tir-

verb. watch, watch over, guard, heed

tir- vb. "watch, watch over, guard, heed", 1st pers. aorist tirin "I watch", pa.t. tirnë (TIR), imperative tira (VT47:31) or á tirë (PE17:94), future tense tiruva "shall heed" in Markirya (also MC:213, 214); also in CO with pronominal endings: tiruvantes "they will guard it" (tir-uva-nte-s "guard-will-they-it"). The stem also occurs in palantíri (q.v.), Tirion place-name "Great Watchtower", a city of the Elves (SA:tir; in MR:176 the translation is "Watchful City")

tir-

verb. to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe, to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe; [ᴱQ.] to keep, preserve

palantír

noun. far-gazer, far-seer, (lit.) that which looks far away

A word for the seeing stones of Númenor, a combination of palan “far” and some form of the root TIR “see” (Let/427), hence: “far-seer” or “far-gazer” (LotR Index; PE17/25, 86). This word is unusual in that it has a long vowel in its final syllable, something that does not normally occur in Quenya words. The ancient form of this word was palantīrā̆ (Let/427), and the reduction of short vowels in long compounds was not unusual in Quenya, for example: Valinor as a shorter form of Valinórë. However, after such reductions long vowels in final syllables tended to shorten, so the expect form would be palantir, not palantír. In one place Tolkien described this word as a “a Numenorean formation” (PE17/86), perhaps as a way of explaining the unusual retention of a long vowel in its final syllable.

Because of this long vowel, the proper pronunciation of this word is in dispute. The usual rules for Quenya stress would put the stress on the second syllable: paLANtír. The speech coaches for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies instructed the actors to pronounce this word like English “lantern” to help them remember this stress pattern. However in private notes Tolkien wrote pálan-tìr (PE17/86), indicating primary stress on the first syllable and secondary stress on the last: PAlanTÍR. Perhaps the long vowel in the final syllable is retained to enforce this stress. Compare also María with an abnormal long vowel before another vowel, also enforcing a stress pattern that would be atypical for Quenya if all the vowels were short.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared in the Etymologies of the 1930s where it was probably a later addition. In its earliest appearances, both in Etymologies and the drafts of The Lord of the Rings, it was Palantir with a short i (Ety/PAL, TIR; WR/76).

Eldamar

elvenhome

Eldamar place-name "Elvenhome" (ÉLED; found already in Narqelion), according to MR:176 another name of Tirion (see tir-).

Elendë

elvenhome

Elendë (1) place-name "Elvenhome", regions of Valinor where the Elves dwelt and the stars could be seen (MR:176, ÉLED). Plural ablative elendellor in the phrase et elendellor, evidently *"out of the elf-lands" (VT45:13).

Harmen

south

[Harmen] noun "south" (MEN)(Changed to hyarmen.)

Hyarastorni

south

Hyarastorni place-name, region in Númenor, apparently including hyar- "south" and perhaps orni "trees" (UT:210)

cenda-

verb. watch

cenda- vb. "watch" (not "guard", but observe to gain information), also used = "read". Cenda = also noun "reading", as in sanwecenda "thought-inspection, thought-reading". (VT41:5, PE17:156)

hyarmen

south

hyarmen, Hyarmen noun "south" (SA, SA:men, KHYAR), literally "lefthand-direction" (VT49:12), since the Elves named the directions as they were to a person facing the Blessed Realm in the West Also name of tengwa #33 (Appendix E). In Hyarmendacil masc.name, "South-victor" (Appendix A), apparently also in the place-name Hyarmentir (name of a mountain; the element -tir means *"watch[ing point]".) (SA) Hyarnustar "the Southwestlands" of Númenor; Hyarrostar the "Southeastlands" (UT:165)

marto

tower

marto (1) noun "tower" (PE17:66)

marto

noun. tower

tarminas

tower

tarminas noun "tower" etc. (Sindarin barad); see taras (PE17:22)

tiris

watch, vigil

tiris (tiriss-), also tirissë, noun "watch, vigil" (LT1:258, QL:93)

turco

tower

turco ("k") (2) noun "tower". In Lúnaturco, Quenya name of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). Tolkien changed the word turco from turma (PE17:22).

turma

tower

[turma] (2) noun "tower". Tolkien changed this word to turco (#2), q.v. (PE17:22)

á

immediate time reference

a (3), also á, imperative particle. An imperative with "immediate time reference" is expressed by á in front of the verb (or "occasionally after it, sometimes before and after for emphasis"), with the verb following in "the simplest form also used for the uninflected aorist without specific time reference past or present or future" (PE17:93). Cf. a laita te, laita te! "[o] bless them, bless them!", á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!", literally "o rule Manwë!" (see laita, vala for reference); cf. also á carë "do[!]", á ricë "try!", á lirë "sing[!]", á menë "proceed[!]", a norë "run[!]" (PE17:92-93, notice short a in this example), á tula "come!" (VT43:14). In the last example, the verb tul- "come" receives an ending -a that probably represents the _suffixed form of the imperative particle, this apparently being an example of the imperative element occurring both "before and after" the verbal stem "for emphasis" (PE17:93)_. This ending may also appear on its own with no preceding a/á, as in the command queta "speak!" (PE17:138). Other examples of imperatives with suffixed -a include cena and tira (VT47:31, see cen-, tir-); the imperatives of these same verbs are however also attested as á tirë, á cenë (PE17:94) with the imperative particle remaining independent and the following verb appearing as an uninflected aorist stem. This aorist can be plural to indicate a 3rd person pl. subject: á ricir! "let them try!" (PE17:93). Alyë (VT43:17, VT44:9) seems to be the imperative particle a with the pronominal suffix -lyë "you, thou" suffixed to indicate the subject who is to carry out the command; attested in the phrase alyë anta "give thou" (elided aly' in VT43:11, since the next word begins in e-: aly' eterúna me, *"do thou deliver us"); presumably other pronominal suffixes could likewise be added. The particle a is also present in the negative imperatives ala, #ála or áva, q.v.

tir-

verb. to watch

tir-

verb. to watch, to gaze, look at

tiria-

verb. to watch

tiria-

verb. to watch, to gaze, look at

barad

noun. tower, fortress

harad

noun. south

harad

noun. south

minas tirith

place name. Tower of Guard

minnas

noun. tower

minnas

noun. fort, city with a citadel and central watch-tower

minnas

noun. tower

tirion

noun. tower

tirith

noun. watch, guard (abstract noun), vigilance

tirith

noun. watch, guard

tir-

verb. to look (towards), watch (over), guard, to look (towards), watch (over), guard; [G.] to look (out) for, watch for, await, expect

tir-

guard

_(verb) 1) tir- (cited in the form _tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen. 2) tiria- (watch, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tir-

gaze

1) tir- (cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (guard, watch over, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen. 2) tiria- (watch, guard, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tir-

look at, look toward

tir- (cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, guard, gaze). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

tir-

watch (over)

tir- (cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (guard, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

tir-

watch

(cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (guard, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

tir-

guard

(cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, gaze, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen. 2) tiria- (watch, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tir-

gaze

(cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (guard, watch over, look at, look towards). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

tir-

look at, look toward

(cited in the form tiri, a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -i) (i dîr, i thirir) (watch over, guard, gaze). The imperative tiro and passive participle [t]irnen are attested, the latter in lenited form dirnen.

barad

noun. tower, fortress

barad

tower

1b n. tower.

barad

tower

1c n. tower. Q. marto.

harad

noun. south

harad

adjective. south

_adj. _south, southern. Q. hyarmen, hyarna. >> har-

harad

noun. south

minas

noun. tower

minas

noun. fort, city with a citadel and central watch-tower

palan-díriel

noun. far-gazer

tirith

noun. watch, guard (abstract noun), vigilance

tirith

watch

{1st ĭ}_n._watch, ward, guard. >> tíria, Minas Tirith

tíria

verb. gaze

_v._gaze, look at, watch. >> tirith, tíro

barad

tower

1) barad (fortress, fort) (i varad), pl. beraid (i meraid). Note: barad is also an adjective "doomed", but this is derived from a stem in mb- and would have different mutations. 2) (tower or city with citadel/central watchtower) minas (i vinas), pl. minais (i minais), coll. pl. minassath

barad

tower

(fortress, fort) (i varad), pl. beraid (i meraid). Note: barad is also an adjective "doomed", but this is derived from a stem in mb- and would have different mutations.

harad

south

1) (”the South” as an area) Harad (i Charad, o Charad, 2) hâr (i châr, o châr, construct har) (also = ”left”). 3) The word Harven (i Charven, o Charven) may refer primarily to ”south” as a direction; the final element -ven means ”way”. (VT45:23). Adj.

harad

south

(i Charad, o Charad

haradren

south, southern

(lenited charadren; pl. heredrin), also harn (lenited charn, pl. hern). Note: a homophone of the latter means ”wounded”, and as noun harn also means ”helmet” (so haradren may be preferred for clarity).

haradrim

southerners, southrons

(a coll. pl., ”people of the south”)

harven

south

(i Charven, o Charven) may refer primarily to ”south” as a direction; the final element -ven means ”way”. (VT45:23). Adj.

hâr

south

(i châr, o châr, construct har) (also = ”left”).

minas

tower

(i vinas), pl. minais (i minais), coll. pl. minassath

tiria

watch

1) tiria- (guard, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar). 2)

tiria

watch

(guard, gaze, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar).

tiria

gaze

(watch, guard, look toward) (i diria, i thiriar)

tiria

look toward

(watch, guard, gaze) (i diria, i thiriar)

tirith

watch, watching

(i dirith, o thirith) (guard, guarding, vigilance), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thirith)

tirith

guard, guarding

(i dirith, o thirith) (guard, guarding, vigilance), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thirith)

tir

root. watch (over), look at, observe, gaze at, watch (over), look at, observe, gaze at; [ᴹ√] guard

Tolkien used the root √TIR for Elvish words for watching and looking throughout his life. The earliest manifestation of this root was in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√TIRI “guard” (the gloss appeared under the entry for ᴱ√TIŘI) with derivatives like ᴱQ. tiri- “watch; keep, guard, preserve; look at, gaze at, observe” and ᴱQ. tirne “steadfast regard, stare” (QL/93). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. tir- “look for, look out for, watch for, await, expect” and G. tirin “watch-tower, turret, tower” (GL/71). The Etymologies of the 1930s has ᴹ√TIR “watch, guard” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tir-/N. tir- “watch”, ᴹQ. tirion “watch-tower, tower” and N. tirith “watch, guard” (Ety/TIR). The root √TIR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “watch, observe” (PE17/187), “to look at (towards), watch, watch over” (RGEO/65) or “look at (turn eyes to, keep eyes on, watch)” (PE22/155).