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.
Black Speech
uruk
noun. Orc
uruk-hai
noun. Orc-folk
Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
Primitive elvish
urku/urkō
noun. orc
lemek
root. [unglossed]
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.
stuk
root. [unglossed]
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).
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).
Sindarin
orch
noun. Orc, Orc, [N.] goblin
cidinn
?. [unglossed]
cinnog
?. [unglossed]
glamog
noun. orc
hand
noun. [unglossed]
madu
?. [unglossed]
maud
?. [unglossed]
glam
body of orcs
(i ’lam) (din, uproar, tumult, confused yelling of beasts; shouting, confused noise), pl. glaim (in glaim), coll. pl. glammath
glamhoth
host of tumult
(a term for Orcs, also translated ”Yelling-horde”). (UT:54, MR:109, 195;
orch
orc
(pl. yrch, archaic †yrchy, coll. pl. orchoth). (RGEO:66, Names:171, Letters:178, MR:195; WJ:390-91, VT46:7). Other terms: 1) urug (monster, bogey), pl. yryg, 2) glamog (i ’lamog), pl. glemyg (in glemyg) (WJ:391), 3) ”
Quenya
orco
noun. Orc
This word was adapted from its Sindarin cognate orch, since the Noldor did not encounter orcs until they returned to Middle-earth (WJ/390). There are two attested plurals for this word, orqui and orcor. One possible scenario is that the word was at first treated as a u-stem noun by analogy with urco (urcu-), but later as the two words were disassociated, the declension of orco was regularized and treated as an ordinary vocalic noun.
This is the theory followed here, so that orcor is considered the regular plural and orqui archaic, probably active only in the First Age. If you use the orqui plural, you should also treat this as a u-stem noun (orcu-). @@@
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
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]
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
hríva
place name. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
máriel
feminine name. [unglossed]
naue
?. [unglossed]
níva
?. [unglossed]
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
Noldorin
adwen
noun. [unglossed]
borth
?. [unglossed]
clei
?. [unglossed]
coen
?. [unglossed]
diragas
?. [unglossed]
mauth
?. [unglossed]
menwed
?. [unglossed]
nith
?. [unglossed]
nithrad
?. [unglossed]
níth
?. [unglossed]
porennin
?. [unglossed]
telwen
?. [unglossed]
Nandorin
urch
noun. Orc
Adûnaic
asdi
?. [unglossed]
A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation (pronounced [azdi]) without giving its meaning (SD/421).
sapda
?. [unglossed]
A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation without giving its meaning (SD/421).
Khuzdûl
rukhs
noun. Orc
Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!
Middle Primitive Elvish
uruk
root. [unglossed]
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/URUK).
auluta-
verb. [unglossed]
bay
root. [unglossed]
iw
root. [unglossed], [ᴱ√] *fish
kaltwa
?. [unglossed]
khlip
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root in a rejected paragraph from the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) written in 1948 (PE22/112 note #78).
kōmā
noun. [unglossed]
maiga
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root appearing in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) to illustrate certain patterns of root formation (PE18/66). It may have serving as the basis for ᴹQ. Maia, though this word was given different derivations later.
phan
root. [unglossed]
A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/PHAN).
skil
root. [unglossed]
A root mentioned in passing in as a variant of ᴹ√KIL “divide” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but it had no derivatives and appeared nowhere else (Ety/KIL).
stin
root. [unglossed]
stā
root. [unglossed]
torōmā
noun. [unglossed]
us
root. [unglossed]
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/US).
Gnomish
beb
adverb. [unglossed]
brid-
verb. [unglossed]
clidhron
noun. [unglossed]
climbol
noun. [unglossed]
dôn
?. [unglossed]
fî
noun. [unglossed]
gatha
?. [unglossed]
@@@ form does not appear elsewhere and similar forms are not relevant
pad
noun. [unglossed]
praust
noun. [unglossed]
prog
noun. [unglossed]
rab-
verb. [unglossed]
rô
noun. [unglossed]
sind
noun. [unglossed]
sinthi
pronoun. [unglossed]
thail
noun. [unglossed]
thel
noun. [unglossed]
thelg
noun. [unglossed]
thil
noun. [unglossed]
thion
noun. [unglossed]
thrim
?. [unglossed]
thug
noun. [unglossed]
thû-
verb. [unglossed]
trum
?. [unglossed]
tûn
noun. [unglossed]
ulthanc
noun. [unglossed]
umeg
?. [unglossed]
’ôs
noun. [unglossed]
Early Noldorin
ai-
prefix. [unglossed]
bailchir
noun. [unglossed]
bhraig
?. [unglossed]
A set of unglossed forms written next to ᴱN. braith (also unglossed) in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/139), their meaning and etymology are unclear.
bhregint
?. [unglossed]
bhreigros
?. [unglossed]
blaithrod
?. [unglossed]
braith
?. [unglossed]
A verb appearing in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as G. braitha- “wrap, swathe” based on G. brach “a shawl, plaid, wrap” (GL/23). The form ᴱN. braith also appeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/139), but it was unglossed and whether it was related is unclear.
Neo-Sindarin: Since I retain ᴺS. brach “shawl, wrap”, I’d also keep this Gnomish verb as a derivative of the Neo-Root ᴺ√BARAK “wrap”, but updated to ᴺS. braetha- “to wrap, swathe” since ai became ae in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s.
braithgair
noun. [unglossed]
cai
?. [unglossed]
caiad
?. [unglossed]
celin
?. [unglossed]
ciann
?. [unglossed]
delin
?. [unglossed]
ei-
prefix. [unglossed]
farn
?. [unglossed]
fedhui
adjective. [unglossed]
flair
?. [unglossed]
flaith
?. [unglossed]
floth
?. [unglossed]
fraith
?. [unglossed]
geryd
?. [unglossed]
glaith
?. [unglossed]
glaithfedhui
?. [unglossed]
glewin
?. [unglossed]
glich
?. [unglossed]
gû
?. [unglossed]
harn
?. [unglossed]
hî
adjective. [unglossed]
isteth
?. [unglossed]
laus
?. [unglossed]
leus
?. [unglossed]
lhuaith
?. [unglossed]
lhû
noun. [unglossed]
luaith
?. [unglossed]
nelyn
?. [unglossed]
pap-
verb. [unglossed]
pethil
noun. [unglossed]
rhaith
noun. [unglossed], [G.] extent, reach; region, sphere, district; scope
scarn
?. [unglossed]
stroth
?. [unglossed]
tharn
?. [unglossed]
thesg
?. [unglossed]
thrand
?. [unglossed]
thrann
?. [unglossed]
tû
?. [unglossed]
Early Primitive Elvish
-yǝ
suffix. [unglossed]
lepse
?. [unglossed]
lopse
?. [unglossed]
saw̯a
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/82), which may have reemerged as √SAWA “disgusting, foul, vile” in notes from the 1950s (PE17/172, 183).
sivi
root. [unglossed]
Unglossed roots in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√SIVI and ᴱ√SIWI and a single unglossed derivative ᴱQ. sivilda (QL/84). It is difficult to guess what Tolkien intended for these forms to mean, though they conceivably reemerged as the later roots ᴹ√SIW “excite, egg on, urge” (Ety/SIW) or √SIB “rest, quiet” (VT44/35).
teled-
noun. [unglossed]
tołᵂo
root. [unglossed]
An unglossed root in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s illustrating a hypothetical series of ancient lateral approximants, with derived roots like ᴱ√TOLO and ᴱ√TOẆO [with ẇ = ɣʷ] (PE12/16). The former appeared in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon as the basis for island words (QL/94), but the latter appeared nowhere else in Early Qenya writings.
toẇo
root. [unglossed]
tḷkḷ
root. [unglossed]
Early Quenya
alle
?. [unglossed]
anaukante
?. [unglossed]
angwe
?. [unglossed]
anwe
?. [unglossed]
aukaine
?. [unglossed]
eant
?. [unglossed]
ematte
?. [unglossed]
fingwe
?. [unglossed]
hingwe
?. [unglossed]
hyanta
?. [unglossed]
intya
?. [unglossed]
ka
?. [unglossed]
laisifalle
noun. [unglossed]
las
noun. [unglossed]
lilyen
?. [unglossed]
linqarassea
adjective. [unglossed]
lossiattea
?. [unglossed]
lungwe
?. [unglossed]
láwakéle
?. [unglossed]
min-
verb. [unglossed]
nauto
noun. [unglossed]
nawa-
verb. [unglossed]
nierme
?. [unglossed]
ningwe
?. [unglossed]
nyúken
?. [unglossed]
pingwe
?. [unglossed]
porokoi
?. [unglossed]
pundo
noun. [unglossed]
póya
adjective. [unglossed]
ralle
?. [unglossed]
saile
noun. [unglossed]
saqa-
verb. [unglossed]
sauke
?. [unglossed]
sinqita-
verb. [unglossed]
sivilda
?. [unglossed]
súlimarya
?. [unglossed]
súme
?. [unglossed]
talarin
adjective. [unglossed]
tantilta-
verb. [unglossed]
tirípti
?. [unglossed]
toron
?. [unglossed]
tultárie
adjective. [unglossed]
tyanta
?. [unglossed]
táne
adjective. [unglossed]
tánie
adjective. [unglossed]
ukárele
noun. [unglossed]
umpai
?. [unglossed]
upaitya-
verb. [unglossed]
usult
?. [unglossed]
valle
?. [unglossed]
vingwe
?. [unglossed]
yu
?. [unglossed]
Qenya
a
preposition. [unglossed]
alama
noun. [unglossed]
amaldume
noun. [unglossed]
anaristya
noun. [unglossed]
assa
pronoun. [unglossed]
asse
pronoun. [unglossed]
asso
pronoun. [unglossed]
engwa
?. [unglossed]
ente
pronoun. [unglossed]
ento
pronoun. [unglossed]
ereáma
?. [unglossed]
es
[unglossed]
hyelma
?. [unglossed]
kaltua
?. [unglossed]
kanda
noun. [unglossed]
karpalimaite
noun. [unglossed]
laqe[t]-
verb. [unglossed]
lau(w)e
?. [unglossed]
mahtya
?. [unglossed]
mai(y)a
noun. [unglossed]
maldo
noun. [unglossed]
nandakka-
verb. [unglossed]
nerno
?. [unglossed]
niule
?. [unglossed]
olta-
verb. [unglossed]
rampa
?. [unglossed]
sahte
noun. [unglossed]
sarya
noun. [unglossed]
sisíria-
verb. [unglossed]
séra
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
tante
noun. [unglossed]
tatalta-
verb. [unglossed]
teuka
?. [unglossed]
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
timpana
noun. [unglossed]
toina
adjective. [unglossed]
toróma
noun. [unglossed]
tyue
noun. [unglossed]
varinye
noun. [unglossed]
yelme
noun. [unglossed]
éma
?. [unglossed]
Westron
orka
noun. orc
Ancient quenya
caia-
verb. [unglossed]
Rohirric
orc
noun. Orc
The name Uruk-hai has the element uruk, which is a Black Speech word meaning "Orc". (For related words in other languages, see Orcs in Tolkien's languages.) The element -hai, also present in Olog-hai and Oghor-hai, means "folk, people".