Quenya 

histë

dusk

histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)

hísë

dusk

hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.

usque

noun. dusk

dusk

Quenya [PE 18:50 PE 18:100] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

usque

noun. dusk, twilight

Quenya [PE 22:51] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

carca

tooth

carca noun "tooth" (KARAK) or "fang" (SA:carak-). In a deleted version of the entry in question, the glosses were "tooth, spike, peak" (VT45:19). When referring to a normal tooth, not necessarily sharp, the word nelet is probably to be preferred. Cf. also pl. carcar _("karkar") _in Markirya, there translated "rocks", evidently referring to sharp rocks. Already the early "Qenya Lexicon" has carca ("k")"fang, tooth, tusk" (LT2:344). Collective carcanë, q.v.

lómë

dusk, twilight

lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

nelcë

tooth

nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", also nelet (VT46:3)

nelet

tooth

nelet, also nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", pl. nelci ("k") suggesting a stem-form nelc- (NÉL-EK)

Sindarin 

moth

noun. dusk

Element in

carch

noun. tooth, fang

Sindarin [Ety/362, S/429] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dusk

(i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

moth

dusk

1) moth (i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read *môth with a long vowel. 2) (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

moth

dusk

(i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read ✱môth with a long vowel.

tinnu

dusk

tinnu (i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

tinnu

dusk

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

naes

tooth

(no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36).

carch

tooth

(i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch).

nagol

tooth

1) *nagol (analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath*; possibly the analogical form nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested. 2) naes (no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36). 3) nêl (note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig). 4) (fang) carch (i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch**).

nagol

tooth

(analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath; possibly the analogical form ✱nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested.

nêl

tooth

(note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig).

Primitive elvish

us(u)kwē

noun. dusk

Derivations

  • USUK “dusk, evening, *reek, smoke; dusk, evening” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Derivatives

  • Q. usquë “dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] reek, *smoke; [Q.] dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] twilight; [ᴱQ.] fog” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Variations

  • uskwē ✧ PE18/100
  • usukwē ✧ PE21/71
Primitive elvish [PE18/100; PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nelek

root. tooth

Derivatives

  • At. nele “tooth” ✧ PE21/71

Variations

  • nelek ✧ PE21/71
Primitive elvish [PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

naes

noun. tooth

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶nakse “tooth” ✧ EtyAC/NAK
    • ᴹ√NAK “bite” ✧ EtyAC/NAK

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶nakse > naes[nakse] > [naksa] > [naxsa] > [naisa] > [nais] > [naes]✧ EtyAC/NAK
Noldorin [EtyAC/NAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nagol

noun. tooth

Noldorin [naglath WR/122] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nagol

noun. tooth

Tolkien used various “teeth” words related to the root √NAK “bite” throughout his life. The earliest of these was G. naith “a tooth” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where its connection to the early root ᴱ√NAKA “bite” was made more clear by its archaic plural form nacthin (GL/59). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. naes derived from primitive ᴹ✶nakse under the root ᴹ√NAK “bite” (EtyAC/NAK). As suggested by David Salo (GL/275), another variant ✱nagol “tooth” is suggested by the class plural naglath in the names from Lord of the Rings drafts of 1940s: Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/122) and Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” (WR/137), neither of which made it into the published version.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d recommend using N. nêl or N. neleg for “tooth” words. Primitive ᴹ✶nakse would likely produce ✱nach rather than naes under Sindarin’s phonetic rules; compare S. ach “neck” < ✶aks[e] (PE17/92). As for N. nagol, it was also likely abandoned.

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NAK “bite”

Element in

Noldorin [WR/122; WR/137] Group: Eldamo. Published by

neleg

noun. tooth

Noldorin [Ety/376, WR/113, VT/46:3] Group: SINDICT. Published by

neleg

noun. tooth

The most common word for “tooth”, appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). See variant N. nêl “tooth” for further discussion.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

  • On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
    • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. neleki > neleg[nelek] > [neleg]✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Variations

  • Neleg ✧ WR/106
Noldorin [Ety/NÉL-EK; EtyAC/NÉL-EK; WR/106; WR/113] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nêl

noun. tooth

Noldorin [Ety/376, WR/113, VT/46:3] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nêl

noun. tooth

A word appearing as N. nêl “tooth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). It was one of a rare set of primitive words with final k, which was lost in very early stages of the language, to produce ON. nele (PE21/56). Its ON. plural was neleki, which produced nelig in the modern form of the language. Since the plural preserved the stop lost in the simplex, an alternate form N. neleg was restored from the plural.

This longer form neleg appeared as an element in a number of names from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s: {N. Neleg Thilim “Gleaming Tooth” >>} N. Neleglos “White Tooth” (WR/106) and N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/113). None of these names made it into the published version. However, primitive √nelek “tooth” was mentioned as the basis for Ancient Telerin nele “tooth” in notes from the early 1950s, again with loss of final k and plural neleki (PE21/71-72).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use neleg as the ordinary word for “tooth”, and limit nêl to the final element of compounds.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

  • On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
    • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. nele > nêl[nele] > [nel] > [nēl]✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
Noldorin [Ety/NÉL-EK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tindu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tindu

noun. starry twilight

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tinnu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/393, X/ND2] tinu+dû. Group: SINDICT. Published by

carch

noun. tooth, fang

Noldorin [Ety/362, S/429] Group: SINDICT. Published by

naglath

noun. the teeth

Noldorin [WR/122] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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!

Ancient telerin

uso

noun. dusk

Derivations

  • USUK “dusk, evening, *reek, smoke; dusk, evening” ✧ PE21/71

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
usuk > uso[usuk] > [usu] > [uso]✧ PE21/71
Ancient telerin [PE21/72] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nele

noun. tooth

Derivations

  • NELEK “tooth” ✧ PE21/71

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
nelek > nele[nelek] > [nele]✧ PE21/71
Ancient telerin [PE21/72] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

karka

noun. tooth

Cognates

  • N. carch “tooth, fang” ✧ Ety/KARAK

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KARAK “sharp fang, spike, tooth” ✧ Ety/KARAK; EtyAC/KARAK

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KÁRAK > karka[karka]✧ Ety/KARAK
ᴹ√KARAK > karka[karka]✧ EtyAC/KARAK
Qenya [Ety/KARAK; EtyAC/KARAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nele

noun. tooth

nelet

noun. tooth

The normal Quenya word for “tooth”, appearing in The Etymologies written around 1937 derived from the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK), where the final k became t. Its plural form nelki [nelci] indicates a stem form of nelk- [nelc-], since in most inflected forms the word would undergo the Quenya syncope and loose the second e. A variant form nelke (EtyAC/NÉL-EK) may reflect a reformation to align with those inflected forms.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had ᴱQ. nele (neli-) “tooth” under the early root ᴱ√NELE (QL/65), a word also mentioned in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (PME/65). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien instead had ᴱQ. nyat “tooth” (PE16/136), but that seems to have been a transient idea. ᴹQ. nelet first appeared in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from 1936 alongside variant nelke, but it was replaced by nele and then later nelke was deleted as well (PE21/56 and note #12). Both nelet and variant nelke were restored in The Etymologies (see above).

Primitive √nelek “tooth” was mentioned in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s, but its Quenya derivatives were not listed.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d use nelet (nelc-) “tooth” as the traditional form of this word, with nelcë as a modern variant with more regular inflections.

Changes

  • neletnele ✧ PE21/56

Cognates

  • On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; Ety/NÉL-EK
  • N. nêl “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • N. neleg “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE19/058; PE21/56

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NÉL-EK > nelet[nelek] > [nelet]✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Variations

  • nelke ✧ EtyAC/NÉL-EK; PE21/56 (nelke)
  • nele ✧ PE21/56
Qenya [Ety/NÉL-EK; EtyAC/NÉL-EK; PE19/058; PE21/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nelke

noun. tooth

Old Noldorin 

nele

noun. tooth

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Derivatives

  • N. nêl “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • N. neleg “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NÉL-EK > nele[nelek] > [nele]✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
Old Noldorin [Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

nakse

noun. tooth

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NAK “bite” ✧ EtyAC/NAK

Derivatives

  • N. naes “tooth” ✧ EtyAC/NAK
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/NAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nelek

root. tooth

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE19/058; PE21/56
  • On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56
    • N. nêl “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
    • N. neleg “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Elements

WordGloss
NEL“three”

Variations

  • NÉL-EK ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • NÉLEK- ✧ PE21/56
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/NÉL-EK; PE19/058; PE21/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

cwelm

noun. dusk

math

noun. dusk

Cognates

  • Eq. maske “dusk” ✧ QL/059

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MAÞA “dusk” ✧ LT2A/Umboth-muilin

Element in

  • N. Math-Fuin-delos “Deadly Nightshade”
  • G. mathusgi “twilight” ✧ GL/56; LT2A/Mathusdor
  • G. mathwen “evening” ✧ GL/56; LT2A/Mathusdor
  • G. nuimath “‘second twilight’, first signs of dawn” ✧ GL/61
  • G. obromath “the twilight that follows the night, ‘second twilight’, just before dawn” ✧ GL/62
  • G. mathrin “dusk, dusky” ✧ GL/56; LT2A/Mathusdor
Gnomish [GL/56; GL/61; GL/62; LT2A/Mathusdor; LT2A/Umboth-muilin; QL/059] Group: Eldamo. Published by

naith

noun. tooth

Derivations

  • ᴱ√NAKA “bite”

Element in

Gnomish [GL/56; GL/59] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

maþa

root. dusk

This root was given as ᴱ√MASA¹ “dusk” in its main entry in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, but its Gnomish form math- indicates the true root was ᴱ√MAÞA (QL/59). This was clarified in a list of roots at the end of the M-section in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/63) and its representation as maþ- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/59). Its most notable use in the Legendarium was in the name G. Umboth-muilin “Pools (muil-plural) of Twilight (umboth)”, where G. umboth or umbath “nightfall” was derived from a strengthened form of the root, ᴱ√mbaþ- (GL/75). However, in later writings this name was reconceived as Ilk. Umboth Muilin “Veiled (muilin) Pool (umboth)”, with the first element umboth meaning “large pool” (Ety/MBOTH, MUY). The name was ultimately replaced with S. Aelin-uial (S/114), by which point the early root ᴱ√MAÞA was long abandoned.

Derivatives

  • Eq. maska “dusky, misty” ✧ QL/059
  • Eq. maske “dusk” ✧ QL/059
  • G. math “dusk” ✧ LT2A/Umboth-muilin

Element in

  • ᴱ√MBAÞA “*dusk” ✧ GL/75

Variations

  • maþ- ✧ GL/75; LT2A/Umboth-muilin
  • MASA¹ ✧ QL/059
Early Primitive Elvish [GL/75; LT2A/Umboth-muilin; QL/059; QL/063] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

histe

noun/adjective. dusk

maske

noun. dusk

Cognates

  • G. math “dusk” ✧ QL/059

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MAÞA “dusk” ✧ QL/059

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√MASA¹ > maske[maθkē] > [maθke] > [maske]✧ QL/059
Early Quenya [QL/059] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nele

noun. tooth

Derivations

  • ᴱ√NELE “point” ✧ QL/065

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√NELE > nele[neli] > [nele]✧ QL/065
Early Quenya [PME/065; QL/048; QL/065] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nyat

noun. tooth

Early Quenya [PE16/136] Group: Eldamo. Published by