naitë

true

naitë adj. "true" (VT49:28)

naitë

adjective. true

naite

adjective. true

nassë

noun. nature, true-being; material; person, individual, nature, true-being, *essence; person, individual; material

This word had various uses in Tolkien’s later writings. In notes from around 1959 it was glossed “material” = the substance of which all things are composed (NM/249-250), but later Tolkien used the term erma for “matter” (MR/338, 349). In notes probably from the 1960s, Tolkien use nasse to mean “nature” or “true-being” (PE17/174-175), and in notes from the late 1960s he used it to mean “a person, an individual” (VT49/30).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use nasse for “nature, true-being, ✱essence”.

anwa

real, actual, true

anwa adj. "real, actual, true" (ANA2)

nanwa

existing, actual (true)

nanwa adj. "existing, actual (true)" (VT49:30). Compare the near-synonym anwa.

sanda

firm, true, abiding

sanda (þ) (1) adj. "firm, true, abiding" (STAN)

sav-

verb. believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact

sav- vb. "believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact" (VT49:27; the fist person aorist savin is given). Not used with a person as object (in the sense of believing that this person tells the truth); with a noun, name or corresponding pronoun as object, sav- implies "I believe that he/she/it really exists/existed": Savin Elessar "I believe that Elessar really existed" (VT49:27). To "believe in" someone meaning "believe that (s)he tells the truth" can be paraphrased as (for instance) savin Elesarno quetië "I believe in Elessars words" (lit. speaking). (VT49:28)

nanwa

adjective. existing, actual (true), existing, actual (true), *real; [️ᴱQ.] being

valar ar maiar fantaner nassentar fanainen ve quenderinwe coar ar larmar

Valar and Maiar cloaked their true-being in veils, like to Elvish bodies and raiment

roccor i erulingaron márë nár (ma naitë)?

the horses of the Rohirrim are good (are they not, lit. is it true)

sav-

verb. believe true, accept as fact

savin i elessarno quetië naitë

I believe that the words of A[ragorn] are true

certa

rune

certa noun "rune" (pl. certar given), adapted from Sindarin certh (a "true" or inherited Quenya form of primitive ¤kirtē would have been *cirtë, but this word did not occur). (WJ:396)

certa

noun. rune

anwa melme

true love

Third-party request for translation.

>> anwa "true, actual" >> melme "love"

martyaina melme

destined ("true") love

>> martya "(to) destine" >> -ina perfect passive participle >> melme "love"

-nta

their

-nta (2) possessive 3rd person pl. pronominal ending: "their" (VT49:17). Lintienta "their speed" (PE17:58), nassentar "their true-being[s]" (PE17:175). This ending corresponds to -ntë "they" (other versions of Quenya uses -ltë for "they" and hence -lta for "their"). Also -ntya, q.v. According to VT49:17, the ending -nta appears as -inta following a consonant (other sources point to -e- rather than -i- as the connecting vowel in such cases).

Tarmenel

high heaven

Tarmenel place-name "High Heaven" (LotR1:II ch. 1, VT44:34, in the latter source also locative tarmeneldë), Tar-menel "the true firmament", as opposed to Nur-menel (q.v.) (MR:388)

Valinor

the land (or people) of the valar

Valinor place-name "the land (or people) of the Valar", *"Vali-land" (Vali = Valar), land of the Gods in the West (BAL, NDOR); cf. Valandor. Full form Valinórë (BAL; Vali-nórëunder NDOR).Said to be "the true Eldarin name of Aman", the latter name being explained as a borrowing from Valarin in some versions of the linguistic scenario (VT49:26). In the early "Qenya Lexicon", Valinor, Valinórë is glossed "Asgard", the name of the city of the gods in Norse mythology (LT1:272). It seems that in such more restricted use, Valinor is not the entire Blessed Realm but rather the specific region beyond the Pelóri where (most of) the Valar dwelt, with Val(i)mar as the chief city. Thus it is said of Eärendil that he "went into Valinor and to the halls of Valimar" only after he had already left his ship and ventured as far as Tirion (Silmarillion, chapter 24). Possessive Valinóreva in Nurtalë Valinóreva, the "Hiding of Valinor", the possessive case here assuming the function of object genitive (Silm); genitive Valinórëo in Yénië Valinórëo "Annals of Valinor" (MR:200; the last word was changed from Valinóren, Tolkien revising the genitive ending from -n to -o)

nassë

person, an individual

nassë (1) "a person, an individual" (VT49:30). Also translated "true-being" (pl. nasser is attested), the inner "true" being of a person. With a pronominal suffix in the form nassentar "their true-being" (PE17:175, cf. -nta #2), in the source referring to the "true" spiritual nature of the Valar, as hidden within their visible shapes. The word nassentar would seem to be plural, *"their true-beings". Not to be confused with the verb nassë/násë "he/she is"; see ná #1.

savin elessar ar <u>i</u> nánë aran ondórëo

that

i (3) conj. "that". Savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo "I believe that Elessar really existed and that [he] was a king of Gondor" (VT49:27), savin…i E[lesarno] quetië naitë *"I believe that Elessars speaking [is] true" (VT49:28) Also cf. nai, nái "be it that" (see nai #1), which may seem to incorporate this conjunction.

tarmenel

place name. High Heaven

A term for the “true firmament” where the stars dwelled. It is a compound of tar- “high” and menel “heaven” (properly, “the heavens”).

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Tarmenel first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s within Bilbo’s poem at Rivendell (TI/97). This name was retained in the published version of this poem (LotR/235) making it canonical, but its exact cosmological significance is unclear. In Tolkien’s “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings, he described Tarmenel as the “Region of the Wind” (RC/216).

In one version of Tolkien’s cosmology from the mid-50s, the Tarmenel was distinct from the Nur-menel “✱Under Heaven” (“lesser firmament”) that Varda created as a barrier over Valinor against the depredations of Melkor (MR/388). The idea of a lower heaven (and the terms Tarmenel and Nurmenel) did not survive into the published version of The Silmarillion, but that book did describe the Ilmen, region of the stars through which the Sun and Moon travelled (S/99), which seems conceptually similar to Tarmenel.

In the incomplete Alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun prayer from the 1960s (translating the first two lines of Gloria in Excelsis Deo into Quenya), Tolkien used the term Tarmenel to refer to the Christian Heaven, though elsewhere he used the name Eruman for “Heaven”.

telpë

silver

telpë noun "silver" (in one example with generalized meaning "money", PE14:54), telep- in some compounds like Teleporno; assimilated telem- in Telemnar and the adj. telemna (KYELEP/TELEP, SA:celeb, LT1:255, 268; also tyelpë, telep-, UT:266). The true Quenya descendant of primitive ¤kyelepē is tyelpë, but the Telerin form telpë was more common, "for the Teleri prized silver above gold, and their skill as silversmiths was esteemed even by the Noldor" (UT:266). In various names: Telperion the White Tree of Valinor; Telperien ("Telperiën"), fem. name including telp- "silver" (Appendix A); Telperinquar "Silver-fist, Celebrimbor" (SA:celeb - also Tyelperinquar); Telporno, Teleporno "Silver-high" = Sindarin _Celeborn(Letters:347, UT:266). _It seems that Teleporno is properly Telerin, Quenyarized as Telporno. Compare adjectives telemna, telpina, telepsa, telepta (q.v.)

tyelpë

silver

tyelpë noun "silver" (KYELEP/TELEP), etymology also in Letters:426 and UT:266. Tyelpë is the true Quenya descendant of primitive ¤kyelepē, but the Telerin form telpë was more common, "for the Teleri prized silver above gold, and their skill as silversmiths was esteemed even by the Noldor" (UT:266). In the Etymologies, tyelpë is also the name of Tengwa #1 with overposed dots, this symbol having the value ty (VT45:25). Cf. tyelpetéma as the name of the entire palatal series of the Tengwar system.

-lta

their

-lta (and -ltya), 3rd person pl. pronominal possessive suffix "their", alternating with -nta/-ntya in Tolkiens writings (VT49:16, 17), just as the ending -ltë "they" also has the variant -ntë. According to VT49:17, the ending -lta or -ltya will appear as -ilta, -iltya following a consonant; other sources rather point to -e- as the connecting vowel in such cases (VT49:17).

-lta

suffix. their

-nta

suffix. their

-ntya

their

-ntya, possessive 3rd person pl. pronominal ending: "their" (VT49:17), corresponding to -ntë as the ending for "they". Besides -ntya the form -nta is also attested, but the latter clashes with the ending for dual allative. (Other variants of Quenya uses -lta for "their", corresponding to -ltë as the ending for "they".) According to VT49:17, the ending -ntya appears as -intya following a consonant (other sources point to -e- rather than -i- as the connecting vowel in such cases).

-o

person, somebody

-o (2), also -ó, "a person, somebody", pronominal suffix (PM:340)

-twa

their

-twa 2) an pronominal possessive ending mentioned in one chart of pronouns, apparently "their" referring to two persons (VT49:16); this may be an ending used in colloquial Quenya rather than formal language (it is listed together with the endings -ya "his, her" and -rya "their", that are explicitly said to belong to colloquial Quenya) (VT49:16-17)

-wë

person

-wë a suffix occurring in many personal names, generally but not exclusively masculine (Elenwë is the sole certain example of a fem. name with this ending); it is derived from a stem simply meaning "person" (PM:340, WJ:399). In Etym, -wë is simply defined as an element that is frequent in masculine names, and it is there derived from a stem (WEG) having to do with "(manly) vigour".

Námo

person, somebody

námo (2) noun "a person, somebody" (PM:340 writers may prefer the synonym quén to avoid confusion with # 1)

ea

existing, being

enwa

adjective. existent, real, found in the primary world

i

pronoun. that

i, antevokaliskt in

conjunction. that

ne

that

ne (2) conj. "that" (as in "I know that you are here") (PE14:54), evidently replaced by i in Tolkiens later Quenya (see i #3).

sa

conjunction. that

sana

that

silma

silver, shining white

silma adj. "silver, shining white" (SIL), "crystal (white)" (PE17:23)

ta

that, it

ta (1) pron. "that, it" (TA); compare antaróta** "he gave it" (FS); see anta-. The forms tar/tara/tanna "thither", talo/tó "thence" and tás/tassë* "there" are originally inflected forms of this pronoun: "to that", "from that" and "in that" (place), respectively. Compare "there" as one gloss of ta (see #4).

tana

that

tana (1) demonstrative "that" (said to be "anaphoric") (TA). According to VT49:11, tana is the adjective corresponding to ta, "that" as a pronoun.

tana

that

A word for “that” appearing in a list of demonstratives from 1968, an adjectival form of ta “that” (VT49/11). This adjective also appeared in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/135). Similarly formed ᴹQ. tana appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/85, 104-105) where it could also be used both adjectivally (“that”) and substantively (“that fact”). ᴹQ. tana “that” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s but in that document Tolkien said it was “anaphoric” (Ety/TA), as opposed to later when Q. sana was used for anaphoric that (PE16/97; PE23/104).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. táma was “this” rather than “that” (QL/87). The Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s had ᴱQ. {santa >>} sanda “that” (PE14/55), but drafts of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from around 1930 seem to have tanda for “that” (PE16/56-57, 60).

tanca

firm, fixed, sure

tanca ("k")adj. "firm, fixed, sure" (TAK)

tanya

that

tanya demonstrative "that" (MC:215; this is "Qenya", perhaps corresponding to later tana)

telempë

silver

telempë noun "silver" (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya telpë, which is actually also found in early "Qenya")

telepta

silver

telepta adj. "silver" (as adj.: silvery) (LT2:347), used as noun in the phrase mi telepta of someone clad "in silver", where the context (involving other colour-words) shows that this adj. describes something of silver colour(PE17:71). Compare telemna, telepsa, telpina.

telepta

adjective. silver, silver, *silver-coloured

An adjective for “silver” appearing in the phrase Sanome tarne Olórin, Arakorno, Eomer, Imrahil, mi mīse, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninque, mi luini, ta Gimli mi losseä “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, and in blue, and also Gimli in white” in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/71).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had unglossed ᴱQ. telepta under the early root ᴱ√TELEPE whose derivatives had to do with silver (QL/91). A similar form ᴹQ. telepsa “of silver” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver”, which Tolkien equated to ᴹQ. telpina (Ety/KYELEP). This form telepsa may reflect the 1930s sound change whereby pt became ps; compare ᴹQ. lepse “finger” from ᴹ√LEPET (Ety/LEPET). Tolkien revised the entry for ᴹ√KYELEP, replacing telepsa with (unglossed) ᴹQ. telemna (Ety/KYELEP). The adjective telepta “silver” was restored in the 1960s (see above) after Tolkien abandoned the ps > pt sound change.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use this word primarily for silver as a color.

telpë

noun. silver, silver; [ᴱQ.] money

This was the Quenya word for “silver” throughout Tolkien’s life. The word was derived from the root √KYELEP, which became †tyelpë in Quenya and S. celeb in Sindarin. However, the Quenya form of the word was influenced by Telerin telpë “because the Teleri in their lands, to the north of the Noldor, found a great wealth of silver, and became the chief silversmiths among the Eldar” (Let/426). The archaic Quenya form †tyelpë was retained for the name of the palatal series of tengwar consonants, the tyelpetéma (LotR/1120), but in ordinary use (and most names) the forms telpë or telep- (in compounds) were used.

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. telpe based on the early root ᴱ√TELEPE, but its Gnomish cognate was G. celeb (QL/91). Tolkien did not explain this difference in these early documents from the 1910s. In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s he had ᴱQ. telqe and ᴱN. celeb “silver” derived from primitive ᴱ✶kelekwé, explaining initial t in the Qenya form as the result of dissimilation away the kw (PE13/140).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien introduced a root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver” as an alternate to ᴹ√TELEP, with derivatives ᴹQ. telpe or tyelpe, N. celeb and ᴹT. telpe (Ety/KYELEP). He then said “Q telpe may be Telerin form (Teleri specially fond of silver, as Lindar of gold), in which case all forms may refer to KYELEP”. It seems that he stuck with this idea thereafter and abandoned ᴹ√TELEP.

Note that in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s Tolkien used ᴱQ. telpe for “money” (PE14/54), and I would give telpë this meaning for purposes of Neo-Quenya as well, much like the French word argent means both “silver” and “money”.

tulca

firm, strong, immovable, steadfast

tulca (1) ("k") adj. "firm, strong, immovable, steadfast" (TULUK)

tyelpë Archaic

noun. silver

téna

straight, right

téna (1) adj. "straight, right" (SD:310; see téra)

téra

straight, right

téra adj. "straight, right" (TEÑ, see TE3; LR:47; in one text Tolkien changed it to téna, SD:310)

yana

that

yana demonstrative "that" (the former) (YA)

ére

gerund noun. existing, existence

izindi

adjective. straight, right, true

An adjective glossed “straight” (SD/247), “right” (VT24/12) and “true” (SD/427), the last of these in the compound izindu-bêth “true-sayer”. This final example is interesting, because the adjective izindi is declined into the objective case.

Conceptual Development: In its first appearance (SD/312), the form of this adjective was ezendi, an impossible form in the later phonetic rules of Lowdham’s Report, since Adûnaic only allowed the long vowel [ē] (SD/423).

izindu-bêth

noun. true-sayer, prophet

A noun for “prophet”, more literally “true-sayer”, given by Tolkien as an example of the objective case combined with a verb stem in an agental-formation (SD/427).

sab

root. believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact

A root in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 described as meaning “believe (that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are) true, accept as fact”; it served as the basis for Q. sav- of the same meaning (PE22/158).

kirtē

noun. rune

-ntā

pronoun. their

kyelep

root. silver

This root and ones like it were used for Elvish words for “silver” throughout Tolkien’s life. The earliest iteration of the root began with T-, however, appearing as unglossed ᴱ√TELEPE in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. telpe “silver” (QL/91). Even at this early stage, however, the Gnomish equivalent was G. celeb (GL/25), but the reason for the t/c variation isn’t clear. The closest explanation is that palatal consonants like [c] became [tʲ] in Qenya vs. [k] in Gnomish (compare ᴱQ. tyava- vs. caf- “taste” from ᴱ√TYAVA) but this doesn’t explain why the Qenya form has initial t- rather than ty-.

Elsewhere in the Elvish languages of the 1910s there seem to be etymological variations of [k] vs. [t], such as ᴱQ. kitya- vs. G. tisca- “tickle” (QL/47; GL/70) and ᴱQ. talqe vs. G. celc “glass” (QL/88; GL/25), so perhaps ᴱQ. telpe vs. G. celeb “silver” is another example of this. Another explanation appeared in Early Noldorin word lists from the 1920s, where the primitive form was ᴱ✶kelekwé which produced ᴱN. celeb as usual but the Qenya form was ᴱQ. telqe with “k = t by dissimilation” (PE13/140), presumably away from q.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had the root ᴹ√KYELEP with variant ᴹ√TELEP, producing N. celeb but ᴹQ. tyelpe or ᴹQ. telpe (Ety/KYELEP). But Tolkien revised this entry, marking ᴹ√TELEP as questionable and introducing the Telerin form ᴹT. telpe < ᴹ√KYELEP, concluding that ᴹQ. telpe must be a loan from Telerin. This finally put N. celeb vs. ᴹQ. telpe (borrowed from Telerin) on a solid phonological foundation. Tolkien seems to have stuck with this explanation, mentioning this borrowing from Telerin to Quenya several times in his later writings, with the proper but now archaic Quenya form being Q. †tyelpë (Let/426; PM/356; UT/266).

kyelepē

noun. silver

mō

noun. person

san-

pronoun. that

mithril

noun. Moria-silver, true-silver

The name of the magical metal of Moria, variously translated “Moria-silver” or “true-silver” (LotR/317). It is a combination of mith “grey” and √ril “brilliance” (PE17/47), so its original meaning was “✱grey-brilliance”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s Tolkien considered erceleb, ithil and thilevril as names of mithril (RS/465; TI/184). Another possible precursor is the Early Qenya word ᴱQ. ilsa for the “mystic name of silver” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/42).

mithril

noun. true-silver, a silver-like metal

certh

noun. rune

certh

noun. rune

nanwen

adjective. true

naed

adjective. true, real

A neologism for “true, real” coined by Fayanzār and posted on 2018-01-16 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), cognate to Q. naitë “true”.

meleth marthannen

fated ("true") love

>> meleth "love" >> bartha "(to) doom" >> -nnen perfect passive participle

mithril

true-silver

” (a metal found principally in Moria) mithril (i vithril), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mithril); coll. pl. mithrillath if there are any plural forms. (The Sindarin word seems to mean *”grey brilliance”.)

mithril

true-silver

(a metal found principally in Moria) mithril (i vithril), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mithril); coll. pl. mithrillath if there are any plural forms.

mithril

true-silver

(i vithril), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mithril); coll. pl. mithrillath if there are any plural forms.

thand

adjective. firm, true, abiding

certh

rune

certh (i gerth, o cherth), pl. cirth (i chirth). RUNE-ROW (collection of runes) certhas (i gerthas, o cherthas), pl. certhais (i cherthais). LONG RUNE-ROW (a certain system of runes) Angerthas (and + certhas).

certh

rune

(i gerth, o cherth), pl. cirth (i chirth).

thala

firm

1. thala (steady, stalwart), pl. ?theili, 2) thand (true, abiding), pl. thaind (VT46:16; notice that the forms “thenid” and “thenin” in LR:388 s.v. STAN represent misreadings of Tolkiens manuscript).

thand

firm

(true, abiding), pl. thaind (VT46:16; notice that the forms “thenid” and “thenin” in LR:388 s.v. STAN represent misreadings of Tolkien’s manuscript).

-wen

suffix. their

_3rd pl. poss. suff. their.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ent_. >> -ent

celeb

noun. silver

celeb

silver

_n. _silver. >> Celebdil, Celebrant, celebrin

celeb

noun. silver

The word celeb was the word for “silver” in Sindarin and its conceptual precursors throughout Tolkien’s life.

Conceptual Development: G. celeb “silver” appeared all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was related to the early root ᴱ√TELEPE of the same meaning (GL/25; QL/91). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s ᴱN. celeb was derived instead from ᴱ✶kelekwé with the sound change of primitive kw to p and later to b (PE13/140), though in that same document he considered (but rejected) ᴱ✶t’lépe > ᴱN. tlub “silver” (PE13/154). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver” to be the basis of N. celeb, with the sound change whereby intial ky became k (c) (Ety/KYELEP). This sound change continued to be a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, and Tolkien retained this derivation going forward.

han

that

pl1. hain _pron. _that, the thing previously mentioned. Tolkien notes "hain = heinn (< san-)" (PE17:42). Im Narvi hain echant 'I Narvi made them'.

ithildin

noun. a silver-colored substance, which mirrors only starlight and moonlight

san

pronoun. that

taug

adjective. firm

adj. firm, strong, ?withstand. Q. tauka stiff, wooden.

angerthas

long rune-row

(and + certhas).

celeb

silver

1. (noun) celeb (i geleb, o cheleb), pl. celib (i chelib) if there is a pl. form. 2) (adj., "of/like silver") celebren (lenited gelebren, pl. celebrin; also celebrin- as first element of compounds, as in Celebrindal). Also celefn (lenited gelefn, pl. celifn). As for ”silver” as adjective, see also SHINING WHITE. Adj.

certhas

rune-row

(i gerthas, o cherthas), pl. certhais (i cherthais).

i

that

(+ soft mutation), basically in in the plural, but often loses the n which is then replaced by nasal mutation of the next consonant (e.g. gyrth i chuinar ”dead that live [cuinar]”, Letters:417). Sometimes i (+ soft mutation) is used in the singular as well. – The form ai (following by lenition) occurs in the phrase di ai gerir ✱”those who do” (VT44:23). Possibly it is a form of the relative pronoun that is used when the previous word ends in -i. Whether ai is both sg. and pl. is unclear; in its one attestation it is followed by a plural verb that is lenited.

sa

pronoun. that

tanc

firm

(adj.) tanc (lenited danc; pl. tainc)

tanc

firm

(lenited danc; pl. tainc)

tangada

make firm

(confirm, establish) (i dangada, i thangadar)

taw

that

(demonstrative pronoun) ?taw. _Only the ”Old Noldorin” form tó is actually given in LR:389 s.v. _

taw

pronoun. that

taw

that

. Only the ”Old Noldorin” form tó is actually given in LR:389 s.v.

thala

firm

(steady, stalwart), pl. ?theili

tîr

straight

tîr (lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) (right). Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).

tîr

straight

(lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) (right). Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).

thann

adjective. firm, true, abiding

erceleb

noun. *true-silver

ithil

noun. Moria-silver, true-silver

mithril

noun. *true-silver

thand

adjective. firm, true, abiding

Misreading thenid, thenin rectified according to VT/46:16

thann

adjective. firm, true, abiding

Misreading thenid, thenin rectified according to VT/46:16

thilevril

noun. *true-silver

celeb

noun. silver

celeb

noun. silver

celebren

adjective. like silver (in hue or worth)

celefn

adjective. of silver

celevon

adjective. of silver

taer

adjective. straight

Written tær (with ae-ligature) in the Etymologies, rectified here according to VT/46:18 (which also lists the ligature)

taer

adjective. straight

The adjective taer “straight” appeared in the entry for the root ᴹ√TEÑ “line, direction” as a derivative of ᴹ✶teñrā (Ety/TEÑ). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien gave its form as tær (LR/392), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this tær, taer in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/18). The form taer may have replaced N. tîr “straight, right” from the earlier version of the entry {ᴹ√TEƷ} > ᴹ√TEÑ, where Tolkien derived N. tîr from tēra < ᴹ✶teñrā (Ety/TEƷ; EtcAC/TEƷ).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. tîr whose archaic meaning was “†straight”, but whose later meaning was “upright, honest” or (as a noun) “esteem, regard, honour” possibly due to a blending with other roots (GL/71). Early Noldorin word-lists had ᴱN. tain “straight” derived from ᴱ✶tegnā (PE13/153, 165).

Neo-Sindarin: The best Neo-Sindarin forms for these words are unclear. 1930s N. taer seems to have an abnormal modification of the ancient vowel to ǣ so that ǣ &gt; ai and then ai &gt; ae. The expected Noldorin development of primitive ᴹ✶teñrā would be the vanishing of ñ (&gt; ʒ) with lengthening the vowel to ē and then ē &gt; ī, producing N. tîr as in the earlier version of the root’s entry.

Another complication is that in later writings, Tolkien changed the root to √TEG “line” (PE19/97), repurposing √TEÑ to mean “indicate, point to” (WJ/394; PE22/149). The expected result of primitive ✱tegrā is teira > tair; compare S. cail < ✶keglē. However taer might still be the Sindarin result if there was an abnormal change of the ancient e to similar-sounding ę̄ (the 1950s analog of 1930s ǣ) perhaps via a-fortification, so that [[s|[ę̄] became [ai]]] and then ae. This usage clashes with S. taer “lofty” from the 1950s (PE17/186), but I think the two adjectives could coexist: taer meaning “lofty” when applied to vertical things like mountains but “straight” when applied to (mostly) horizontal things like roads and lines.

I also think it is worth retaining N. tîr < ✱teñra < √TEÑ with an original meaning of “that which is indicated” (but no longer meaning “straight”), so that its modern Sindarin sense could be “right, ✱correct”. I would further assume tîr has its Gnomish meanings “upright, honest” when applied to persons, so that it means “esteem, regard, honour” when used as a noun.

If the conflict between taer “lofty” and taer “straight” bothers you too much, you might instead use tîr for both “straight” and “right, ✱correct” (analogous to ᴹQ. téra), though it is less clear where the sense “straight” comes from in Tolkien’s later paradigm of roots.

tanc

adjective. firm

tanc

adjective. firm, firm; [ᴱN.] steady, steadfast; [G.] settled

tangada-

verb. to make firm, confirm, establish

tîr

adjective. straight, right

kibil

noun. silver

tele(pe)

noun. silver

kele(pe)

noun. silver

telpe

noun. silver