymologies also had N. dum “root, foundation” derived from {ᴹ√(N)DUM >>} ᴹ√(N)DUB “lay base, foundation, root; found”, but this entry was deleted (EtyAC/NDUB).

Possible Etymology: This words seems to be a counterexample to the general rule that short u was preserved before nasals]]: compare it to S. mund “bull” and N. lhunt “boat” where the u remained unchanged. The Quenya cognate of this word is typically Q. sundo, so a-affection]] cannot be used to explain the shift of u to o. However in one place Tolkien gave the Quenya form as sunda in Tarmasundar “Roots of the Pillar” (UT/166), so perhaps the Sindarin form was derived from a variant primitive form ✱stundā.

Neo-Sindarin: For purpose of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume thond refers only to an ordinary base or root, and more abstract [N.] thonnas refers to things like root-words or a “✱foundation”.

dolen

hidden

1) dolen (secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen. 2) hall (veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”, 3) thoren (guarded, fenced), pl. thorin, 4) thurin (secret); no distinct pl. form_.

goth

enemy

1) goth (i ngoth = i ñoth, o n**goth = o ñgoth), pl. gyth (in gyth = i ñgyth), 2) #gûd (i ngûd = i ñûd, o n**gûd = o ñgûd, construct gud) (foe), pl. guid (in guid = i ñgŷd). Isolated from the name Thuringud, Hidden Foe. 3) (also used = ”enmity”) coth (i goth, o choth), pl. cyth (i chyth).

hîr

lord

1) hîr (i chîr, o chîr; also hir-, her- at the beginning of compounds) (master), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîr), coll. pl. híriath (Letters:282, 386; VT41:9); 2) heron (i cheron, o cheron) (master), pl. heryn (i cheryn), coll. pl. heronnath (VT45:22)._ _Since the pl. heryn clashes with the fem. sg. heryn ”lady”, other words for ”lord” may be preferred. 3) brannon (i vrannon), pl. brennyn (i mrennyn), coll. pl. brannonnath; 4) tûr (i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (mastery, power, control; master, victor), pl. tuir (i thuir), coll. pl. túrath.

leber

finger

leber (pl. lebir) (VT47:10, 23, 24; VT48:5). This may replace ”Noldorin” lhebed, which we would otherwise update to Sindarin as lebed. For names of specific fingers, see INDEX FINGER, LITTLE FINGER, MIDDLE FINGER, RING FINGER, THUMB.

thond

root

1) thond (construct thon; pl. thynd; coll. pl. thonnath), 2) thonnas, pl. thennais (archaic *thönnais) (VT46:16), 3) thund (construct thun; pl. thynd; coll. pl. thunnath) (VT46:16), 4) (esp. of edible roots) solch (i holch, o solch), pl. sylch (i sylch)

thôn

pine-tree

thôn (pl. thŷn, coll. pl. ?thonath). In the linguistic scenario of the Etymologies, the ”Noldorin” word for ”pine-tree” was thaun pl. thuin, and thôn was rather ”Ilkorin”. However, when Tolkien revised his legendarium so that Sindarin replaced Ilkorin as the native Elven-tongue of Beleriand, names like Dorthonion ”Land of Pines” must be interpreted as containing a Sindarin word for pine. Adj. #thonion ”having pine trees” (isolated from the name Dorthonion), pl. thonyn

thûl

breath

1) thûl (pl. thuil), 2) hwest (i chwest, o chwest) (puff, breeze), pl. hwist (i chwist)

gûd

enemy

(i ngûd = i ñûd, o n’gûd = o ñgûd, construct gud) (foe), pl. guid (in guid = i ñgŷd). Isolated from the name Thuringud, Hidden Foe.

thôn

pine-tree

(pl. th**ŷn, coll. pl. ?thonath). In the linguistic scenario of the Etymologies, the ”Noldorin” word for ”pine-tree” was thaun pl. thuin, and thôn was rather ”Ilkorin”. However, when Tolkien revised his legendarium so that Sindarin replaced Ilkorin as the native Elven-tongue of Beleriand, names like Dorthonion ”Land of Pines” must be interpreted as containing a Sindarin word for pine. Adj. #thonion ”having pine trees” (isolated from the name Dorthonion), pl. thonyn**

thûl

breath

(pl. thuil)

tûm

deep valley

tum- (i** dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. t**uim (i** thuim**)

tûr

lord

(i** dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (mastery, power, control; master, victor), pl. tuir (i** thuir), coll. pl. túrath.

adar

noun. father

The Sindarin word for “father”, derived from the root √AT(AR) (PM/324; VT44/21-22; VT48/19).

Conceptual Development: N. adar “father” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ATA of the same meaning (Ety/ATA). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, however, G. †ador “father” was marked as archaic, and it seems {athon >>} G. nathon was the ordinary word for ”father” (GL/17, 59).

thôn

noun. pine-tree

The Sindarin word for “pine-tree”, most notably as an element in the names Dorthonion “Land of Pines” and Orod-na-Thôn “Mount of the Pine Tree(s)”. Tolkien gave it as thôn < ✶stŏna in a 1955 letter to David Masson (PE17/82) and as {thaun >>} thôn in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, derived from {✶stāna >> ✶thānĭ- >>} ✶thŏno (PE17/81).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thaun “pine-tree” under the root ᴹ√THŌN of the same meaning (Ety/THŌN). Likely the vowel in this root was a fronted ǭ, which became au in both Sindarin and Noldorin.

In the 1910s and 20s, the “pine-tree” word was ᴱN./G. aigos, first glossed {“cheshnut tree”} in Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/17), with a variant form G. aiguis in the Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/108), and simply as ᴱN. aigos “pine-tree” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/136, 158). It was replaced by thaun/thôn in Tolkien’s later writing, as noted above.

thûg

noun. resin

ada

daddy

ada (pl. edai)

adar

father

adar (pl. edair);

blab

beat

1) blab- (i vlâb, i mlebir) (flap), pa.t. blamp, 2) dringa- (i dhringa, in dringar).

fae

spirit

1) fae (soul, radiance). No distinct pl. form. 2) faer (radiance). No distinct pl. form. (MR:349)

faeg

bad

*faeg (poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

ha

it

ha, han, hana. (The distinctions between these forms are unclear. Possibly ha is the nominative, whereas han is the accusative. Hana could be an emphatic form. It may be that these pronouns as ”N” rather than Sindarin proper.)

harn

helmet

harn (i charn, o charn), pl. hern (i chern). Note: this is a homophone of two unrelated adjectives harn, one meaning ”southern” and the other ”wounded”.

iell

daughter

1) iell (-iel) (girl, maid), pl. ill, 2) sell (i hell) (girl, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath**. **DAUGTHER OF TWILIGHT, see NIGHTINGALE

thoren

guarded

thoren (fenced, hidden), pl. thorin

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).

tofn

deep

tofn (lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

um

bad

um (evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read *ûm with a long vowel. (According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)

adar

noun. father

atheg

noun. "litte father"

castol

noun. helmet

cidinn

?. [unglossed]

cinnog

?. [unglossed]

dolen

adjective. hidden, hidden, [N.] secret

faer

noun. spirit

hû

spirit

_ n. _spirit, shadow.

lebed

noun. finger

Tolkien later seems to have replaced this form by leber

lebenedh

noun. middle finger

lebent

noun. ring finger

leber

noun. finger

leber

noun. finger

The Sindarin word for “finger”, derived from primitive ✶leper and based on the root √LEP “pick up” (VT47/10; VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien used various Elvish words for “finger” over his life, but most were based on the root √LEP. The Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. leptha “finger” (GG/13; GL/53), clearly derived from the early root ᴱ√LEPE that was the basis for contemporaneous Qenya finger words (QL/53). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it was ᴱN. lhê “finger”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶lept- (PE13/148). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. lhebed “finger” based on the root ᴹ√LEPET of the same meaning (Ety/LEP). In drafts of the 1968 notes mentioned above, Tolkien had S. lebed “finger” (VT47/27), but this was replaced by leber in the finished versions (VT47/23-24 note #30).

lebig

noun. little finger

niged

noun. little finger

ogol

bad

_ adj. _bad, evil, wrong. Q. olca bad, wicked. oklā << ōklā. >> oew, ogron

sellath

noun. all the daughters

ten

pronoun. (?) it (as object)

thond

noun. root

thond

noun. root

n. root.

thorn

noun. eagle

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).

thoronath

noun. eagles

thôr

noun. eagle

tirnen

noun. guarded

tirnen

adjective. guarded

torn

hidden

adj. hidden, secret. >> terech

ada

father

(pl. edai)

ada

daddy

(pl. edai)

adanadar

father of men

normally pl. Edenedair "Fathers of Men", the early Edain.

adar

father

(pl. edair);

angol

stench

(pl. engyl). Note: a homophone of the latter means "magic, deep lore".

angol

deep lore

(magic), pl. engyl. Note: a homophone means "stench".

blab

beat

(i vlâb, i mlebir) (flap), pa.t. blamp

brannon

lord

(i** vrannon), pl. brennyn (i** mrennyn), coll. pl. brannonnath

bâd

beaten track

(pathway) (i vâd, construct bad), pl. baid (i maid)

coth

enemy

(i goth, o choth), pl. cyth (i chyth).

dolen

hidden

(secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen.

dolen

secret

(hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin

dringa

beat

(i dhringa, in dringar).

fae

spirit

(soul, radiance). No distinct pl. form.

faeg

bad

(poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

faer

spirit

(radiance). No distinct pl. form. (MR:349)

falch

deep cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch;

golu

secret lore

(i ngolu = i ñolu, o n’golu = o ñgolu) (secret lore), analogical pl. gely (in gely = i ñgely) if there is a pl. Archaic golw, hence golwath as the likely coll. pl. 

goth

enemy

(i ngoth = i ñoth, o n’goth = o ñgoth), pl. gyth (in gyth = i ñgyth)

ha

it

han, hana. *(The distinctions between these forms are unclear. Possibly ha is the nominative, whereas han is the accusative. Hana could be an emphatic form. It may be that these pronouns as ”N” rather than Sindarin proper.)*

hall

hidden

(veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”

harn

helmet

(i charn, o charn), pl. hern (i chern). Note: this is a homophone of two unrelated adjectives harn, one meaning ”southern” and the other ”wounded”.

heron

lord

(i cheron, o cheron) (master), pl. heryn (i cheryn), coll. pl. heronnath** (VT45:22). Since the pl. heryn clashes with the fem. sg. heryn** ”lady”, other words for ”lord” may be preferred.

hwest

breath

(i chwest, o chwest) (puff, breeze), pl. hwist (i chwist)

hwest

puff

(i chwest, o chwest) (breath, breeze), pl. hwist (i chwist)

hîr

lord

(i chîr, o chîr; also hir-, her- at the beginning of compounds) (master), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîr), coll. pl. híriath (Letters:282, 386; VT41:9)

hûr

fiery spirit

(i chûr, o chûr, construct hur) (readiness for action, vigour), pl. huir (i chuir) if there is a pl.

iell

daughter

(-iel) (girl, maid), pl. ill

im

deep vale

(dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad (VT45:18, VT47:19)

imlad

deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides

(glen), pl. imlaid;

maeg

going deep in

(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (sharp, penetrating). (WJ:337);

roval

great wing

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

sell

daughter

(i** hell) (girl, maid), pl. sill (i** sill), coll. pl. *sellath***. **

solch

root

(i holch, o solch), pl. sylch (i sylch)

thond

root

(construct thon; pl. thynd; coll. pl. thonnath)

thonnas

root

pl. thennais (archaic ✱thönnais) (VT46:16)

thoren

hidden

(guarded, fenced), pl. thorin

thoren

guarded

(fenced, hidden), pl. thorin

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).

tofn

deep

(lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

um

bad

(evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read ✱ûm with a long vowel. *(According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)*

thû

masculine name. Thû

thuia-

verb. to breathe

thurin

adjective. secret, hidden

thû

noun. stench

thaun

noun. pine-tree

thû

noun. stench

thûl

noun. breath

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “breath” derived from the root ᴹ√THŪ “puff, blow” (Ety/THŪ). As written in The Etymologies, the actual form was thūl (EtyAC/THŪ).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien gave G. fest “breath, breathing” (GL/35), likely derived from the early root ᴱ√ǶEHE “breathe” (QL/41) with ƕ becoming f.

nûr

adjective. deep

ada

noun. father, daddy

adar

noun. father

adar

noun. father

angol

noun. stench

angol

noun. stench

blab-

verb. to beat, batter, flap (wings, etc.)

borth

?. [unglossed]

brannon

noun. lord

brannon

noun. lord

clei

?. [unglossed]

coen

?. [unglossed]

diragas

?. [unglossed]

dringa-

verb. to beat (with a hammer, etc.)

ha

pronoun. it

ha

pronoun. it

hana

pronoun. it

hana

pronoun. it

harn

noun. helmet

harn

noun. helmet

iell

noun. daughter

Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words

iell

noun. girl, maid

Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words

iell

noun. daughter

lhebed

noun. finger

Tolkien later seems to have replaced this form by leber

lhebed

noun. finger

muin

adjective. secret

mân

noun. departed spirit

nûr

adjective. deep

ongol

noun. stench

sell

noun. daughter

sell

noun. girl, maid (child)

solch

noun. root (especially as edible)

thoron

noun. eagle

thoron

noun. eagle

thôr

noun. eagle

thôr

noun. eagle

thûl

noun. breath

tirnen

adjective. guarded

um

adjective. bad, evil

thūsē

noun. horrible darkness, black mist

thū́lē

noun. blowing forth

thuk

root. resin, gum

lepetā

noun. thumb, ‘picker’; finger

nāpa Reconstructed

noun. thumb, (lit.) picker

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).

lepe

noun. finger

at(ar)

root. father

As the basis for “father” words, √AT and its extended form √ATAR date all the way back to Tolkien’s earliest ideas. The root itself did not explicitly appear in the Qenya or Gnomish Lexicons of the 1910s, but forms like ᴱQ. atar, G. †ador “father” indicate its presence (QL/33; GL/17). The root ᴹ√ATA “father” did appear in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. atar, N. adar (Ety/ATA) and the base √AT(AR) “father” was mentioned again in late 1960s notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals (VT48/19). In this late period, the Elvish words for “father” remained Q. atar and S. adar (PM/324).

atar

noun. father

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.

leper

noun. finger

lepero

noun. finger

phay

root. spirit, spirit; [ᴹ√] radiate, send out rays of light

When this root first appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/PHAY), it was glossed “radiate, send out rays of light” and its derivatives were consistent with this definition, most notably in N. Feanor “Radiant Sun”. In later writings, this root was instead glossed “spirit” (PM/352), which is the connotation of most of its later derivatives. For example, the later meaning of S. Fëanor was changed to “Spirit of Fire”.

The earlier sense “radiate” probably also survived in Tolkien’s later conception, however. On MR/250, the word Q. fairë “spirit” is said to originally have had the sense “radiance”, which is precisely the meaning that ᴹQ. faire had in The Etymologies. There is also a primitive monosyllable ✶phāy “flame, ray of light” in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s (OP2: PE19/102). If the root meaning “radiate” remains valid, then the word S. ✱fael “gleam of the sun”, an element of S. Faelivrin “gleam of the sun on the pools of Ivrin” (the second name of Finduilas), might be a derivative of this root.

phut

root. [unglossed]

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

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.

stol

root. helmet

thorono

noun. eagle

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).

ye(l)

root. daughter

The root √YEL was one of several competing Elvish roots for “daughter”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√YEL “daughter” was first used as the basis for ᴹQ. yelde/N. iell “daughter”, but it was deleted (Ety/YEL). N. iell was given a new derivation from ᴹ√SEL-D “child”, by analogy with N. ionn “son” (Ety/SEL-D), while a new Quenya word for “daughter” was introduced: ᴹQ. yende from a feminine variant ᴹ√yēn of ᴹ√YO(N) (Ety/YŌ). Note that ᴹ√SEL-D itself was initially glossed “daughter”, but was changed to “child” and given derivatives for all genders in Quenya: ᴹQ. selda [n.], ᴹQ. selde [f.], and ᴹQ. seldo [m.].

The picture in later writings is also rather muddled. In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien gave sel-de “daughter” (PE17/170), while S. sel(l) = “daughter” appeared in both the King’s Letter from the late 1940s (SD/129) as well as the Túrin Wrapper from the 1950s (VT50/5). The diminutive form for “daughter” appeared as Q. selyë in notes from the late 1960s (VT47/10). In several places Tolkien gave Q. Tindómerel “Daughter of Twilight” as the Quenya equivalent of S. Tinúviel, with the final element being derived from primitive ✶-sel(dĕ) > -rel (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33, 73; VT47/37).

In this period, however, the more common suffix for “daughter” was Q. -iel as in Q. Elerondiel (S. Elrenniel) “✱Daughter of Elrond” as applied to Arwen (PE17/56) and Q. Uinéniel “Daughter of Uinen” (UT/182). Furthermore, in a list of masculine and feminine suffixes written around 1959, Tolkien gave (primitive?) yē, yel and (Quenya?) yelde for “daughter”, though in that note the feminine patronymic suffixes were revised from {-yel, iel, -yelde >>} -well-, -uell-, -wend-, -wel, and yen was given as another variant (PE17/190). In other notes from the late 1950s associated with “Changes affecting Silmarillion nomenclature”, Tolkien had feminine patronymic suffixes -en, -ien, but said that Quenya used -ielde, -iel (PE17/170).

Neo-Eldarin: All of the above indicates considerable vacillation between √SEL, √YEL, and √YEN for “daughter” words and suffixes in the 1930s to 1960s: of the three Tolkien seem to favor sel- for “daughter” words but -iel for “daughter” suffixes. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume ᴹ√SEL(D) originally meant “child”, with √YEL an early variant meaning “daughter” under the influence of √YON “son”, especially used as a suffix. However, due to reverse influence Q. seldë and S. sell were early on used to mean “daughter”, with female child = “girl” words becoming Q. nettë and S. neth.

árātō

noun. lord

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).

nápo

noun. thumb, (lit.) picker

A word for “thumb” in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968 (VT47/10; VT48/5). In rough drafts of these notes it was glossed “picker” as a derivative of √NAP “pick up” (VT47/29). Its (fossilized?) dual form nápat was used to refer to the “thumb and index [finger] as a pair” (VT48/5). Presumably the ordinary dual for a pair of thumbs was ✱nápot or ✱nápu (I personally prefer ✱nápu as a bit more distinctive).

Conceptual Development: In rough drafts of these notes, Tolkien explored several alternate words for “thumb”: Q. tolle, Q. toltil, {(tal)tolle >>} (lep)tolle and tolpe (< ✱tol-lepe), all based on the root √TOL “stick up” (VT47/26-28). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s it was ᴱQ. tyúte “thumb” from the early root ᴱ√TYU whose derivatives had to do with “thick” things (QL/50).

funda-

thunder

#funda- stem of uncertain meaning occurring in a "Qenya" text, but possibly meaning "thunder" (see the comments of the editor in PE16:59). If the word survived (in Tolkiens conception), it would appear as *hunda- in Third Age Quenya, since Tolkien decided that fu- tended to become hu*-. This could result in such words as hunda**- vb. "to thunder", gerund *hundië (which could then express "thunder, thundering" as a noun).

nápat

thumb and index as a pair

nápat noun "thumb and index as a pair", a dual formation. Apparently formed from #nápa, an alternative form of nápo "thumb"; Telerin also has a final -a (rather than -o) in this word (VT48:5; etymology, VT48:16)

nápo

thumb

nápo noun "thumb" (VT47:10, VT48:4, 5). Compare nápat.

sin

thus

sin (1) a word either meaning "thus" (adverb) or "this" (as an independent word in the sentence, not modifying another word like sina does). Attested in the sentence sin quentë Quendingoldo Elendilenna, either *"this Pengolodh said to Elendil" or "thus spoke Pengolodh to Elendil" (PM:401). Patrick Wynne argues that sin is an adverb "thus" derived from the stem si- "this (by me)" (VT49:18)

sië

thus

sië adv. "thus" (VT43:24, VT49:18)

tolmo

thumb

[tolmo noun "thumb", rejected by Tolkien in favour of nápo (VT48:15)]

tolpë

thumb

tolpë noun "thumb" (VT47:28, VT48:8), a form Tolkien may have rejected in favour of nápo, q.v.

toltil

thumb

[toltil noun "thumb" (VT47:26)]

tolpë

noun. thumb

sië

adverb. thus

tollë

noun. thumb

toltil

noun. thumb

thúlë

thúlë

†thúlë (þúlë) archaic/Vanyarin form of súlë, q.v.

hundo

noun. thunder

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2021 specifically for Eldamo, a noun variant of the (rather hypothetical) verb ᴺQ. hundu- “to thunder”.

hundu-

verb. to thunder

fundu-

verb. to thunder

atar

noun. father

The Quenya word for “father”, derived from the root √AT(AR) (PM/324; WJ/402; VT48/19).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. atar “father” dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though in that document it was “a more solemn word ... usually to 1st Person of the Blessed Trinity”, as opposed to more ordinary ᴱQ. attu “father” (QL/33). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, ᴱQ. atar was the ordinary word for “father”, but with variant archaic form †attar (PE15/72). ᴹQ. atar “father” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ATA of the same meaning (Ety/ATA). It appeared again in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s in various inflected forms (PE22/118-119). It continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s later writings. Thus this word was established early and retained its form throughout Tolkien’s life with only minor variations.

ataryo

daddy

ataryo, also taryo (cited as (a)taryo), noun "daddy", also used as a name for the thumb in children's play, but Tolkien emended it to atto/atya (VT48:4). Compare atar "father".

attat

2 fathers or neighbours

-t (1) dual ending, on nouns denoting a _pair of something: attat "2 fathers or neighbours" (VT48:19; see _atto), máryat "her (pair of) hands" (Nam), siryat "two rivers" (VT47:11), ciriat "2 ships" (Letters:427 read ciryat as in the Plotz Letter?), maquat "group of ten" (from maqua, meaning among other things "group of five") (VT47:7), nápat "thumb and index as a pair" (VT48:5), also compare met "us two" as the dual form of me "us" (Nam, VT47:11). Other dual endings known from the Plotz letter: genitive -to, possessive -twa, dative -nt, locative -tsë, allative -nta, ablative -lto, instrumental -nten, plus -tes as a possible short locative. It may be that these endings only apply to nouns that would have nominative dual forms in -t, and that nouns preferring the alternative dual ending -u would simply add the otherwise "singular" case endings to this vowel, e.g. *Alduo rather than ?Alduto as the genitive form of "Two Trees" (Aldu). The ending -t is also used as a verbal inflection, corresponding to pl. -r (elen atta siluvat**, "two stars shall shine", VT49:45; the verb carit** "do" would also be used with a dual subject, VT49:16; cf. also the endings listed in VT49:48, 50).

atto

father, daddy

atto noun "father, daddy" (hypocoristic)(ATA, LR:49), supposedly a word in "actual 'family' use" (VT47:26), also used in children's play for "thumb" and "big toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6). The dual form attat listed in VT48:19 seems to be formed from the alternative form atta, though attat was changed by Tolkien from attot. - Compare atya.

atya

daddy

atya (2) noun "daddy", supposedly a word in "actual 'family' use" (VT47:26, PE17:170), also used in children's play for "thumb" and "big toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6); reduction of at(an)ya "my father" (or, as explained in VT48:19, reduction of at-nya of similar meaning). Compare atto.

leper

noun. finger

The Quenya word for “finger” appearing in various notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968, derived from the root √LEP “pick up” (VT47/10; VT48/5).

Conceptual Development: The Quenya “finger” words went through quite a few conceptual changes, but they were always based on the root √LEP. The earliest of these was ᴱQ. let (lept-) “finger” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√LEPE with plural form lepsi (QL/53). In Qenya word lists of the 1920s, however, this became ᴱQ. lepta “finger”, still with the plural lepsi (PE15/72; PE16/137).

The form was ᴹQ. let (leps-) in the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s (PE21/19, 26), expanded to ᴹQ. lepse “finger” in The Etymologies written around 1937, based on the root ᴹ√LEPET of the same meaning (Ety/LEPET). This form demonstrated the 1930s sound change whereby pt became ps (PE19/44 note #44). Tolkien revised this sound change so that the result remained pt (PE19/44), and in 1940s drafts to The Lord of the Rings Tolkien used the word ᴹQ. rakkalepta “✱claw-fingered” in Treebeard’s description of orcs (SD/68), though in the published version this word only appeared in English.

In the Outline of Phonology from the 1950s (OP1) Tolkien considered restoring the sound change pt > ps (PE19/84 note #75), and Q. lepsë appeared in notes from the late 1950s or early 60s on the tree name S. lebethron, so named because “its leaves (like chestnut) [were] shaped like a fingered hand” (PE17/89). However, he again abandoned this, clarifying that the actual result of [[q|[pt] was a spirantal [ɸt]]] (spelled pt to represent the bilabial pronunciation), and that in Tarquesta pronunciation (Exhilic Quenya of the first age) the [ɸ] vocalized to [u̯] so that ✶lepta > leꝑta > Q. leu̯ta “finger” (PE19/84). Q. lepta appeared in several words in the 1960s: Q. leptafinya “clever-fingered” (PE17/17) and Q. Tyelpelepta “✱silver-fingered” (VT47/27).

In drafts of the 1968 notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals, lepta reappeared as an independent word, but with the gloss “thumb” (VT47/27). In the final versions of these notes, however, Tolkien used leper for “finger”, as noted above.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use leper for “finger”, but would retain lepta as an adjective meaning “fingered”, especially in compounds like [ᴹQ.] raccalepta “claw-fingered”.

na

to be

na (1) form of the verb "to be", evidently the imperative (or subjunctive): Tolkien stated that na airë would mean "be holy" (VT43:14), and san na (q.v.) must mean "thus be" = "let it be so"; see ná #1 Cf. also the sentence alcar mi tarmenel na Erun "glory in high heaven be to God" (VT44:32/34). Inserted in front of a verb, na expresses a wish: aranielya na tuluva "may thy kingdom come" (ibid).

san

so

san (2) adv. ephemeral word for "so" (ya(n)...san "as...so"; san na "thus be" = let it be so, "amen"); this form was apparently quickly abandoned by Tolkien (VT43:16, 24, VT49.18)

tollë

steep isle

tollë noun "a steep isle". Another meaning, "thumb", was apparently abandoned by Tolkien (VT47:13, 26)

Rithil-Anamo

ring of doom

Rithil-Anamo place name "Ring of Doom", translation of the foreign word Máhanaxar that was adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:401). Compare Anamo, q.v. Presumably *Risil-Anamo in Exilic Quenya, since the digraph th of rithil must represent the spirant þ (expressed by the letter súlë, older thúlë, in Tengwar writing).

minasurie

enquiry

minasurie noun "enquiry" (Þ; the word is actually cited as minaþurie) in Ondonóre Nómesseron Minaþurie "Enquiry into the Place-names of Gondor". The editor tentatively analyzes minaþurie as #mina "into" + #þurie (#surië) noun "seeking" (VT42:17, 30-31).

sundo

base, root, root-word

sundo (þ) noun "base, root, root-word" (SUD), sc. a Quendian consonantal "base". According to VT46:16, Tolkien changed the root to STUD, thereby implying that sundo was earlier þundo (compare Sindarin thond "root"). PE18:95 gives the pl. form as sundur, seemingly implying a stem-form sundu-. It is not, however, used in the compound sundocarmë "base-structure" (PE18:84 not **sunducarmë), a term used in the description of the structure of the various Quendian "bases" or roots.

súlë

spirit, breath

súlë (þ) noun "spirit, breath", also name of tengwa #9; originally thúlë (þúlë), before the shift th > s that occurred shortly before the rebellion of the Noldor (Appendix E, THŪ). Its gloss, "blowing forth", was metaphorically used as "the emission of power (of will or desire) from a spirit" (PE17:124). If the element súlë appears in Súlimë and Súlimo (q.v.), the stem-form may seem to be súli-.

súya-

breathe

súya- (þ) vb. "breathe" (THŪ)

leuta

noun. finger

suhtë

noun. resin, gum

(a)taryo

noun. daddy

-iel

daughter

-iel patronymic/matronymic ending -"daughter" (YEL, VT46:22-23) In the Etymologies, Tolkien struck out this ending and the corresponding independent word yeldë "daughter", changing them to -ien, yendë. However, the ending -iel later turns up in later forms: Uinéniel "Daughter of Uinen" in UT:182 and Elerondiel "daughter of Elrond" (Elerondo) in PE17:56. Hence it would seem that Tolkien changed his mind again and restored this ending, and perhaps the noun yeldë along with it. The form Elerondiel (from Elerondo) demonstrates that a final vowel is omitted before -iel.

-ien

daughter

-ien fem. ending in certain names like Yávien, Silmarien (q.v.) At one point -ien implied "daughter", see -iel above.

Malantur

lord, ruler

Malantur, masc. name. Apparently includes -(n)tur "lord, ruler". The initial element is unlikely to connect with the early "Qenya" element mala- "hurt, pain", and may rather reflect the root MALAT "gold" (PM:366): Malat-ntur > Malantur "Gold-ruler"? (UT:210)

Návatar

father

Návatar noun a title of Aulë referring to his position as the immediate author of the Dwarvish race, apparently including atar "father", but the first element cannot be related to any known term for "Dwarf" (PM:391 cf. 381)

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.

Soronúmë

eagle

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

amya-

verb. [unglossed]

anel

daughter

anel noun "daughter" (PE17:170), possibly intended by Tolkien as a replacement for seldë (q.v.). Compare anon.

anel

noun. daughter

A transient word for “daughter” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, written of above the more common sel-de (PE17/170).

arra

adjective. [unglossed]

atar

father

atar noun "father" (SA; WJ:402, UT:193, LT1:255, VT43:37, VT44:12). According to the Etymologies (ATA) the pl. is atari, but contrast #atári in Atanatári "Fathers of Men" (q.v.); possibly the word behaves differently when compounded. Atarinya "my father" (LR:70), atar(inya) the form a child would use addressing his or her father, also reduced to atya (VT47:26). Diminutive masc. name Atarincë ("k") "Little father", amilessë (never used in narrative) of Curufinwë = Curufin (PM:353). Átaremma, Ataremma "our Father" as the first word of the Quenya translation of the Lord's Prayer, written before Tolkien changed -mm- as the marker of 1st person pl. exclusive to -lm-; notice -e- as a connecting vowel before the ending -mma "our". In some versions of the Lord's Prayer, including the final version, the initial a of atar "father" is lengthened, producing #átar. This may be a contraction of *a atar "o Father", or the vowel may be lengthened to give special emphasis to #Átar "Father" as a religious title (VT43:13). However, in VT44:12 Atar is also a vocative form referring to God, and yet the initial vowel remains short.

atar

noun. father

cairë

?. [unglossed]

cassa

helmet

cassa ("k")noun "helmet" (KAS; though spelt cassa also in the Etymologies as printed in LR, VT45:19 indicates that Tolkien's own spelling was kassa). Cf. carma in a later source.

castol

helmet

castol noun "helmet", synonyms tholon (q.v.), sól (q.v), also variant castolo ("k")(PE17:186, 188)

castol(o)

noun. helmet

condo

noun. lord

conta-

verb. [unglossed]

cotto

enemy

#cotto ("k")noun "enemy", isolated from Moricotto "Dark Enemy", a Quenya form of Morgoth(VT49:25). Compare cotumo, *notto.

cotumo

enemy

cotumo ("k")noun "enemy" (KOT > KOTH)

cúma

noun. [unglossed]

ea-

verb. be, exist

felca

adjective. [unglossed]

felehta-

verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine

An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.

finca

noun. [unglossed]

foa

breath, puff of breath

foa (1) noun "breath, puff of breath" (VT47:35, 36)

foina

hidden

foina adj. "hidden" (LT2:340)

furin

hidden, concealed

furin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also hurin, which form may be preferred in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya) (LT2:340)

fëa

spirit

fëa noun "spirit" (pl. fëar attested, MR:363). The Incarnates are said to live by necessary union of hroa (body) and fëa (WJ:405). In Airëfëa noun "the Holy Spirit", Fëanáro masc. name "Spirit of Fire" (Quenya-Sindarin hybrid form: Fëanor), Fëanturi noun "Masters of Spirits", name of the two Valar Mandos and Lórien (SA:tur), fëafelmë noun "spirit-impulse" (impulses originating with the spirit, e.g. love, pity, anger, hate) (VT41:19 cf. 13, VT43:37). In one source it is said to mean specifically a "spirit indwelling a body", i.e. "soul" (PE17:124), which contradicts such uses as Airefëa or Fëanturi. Cf. fairë.

harna

helmet

harna (3) noun "helmet" (VT45:21)

harpa

helmet

harpa noun "helmet" (VT45:21)

hendas

?. [unglossed]

heru

lord, master

heru (also hér) noun "lord, master" (PM:210, KHER, LT1:272, VT44:12); Letters:283 gives hér (heru); the form Héru with a long vowel refers to God in the source where it appears (i Héru "the Lord", VT43:29). In names like Herumor "Black Lord" and Herunúmen "Lord of the West" (SA:heru). The form heruion is evidently a gen.pl. of heru "lord": "of the lords" (SD:290); herunúmen "Lord-of-West" (LR:47), title of Manwë. Pl. númeheruvi "Lords-of-West" (*"West-lords") in SD:246, a title of the Valar; does this form suggest that #heruvi is the regular plural of heru?

hindo

noun. [unglossed]

hindë

noun. [unglossed]

holdë

noun. [unglossed]

hurin

hidden, concealed

hurin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also furin) (LT2:340)

hwesta-

to puff

hwesta- (2) vb. "to puff" (SWES)

háro

?. [unglossed]

hér

lord

hér noun "lord" (VT41:9), also heru, q.v.

hér

noun. lord

hó

spirit, shadow

hó noun "spirit, shadow" (PE17:86)

leper

finger

leper (pl. leperi given) noun "finger" (VT44:16, VT47:10, 14, 24, VT48:5; an older source gives the word for "finger" as lepsë, q.v.)

lepsë

finger

lepsë noun "finger" (LEP/LEPET; see leper). According to VT45:27, Tolkien derived lepsë from primitive ¤lepti; if so, lepsë should have the stem-form *lepsi-. However, Tolkien struck out the ancestral form lepti, so we cannot be sure whether this idea was maintained or not. In later sources, the word for "finger" appears as leper.

lingi-

verb. [unglossed]

lomba

secret

lomba adj.or noun "secret" (LT1:255)

lún

deep

lún adj.??? a word of obscure meaning, perhaps "deep" as used of water (VT48:28)

maitya

?. [unglossed]

malsa

?. [unglossed]

melya-

verb. [unglossed], *to be in love

minaþurië

noun. enquiry

muina

hidden, secret

muina adj. "hidden, secret" (MUY)

naue

?. [unglossed]

notto

enemy

*notto (ñ)noun "enemy", reconstructed simplex form of the second element of the Moringotto "Dark Enemy", a Quenya form of Morgoth(VT49:25). Compare #cotto.

nulda

secret

nulda adj. "secret" (DUL)

numbë

root, foundation

[numbë noun "root, foundation", also núvë (VT45:38)]

nëa

to be

nëa (2) an optative form of the verb na- "to be"? (nëa = LotR-style Quenya nai?): ya rato nëa "which soon may (it) be" = "which I hope will be soon" (Arct)

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

núvë

root, foundation

[núvë noun "root, foundation", also numbë (VT45:38)]

pal-

beat

[pal- (2) vb. "beat", also in an alternative (extended?) form palap-, VT46:8. See palpa-.]

sa

it

sa pron. "it", 3rd person sg, corresponding to the ending -s (VT49:30). Used of inanimate things or abstracts (VT49:37; plants are considered animate; see se). For sa as object, cf. the sentence ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (VT49:34). Stressed sá (VT49:51). Ósa "with it" (VT43:36). Also compare the reflexive pronoun insa "itself", q.v. In one text, sa is also defined as "that" (VT49:18); apparently Tolkien also at one point considered giving sa a plural significance, so that it meant *"they, them" of inanimate things, the counterpart of "personal" té (VT49:51).

sa

pronoun. it

sal-

verb. [unglossed]

seldë

noun. daughter, daughter; [ᴹQ.] child [f.], *girl

This seems to be the word that Tolkien favored for “daughter” in his later writings (PE17/170; VT47/10; PE19/73), though it had competition from other forms like Q. yeldë.

Conceptual Development: The earliest word resembling this form was ᴱQ. sui “daughter” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SUẈU (QL/87), a word also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/87). This became ᴱQ. silde “daughter” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/135).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien experimented with several different forms. He had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL, but this entry was deleted (Ety/YEL). Tolkien also had a root ᴹ√SEL(D) “daughter” with a derivative ᴹQ. selde, but the meaning of this root was changed to “child”, and masculine and neuter forms ᴹQ. seldo and ᴹQ. selda were added to the entry (Ety/SEL-D). Finally, under the entry for ᴹ√YŌ or YON “son”, Tolkien added a primitive feminine variant ᴹ✶yēn or yend “daughter”, producing ᴹQ. yende and (suffixal?) yen (Ety/YŌ).

These vacillations continued in later writings, where at one point Tolkien wrote “Q[uenya] Wanted: Son, Daughter” (PE17/170). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien wrote Q. sel-de for “daughter”, but above it he wrote a variant form anel. In rough notes from around 1959 Tolkien explored a large number of masculine and feminine suffixes, and on the page he had yeldë “daughter”, though at the end of the sentence he wrote “also yen” (PE17/190). In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, Tolkien wrote selyë as a diminutive/affectionate word for “daughter”, with seltil as a play name for the fourth finger representing a daughter (VT47/10, 27).

Also of note is Tolkien’s Quenya name for S. Tinúviel “Daughter of Twilight”, which he generally represented as something like Q. Tindómerel < ✶Tindōmiselde. Tolkien was fairly consistent in this Quenya form starting in the 1930s (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33), with examples in the 1950s (PE19/73) and 1960s (VT47/37) as well. Indeed, in a couple cases he used this name to illustrate how medial s generally became z and eventually r in Quenya (PE19/33, 73), so it seems that for this name Tolkien consistently imagined the primitive form for “daughter” as ✶selde.

Neo-Quenya: I’d assume selde is the main word for “daughter” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but I’d assume a variant form yeldë, especially since -iel was the most common suffix for “daughter of”. This variant probably arose very early under the influence of √YON “son”.

selyë

daughter

[selyë noun "daughter", used in children's play for "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" _(VT47:10, 15, VT48:4) _It is unclear whether it was the word selyë "daughter" itself that was rejected, or just its use as a play-name of a digit. Compare yeldë, yendë.]

sor

eagle

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

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.

suctë

resin, gum

suctë ("k") "resin, gum"; read *suhtë if the word is to be used in LotR-style Quenya, since Tolkien decided that ct becomes ht in Quenya. (QL:86)

sulca

root

sulca ("k") noun "root" (especially as edible) (SÚLUK)

sundo

noun. base

base

sélo

?. [unglossed]

sól

helmet

sól, also solma or solos, noun variant words apparently for "helmet", cf. castol, q.v. (PE17:188)

sóla

?. [unglossed]

ta

so, like that, also

ta (2) adv. "so, like that, also", e.g. ta mára "so good" (VT49:12)

talma

base, foundation, root

talma noun "base, foundation, root" (TALAM), also translated "bottom" in the expression "top to bottom", see below.% Talmar Ambaren (place-name, *"Foundations of the World" - this is pre-classical "Qenya" with genitive in -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya) (TALAM). Allative talmanna in the phrase telmello talmanna** "from hood to base**, top to bottom" _(VT46:18; notice misreading "telmanna" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry TEL-, TELU-)_

taltol

big toe

taltol noun "big toe" (VT47:10); also tolbo

taltol

noun. big toe

tambë

so

tambë prep. (1) "so" or "as" (referring to something remote; contrast sívë). Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17).

ter

so

ter (2), also tér, prep. (?) ephemeral word for "so" (see ier), abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)

thar-

verb. [unglossed]

tholon

helmet

tholon noun "helmet", variant of castol (q.v.), though Tolkien might have mistakenly marked it as Quenya instead of Sindarin (PE17:186)

tolbo

big toe

tolbo noun "big toe" (VT47:10), "a stump, stub (as of a truncated arm or branch)" (VT47:28). Since it is elsewhere implied that the commonest form of Quenya shows lv for lb, the form *tolvo may also be usual. Compare tolmo.

tomba

noun. [unglossed]

tompë

noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat

@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20

túrin

noun. lord

um(ba)-

prefix. [unglossed]

umbacarin

noun. [unglossed]

urra

adjective. bad

vilissë

spirit

vilissë noun "spirit" (GL:23)

yeldë

daughter

yeldë noun "daughter" (YEL) This word was struck out in Etym, but it may have been restored together with the ending -iel, q.v.

yeldë

noun. daughter

A less common Quenya word for “daughter”, an analog of Q. yondo “son”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL of the same meaning, but the meaning of the root was first changed to “friend”, and then the root was then deleted (Ety/YEL). Meanwhile, under the root ᴹ√YŌ or YON, Tolkien introduced a feminine variant ᴹQ. yende “daughter” along with (suffixal?) yen, derived from primitive ᴹ√yēn or yend (Ety/YŌ). Previously this yende/yendi form was a feminine agent, but Tolkien rejected that meaning (EtyAC/ƷAN).

In between yelde >> yende for “daughter” in The Etymologies, Tolkien considered using the form ᴹQ. selde, and in later writings this seems to be his preferred Quenya word for “daughter”. However, yeldë “daughter” was mentioned again briefly in rough notes from around 1959 (PE17/190), and -iel remained Tolkien’s preferred suffix for “daughter of”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I recommend seldë as the more common word for “daughter”, but assume yeldë also exists as variant due to the influence of yondo “son”; see the entries on seldë and the root √YE(L) for further discussion.

yen

daughter

yen, yendë noun "daughter" (YŌ/YON). This word replaced another form, but this form may have been restored; see yeldë. In VT45:16, yendë is said to refer to a female "agent", a word changed by Tolkien from yendi, but Tolkien deleted all of this.

éna

?. [unglossed]

ëa

eagle

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

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.)

ú-

prefix. bad, uneasy, hard

úpa-

verb. [unglossed]

þolon

noun. helmet

þúlë

noun. spirit

þúna

?. [unglossed]

herunauco

9V7J5.DaH noun. dwarf-lord, dwarven lord

lepet

noun. thumb

nápa

noun. thumb

tolmo

noun. thumb

atta

noun. father

leper

noun. finger

bâr

noun. lord

A noun translated as “lord” (SD/311, 428). This nouns wins the prize for “most inflected Adûnaic noun”, since we have declensions for this noun in both the draft Adûnaic grammar and the later grammar of Lowdham’s Report. As such, it is very helpful for comparing how the noun declensions changed as Tolkien developed Adûnaic grammar. For example, comparing its draft plurals bāri/bārim to its later plural bârî/bârîm indicate the draft plural was originally formed with a short rather than long i. There are a few lingering examples of this short-i plural in later writings (SD/247, 251).

Conceptual Development: In earlier writings the rejected name Kherû “Lord” (SD/376) indicates a possible earlier form of this noun; Kherû itself was changed to Arûn. A similar form reappears in later writings in the name Adûnakhôr “Lord of the West”: either akhôr or khôr “lord”. Whether or not this later word replaced bâr is unknown.

arûn

masculine name. Lord

An Adûnaic name for Morgoth, perhaps coined by Sauron when he introduced the worship of the dark god to the Númenóreans, translated as “Lord” (SD/376). It is derived from the word ârû “king” and was sometimes used in a compound together with Morgoth’s true Adûnaic name: Arûn-Mulkhêr (SD/367). In other writings (SD/357) it was the original Adûnaic name of Morgoth before he fell to evil, but that hardly makes sense in the conceptual scenario of the later Silmarillion, in which Morgoth had already become evil before men awoke.

asdi

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation (pronounced [azdi]) without giving its meaning (SD/421).

attô

noun. father

A noun for “father” (SD/434). Tolkien gave two forms of this word, attû and attô, with no indication as to which would be preferred. For reasons similar to those given in the entry for ammê “mother”, my guess is that attû is an archaic form, and attô was preferred by the time of Classical Adûnaic. This word is probably related to the Elvish root √AT(AR) “father”, perhaps from Primitive Elvish ᴹ✶atū.

kherû

masculine name. Lord

A rejected draft version of the Adûnaic name for Morgoth translated “Lord”, replaced by Arûn of the same meaning (SD/376). It is transparently a derivative of the Elvish root ᴹ√KHER, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/18). A later form of this word, ✱khôr “lord”, may appears as an element in the name Adûnakhôr “Lord of the West”.

kulbu

noun. root

A noun appearing only in its plural form kulbî “roots”, corresponding to the collective-noun kulub “roots, edible vegetables that are roots not fruits” (SD/431). As such, it most likely refers to root vegetables only, rather than other senses of the English word “root”.

manô

noun. spirit

A noun translated “spirit” and fully declined as an example of a Weak II noun (SD/438). It appeared with both a short a (SD/424) and long â (SD/438). Given its ending -ô, it might be a masculine-noun, but it seems unlikely that spirits would only be male. This entry assumes it is a common-noun instead. It is probably related to ᴹQ. manu “departed spirit” as suggested by various authors (AAD/19, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/MAN).

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.

pûh

noun. breath

A noun translated “breath” and fully declined as an example of a Weak I noun (SD/431).

sapda

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation without giving its meaning (SD/421).

khôr Reconstructed

noun. lord

An element meaning “lord” appearing only in the name Adûnakhôr “Lord of the West”, though a similar form appears in the earlier names Kherû “Lord” and Mulkhêr “Lord of Darkness”. It isn’t clear whether this element is ✱akhôr or ✱khôr, but khôr resembles the Primitive Elvish root √KHER “rule, govern, possess”, to which it may be related.

This possible relationship has been suggested by various authors (AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/KHUR). Andreas Moehn rejected the relationship, pointing out that Primitive Elvish ✶khēru “lord” would have developed phonetically into Ad. ✱✱khîru (EotAL). However, khôr may be derived from some more ancient Avari loan word, which underwent different phonetic developments than those of the Eldarin languages, perhaps ✶kher- > khar > khaur > Ad. khôr.

uzbad

noun. lord