aer

noun. sea

nen

noun. water

calf

noun. water-vessel

A noun appearing as N. calf “water-vessel” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√KALPA of the same meaning (Ety/KALPA). The same word appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but had the form and gloss G. calph “bucket” (GL/25).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use the spelling ᴺS. calph to make the pronunciation clear, as suggested in HSD (HSD), since final f is generally pronounced [v] in Sindarin. Given its generic gloss “water-vessel”, I would use this word for any larger vessel for holding or carrying water.

duin

noun. water, river

eithel

noun. issue of water, spring, well, fountain

harnen

place name. *South Water

nen echui

place name. Water of Awakening

nen girith

place name. Shuddering Water

calf

noun. water-vessel

eithel

noun. issue of water, spring, well

lhorn

noun. quiet water

nen

noun. water (used of a lake, pool or lesser river)

nen

noun. waterland

echui(w)

noun. awakening

lhimp

adjective. wet

nenui

adjective. wet

oer

noun. sea

calad

gerund noun. light

calad

noun. light

celon

noun. river

celw

noun. spring, source

cirban

noun. haven

cobas

place name. Haven

The bay north of Dol Amroth in early maps of Gondor from the 1940s (TI/312, WR/434), unnamed in the maps published in The Lord of the Rings. The name is similar to N. hobas “harbourage” and ᴱQ. kópas “harbour”. It was probably derived from the root ᴹ√KOP, a (rejected) variant of ᴹ√KHOP > hobas from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KOP, Ety/KHOP). See the entry on ᴹ√KHOP for details.

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

duirro

noun. river-bank

echui

noun. awakening

echuiw

noun. awakening

ethuil

noun. spring

gail

noun. bright light

gal-

prefix. light

galad

noun. light

glaur

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

glor-

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

hûb

noun. haven, harbour, small land-locked bay

iôr

noun. course

iôr

noun. course

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “course” derived from ON. yura under the root ᴹ√YUR “run” (Ety/YUR).

lhimp

adjective. wet

lhorn

noun. anchorage, harbour

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

lo

noun. flood

lorn

noun. haven

lothod

noun. (single) flower

mesc

adjective. wet

mesc

adjective. wet

mesg

adjective. wet

mesg

adjective. wet

@@@ mesc may be alternate form

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

oear

noun. sea

oear

noun. sea

oer

noun. sea

palath-ledin

place name. Gladden Fields

Earliest Elvish name for the Gladden Fields appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/114), a combination of palath “iris” and a plural (possibly Ilkorin) form of lhad “plain”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.8).

rath

noun. course, riverbed

rath

noun. street (in a city)

rhib-

verb. to flow like a (torrent ?)

The reading of the gloss is uncertain

siria-

verb. to flow

sirion

noun. great river

sîr

noun. river

sîr

noun. river

toll

noun. island, (steep) isle rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river

aer

noun. sea

Tolkien changed this word several times, see aear , gaear

nen

water

{ĕ}_ n. _water, lake. Q. nén. >> nîn

arnen

place name. Beside the Water

A name attested as an element in Emyn Arnen (LotR/750). In an essay on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69 (VT42/5-31), Tolkien indicated the name was incorrectly assembled by the local people from a mixture of Quenya and Sindarin elements: Q. ar- “beside” and S. nen “water”, thus meaning “Beside the Water” (VT42/17).

harnen

place name. *South Water

A river in southern Middle-earth (LotR/1045), a combination of the prefixal form har- of harn “south” and nen “water”.

Conceptual Development: The name N. Harnen appeared on draft maps for the Lord of the Rings from the 1940s (TI/309).

nen echui

place name. Water of Awakening

Lake by which the Elves first awoke, a combination of nen “water” and echui “awakening”, corresponding to its more commonly used Quenya name Q. Cuiviénen (SA/cuivië).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, this lake was first named G. Nenin a Gwivros (GL/29), but appeared as ᴱN. Cuinlimfin in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/23). In notes associated with the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it became N. Nen Echui (LR/406), a name that also appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/KUY). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Tolkien considered using Nenechui or Echuinen as an Elvish name of Mirrormere (TI/184), but later gave that lake the Sindarin name Nen Cenedril (RS/466).

nen girith

place name. Shuddering Water

Another name of Dimrost, translated “Shuddering Water” (S/220), a combination of nen “water” and girith “shuddering” (SA/nen, girith).

Conceptual Development: This name was already N. Nen Girith in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/130, 313; LR/140).

nen hithoel

place name. Mist-cool Water

The lake above the falls of Rauros, translated “Mist-cool Water” in Tolkien’s “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings (RC/327-8). This name is a combination of nen “water”, hîth “mist” and oel “cool” (SA/nen, hîth).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Tolkien first considered the names N. Kerin-muil and Nen-uinel (TI/364), only later settling on Nen Hithoel.

It may be that when Tolkien first conceived of this name, the final element was N. oel “lake”. Prior to the publication of The Lord of the Rings: a Reader’s Companion, this was a common theory for the meaning of this name. When Noldorin became Sindarin, the word N. oel became S. ael, as in S. Aelin-uial “Meres of Twilight”, at which point Tolkien may have then revised the etymology for Nen Hithoel as given above. Since Nen Hithoel was a comparatively late composition, however, it may be that meaning “Mist-cool Water” was always Tolkien’s intent.

nen lalaith

place name. *Water of Laughter

A stream flowing past the house of Húrin, from which his daughter Lalaith got her name (UT/58). This name is a combination of nen “water”, lalaith “laughter”.

nenning

place name. ? Water

A river in western Beleriand flowing past the haven of Eglarest (S/120). The meaning of this name is unclear, but it appears to contain nen “water” (SA/nen).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this river first appeared as Eldor, later revised to Eglor (SM/227). In The Etymologies, the name Eglor was designated Ilkorin and translated “Elf-river” (Ety/ELED), and was given as the basis for the name Ilk. Eglorest (Ety/RIS²), the earlier form of S. Eglarest. In the map revisions for the Silmarillion from the 1950s-60s, Eglor was replaced by S. Eglahir and later still by Nenning (WJ/187), which was the form used in the later Silmarillion narratives (WJ/117).

Note that the name Nenning first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s as a rejected name for the rivers N. Crandir “Redway”, which itself was an earlier name for the river Celebrant (RS/433).

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, golden water-flower, *yellow iris

Name for a flower appearing as an element in the names Sîr Ninglor “Gladden River” (UT/280) and Loeg Ningloron “Gladden Fields” (S/295). According to Christopher Tolkien, a fuller translation of Loeg Ningloron would be “Pools of the golden water-flowers” (SI/Loeg Ningloron), so that ninglor likely means “golden water-flower”, perhaps a type of “✱yellow iris” (see below). The elements of this word are likely nîn “wet” and glaur “gold (colour)”.

Conceptual Development: An earlier name for “Gladden Fields” was N. Palath-ledin in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s, where Tolkien specified that N. palath meant “iris” (TI/114). Earlier still, in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had G. nalairin “iris”, an elaboration of G. nâla “yellow-lily” (GL/59).

núrnen

place name. Sad Water, Dead Water

The inland sea in the middle of Mordor. Its final element is clearly nen “water, lake” (SA/nen). The meaning of its initial element is less clear, though it may simply incorporate the name of the region containing the sea: Nurn.

Possible Etymology: In The Lord of the Rings, this sea was described as “the dark sad waters” (LotR/923) and its name was glossed “Sad Water” in Tolkien’s “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings (RC/457). However, there is no attested Sindarin word nûr with a meaning similar to “sad”.

In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien translated the name as “Death/dead water” (PE17/87), with its first element derived from √ÑGUR “death”. Elsewhere the Sindarin word for “death” is guru, so maybe Tolkien intended the first element to be from its Quenya cognate [ᴹQ.] nuru. Perhaps the poisoned waters of Mordor made life within Núrnen difficult, like the Dead Sea of Earth.

Hammond and Scull suggested the two concepts could be related, with “sad” being used in the sense “bitter” or “unpalatable”, referring to its poisoned waters (RC/457).

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared on the first draft map of The Lord of the Rings as N. Nurnen with a short u (TI/309). It later appeared with a long u, as N. Nûrnen (WR/127) and N/S. Núrnen (SD/56).

-ló

applied to rivers always full of water

{ō} _suff. _applied to rivers always full of water, at all seasons draining from mountains, as ringlo, gwathlo.  

-lô

suffix. applied to rivers always full of water

suff. applied to rivers always full of water. >> hlô, lô, Ringlô

Bruinen

noun. loud water

brui (“loud”) + nen (“water”)

Carnen

noun. red water

car (from caran “red”) + nen (“water”)

Emyn Arnen

noun. hills beside the water [see [His.], entry arnen]

emyn (pl. of amon “hill”), ar (#from Dor. ar - “outside, beside”) + nen (“water”)

Loeg Ningloron

noun. pools of golden water-flowers (Gladden Fields)

loeg (“pool”), nîn (pl. of nen “water”) + glaur (“golden”) + on (#Nan. suffix, like in Galathon)

Nen Girith

noun. shaddering water (water of horror)

nen (“water”), girith (“shuddering, horror”)

Nen Hithoel

noun. mist-cool water

nen (“water”), hîth (“grey”) + oel (“cool”) [HKF] oel was reinterpreted by Tolkien from earlier “lake” when he decided that primitive ai yielded ae, not oe; #[His.] - “[hithoel] seems to show that words beginning with an h may resist the lenition”.

Nen Lalaith

noun. water of laughter

nen (“water”), lalaith (“laughter”)

Nenuial

noun. lake (water) of twilight

nen (“water”) + uial (“twilight”)

Núrnen

noun. sad water

#nûr (“sad”) + nen (“water”) #[His.]- the meaning of the first element is “highly hypothetical”.

Sîr Ninglor

noun. gladden (water-gold) river

sîr (“river”), nîn (pl. of nen “water”) + glaur (“gold”); not clear why the second element of Ninglor is not lenited, David Salo states that gh before a nasal could probably revert back to g, before it became zero, TolkLang message 19.31.

duin

noun. (large) river, (large) river; [N.] water

A Sindarin word for river, more specifically a large one (LotR/1138; PM/54; RC/765; VT48/24), derived from primitive ✶duinē and the root √DUY “flow (strongly), flood, inundate” (RC/766; VT48/23-24).

Conceptual Development: The first precursor to this word seems to be G. duif “stream” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from primitive ᴱ✶duiwe and related to G. duil “flight” (GL/31). The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. duin under the root ᴹ√DUI̯, but there it was a loan word from Ilk. duin “water, river”. After Tolkien abandoned Ilkorin, it became a native Sindarin word.

lhûn

deep of water

n. deep of water. Tolkien notes that this word was "applied originally to the Gulf".

lhûn

place name. Deep of Water

The Sindarin name of the river Lune (LotR/1134).

Conceptual Development: When this name first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, N. Lhûn was translated “Blue River” (TI/124), clearly based on the Noldorin word for “blue”: lhûn (Ety/LUG²). Tolkien later changed the Sindarin word for “blue” to luin, so this derivation no longer worked. At one point he even considered renaming the river to Sîr Luin, but decided against it since Lhûn already appeared on the published maps of The Lord of the Rings (VT48/28).

In notes on the nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings from 1966-7, Tolkien considered a variety of derivations for this name (PE17/136-7), ultimately connecting it to the root √(S)LOW “flow freely (fully)” from which l(h)ô “flood” was derived, as well as Q. lóne “(deep) pool”. He translated the name as “deep of water”, saying that the name originally applied to the gulf rather than the river. Later Tolkien invented another derivation, from the Dwarvish words sulûn/salôn “fall, descend swiftly” (VT48/24).

A fuller discussion of these developments can be found in Patrick Wynne’s article “The Problem of Lhûn” (VT48/26-29).

ringnen

place name. Chill-water

A lake said to be the source of the Ringló translated “Chill-water” (VT42/14), a combination of ring “cold” and nen “water”.

Ringló

noun. cold water

ring (“cold”) + lô (“shallow lake, fenland”)

aeglos

noun. icicle (a pendent spear of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water)

calph

noun. water-vessel

cell

adjective. flowing (of water)

eithel

noun. issue of water, spring, well

galad

noun. light, radiance, glittering, reflection (from jewels, glass or polished metal, or water)

iôl

noun. wash, flood-water

lorn

noun. quiet water

nen

noun. water (used of a lake, pool or lesser river)

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, gladden

nen

noun. waterland

nîn

adjective. wet, watery

nên

water

nên (lake, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn. FLOOD-WATER (or ”wash”) iôl (pl. ŷl) (RC:334, VT48:33).

nên

water

(lake, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn.

rant

water-channel

(watercourse, stream; lode, vein), pl. raint (idh raint), coll. pl. rannath

rant

water-channel

rant (watercourse, stream; lode, vein), pl. raint (idh raint), coll. pl. rannath

echui

noun. awakening

A noun for “awakening”, most notably in Nen Echui “Water of Awakening” (SA/cuivië, LR/406). It appeared as N. echui(w) “awakening” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶et-kuiwē under the root ᴹ√KUY “come to life, awake” (Ety/KUY).

Conceptual Development: The earliest name for the “Waters of Awakening” was G. Nenin a Gwivros from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, and in that document G. cwivros “awakening” appeared as a noun form of G. cwivra- “awaken (intr.)” (GL/29). ᴱN. {cuibros >>} cuivros “awakening” appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/141) before the word became echui(w) in The Etymologies of the 1930s, as noted above.

nenloth

noun. water-flower

Celos

water falling swiftly from a spring

celos (i gelos, o chelos) (freshet), pl. celys (i chelys).

Celos

water falling swiftly from a spring

celos (i gelos, o chelos) (freshet), pl. celys (i chelys).

calph

water vessel

calph (i galph, o chalph), pl. celph (i chelph). By another suggestion, if the word goes like alph "swan", the pl. forms could be ceilph (i cheilph).

calph

water vessel

(i galph, o chalph), pl. celph (i chelph). By another suggestion, if the word goes like alph "swan", the pl. forms could be ceilph (i cheilph).

celos

water falling swiftly from a spring

(i gelos, o chelos) (freshet), pl. celys (i chelys).

eithel

issue of water

eithel (spring, well), pl. eithil

eithel

issue of water

eithel (spring, well, source), pl. eithil.

eithel

issue of water

(spring, well), pl. eithil

gweleb

adjective. cool, fresh (esp. of water)

iôl

flood-water

(pl. ŷl) (RC:334, VT48:33)

lorn

quiet water

(anchorage, haven, harbour), pl. lyrn (VT45:29).

lorn

quiet water

lorn (anchorage, haven, harbour), pl. lyrn (VT45:29)

lorn

quiet water

lorn (anchorage, haven, harbour), pl. lyrn (VT45:29).

lorn

quiet water

(anchorage, haven, harbour), pl. lyrn (VT45:29)

lhûn

lhûn

applied to rivers always full of water, at all seasons draining from mountains, as ringlo, gwathlo.  

Celos

freshet

celos (i gelos, o chelos) (water falling swiftly from a spring), pl. celys (i chelys)

Nen Hithoel

Nen Hithoel

Nen Hithoel is a Sindarin name, translated by Tolkien as "Mist-cool Water" in his unfinished index of the Lord of the Rings. The elements are nen = "water", hîth = "mist" and oel "cool" (not otherwise attested). Note that the (Noldorin) word oel appeared in the earlier Etymologies of the 1930s with the meaning "pool, lake", but this word had changed to (Sindarin) ael by the time that the Lord of the Rings was written, and therefore could not have been an element of the name Nen Hithoel. Compare, for example, Aelin-uial with its earlier form Oelin-uial.

Nen Lalaith

Nen Lalaith

Nen Lalaith means "Water of Laughter" in Sindarin (from nen = "river, water" and lalaith = "laughter").

Swanfleet

Swanfleet

The name Nîn-in-Eilph is Sindarin for "water-lands of the Swans".

calph

vessel

(water vessel) calph (i galph, o chalph), pl. celph (i chelph). By another suggestion, if the word goes like alph "swan", the pl. forms could be ceilph (i cheilph).

cell

running

(adj.) cell (of water: flowing), lenited gell; pl. cill

cell

flowing

(adj., used of water) cell (running), lenited gell, pl. cill

celos

freshet

(i gelos, o chelos) (water falling swiftly from a spring), pl. celys (i chelys)

celu

spring

(of water) 1) celu (i gelu, o chelu) (source), analogical pl. cely (i chely). Archaic celw; so the coll. pl. is likely celwath. 2) (well) eithel (source, issue of water), pl. eithil.

eithel

spring

(source, issue of water), pl. eithil.

iôl

wash

(noun, flood-water) iôl (pl. ŷl) (VT48:33, RC:334)

lorn

haven

lorn (anchorage, harbour, quiet water), pl. lyrn (VT45:29)

lorn

haven

(anchorage, harbour, quiet water), pl. lyrn (VT45:29)

gaear

noun. sea

A word for “sea” variously attested as gaear (PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400), gaer (PE17/27; PE17/149), and aear (Let/386; RGEO/65) in later writings. Of these, I prefer gaear for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, reduced to gaer in compounds.

Possible Etymology: The presence or absence of the initial g- depends on whether the word’s root is √AY(AR) (as it appears in The Etymologies and some later writings) or √GAY(AR) (as it appears in other later writings). See the entry of the root √GAY(AR) for a discussion of this vacillation. Similarly, the form gaer appears primarily as an element in compounds, and can be explained as a reduced form of gaear in that context. For these reasons, this entry uses gaear as the ordinary Sindarin word for “sea”. This has the additional advantage of disambiguating it from the adjective gaer “dreadful”.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared as N. oer or oear “sea” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, reflecting the Noldorin sound change of ai to oe (Ety/AY). However name for the “Great Sea” was N. {Belegar >>} Belegaer in the narratives of this period (LR/19), and the name N. Rhûnaer “Eastern Sea” appeared in draft Lord of the Rings maps from 1943 (TI/307). The element N. oer did appear in the day-of-the-week name N. Aroeren “✱Sea-day” in drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, but this was revised to S. Oraeron (PM/130, 138).

oel

adjective. cool

nîd

wet

nîd (damp, tearful); no distinct pl. form. 4) nîn (watery); no distinct pl. form. Note: nîn is also used as a noun ”tear”; there is also the possessive pronoun nín ”my”.

nîd

wet

(damp, tearful); no distinct pl. form. 4) nîn (watery); no distinct pl. form. Note: nîn is also used as a noun ”tear”; there is also the possessive pronoun nín ”my”.

(h)law

noun. flood

aear

noun. sea

Tolkien changed this word several times, see gaear

aear

Sea

_n. _Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Q. ear. nef aear, sí nef aearon lit. 'beyond the Sea, here beyond the Great Sea'. >> gaear, gaer

aear

noun. sea

aearon

noun. great sea, ocean

Tolkien changed this word several times, see gaearon

aeglos

noun. snowthorn, a plant like furze (gorse), but larger and with white flowers

alf

noun. flower

calad

gerund noun. light

calad

noun. light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> galad

cell

adjective. running

celu

noun. spring, source

círbann

noun. haven

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

duin

noun. (long and large) river (having strong current)

duinen

noun. flood, high tide

dôr

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dôr

noun. land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land

echui

noun. awakening

elanor

noun. a flower, a kind of enlarged pimpernel bearing golden and silver flowers

elloth

noun. (single) flower

ethuil

noun. spring, spring [the season]

gaear

noun. sea

gaear

Sea

_n. _Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Shorter form gaer. Q. ear. >> aear, gaer

gaearon

noun. great sea, ocean

gaer

noun. sea

gaer

Sea

_n._Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Shorter form of gaear.Q. aire (obsolete). >> aear, gaear

gaer

noun. sea

gaeron

noun. great sea, ocean

galad

light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> calad, Caras Galadon

him

adjective. cool

him

adjective. cool

hlô

noun. flood

n. flood.

lhûn

Lhûn

topon. . This gloss was rejected.

limp

adjective. wet

loeg ningloron

place name. Gladden Fields

loen

adjective. soaking wet, swamped

lonnath

noun. havens

lorn

noun. anchorage, harbour

loth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

loth

noun. flower

_n._flower, a single bloom. Q. lóte, lōs.

lotheg

noun. (single) flower

lô

flood

n. flood.

mallos

noun. a golden flower

niphredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

nîn

wet

_ adj. _wet. Q. nenya. >> Nindalf

rath

noun. course, riverbed

rath

noun. street (in a city)

rib-

verb. to flow like a (torrent ?)

The reading of the gloss is uncertain

sirith

noun. flowing

sirith

place name. Flowing

A river in Gondor appearing on the maps of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1186), it is simply the gerund sirith “flowing” used as a name (SA/sîr, VT42/11).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, N. Sirith appeared the list of rivers of Gondor (TI/312).

sirith

noun. flowing

A word for “a flowing” used as the river-name Sirith, an abstract noun form of the root √SIR “flow” analogous to the noun tirith “watching” from √TIR “watch” (VT42/11).

sîr

noun. river

tol

noun. island, (steep) isle rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river

tuil

noun. spring

ylf

noun. drinking-vessel

ŷr

noun. course

aear

sea

aear (ocean); pl. aeair. The shorter form aer (for N oer) is maybe best avoided since it can be confused with aer "holy", unless the latter is actually a lenited form of gaer. Forms with g-, representing an alternative concept of the word for ”sea”: gaear (i **aear) (ocean), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair = i ñaeair) (PM:363), also gaer (i **aer, no distinct pl. form except with article: i ngaer = i ñaer), but homophones of the latter mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy".

aear

sea

(ocean); pl. aeair. The shorter form aer (for N oer) is maybe best avoided since it can be confused with aer "holy", unless the latter is actually a lenited form of gaer. Forms with g-, representing an alternative concept of the word for ”sea”: gaear (i ’aear) (ocean), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair = i ñaeair) (PM:363), also gaer (i ’aer, no distinct pl. form except with article: i ngaer = i ñaer), but homophones of the latter mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy".

bad

go

#bad- (i vâd, i medir), pa.t. bant. Isolated from trevad- ”traverse”.

bad

go

(i vâd, i medir), pa.t. bant. Isolated from trevad- ”traverse”.

bâr

land

(dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

calad

light

_(noun) _1) calad (i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i **aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i **âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calad

light

(i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i ’aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i ’âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calph

vessel

(i galph, o chalph), pl. celph (i chelph). By another suggestion, if the word goes like alph "swan", the pl. forms could be ceilph (i cheilph).

cell

flowing

(running), lenited gell, pl. cill

celon

river

(i gelon, o chelon), pl. celyn (pl. i chelyn)

celu

spring

(i gelu, o chelu) (source), analogical pl. cely (i chely). Archaic celw; so the coll. pl. is likely celwath.

círbann

haven

círbann (i gírbann, o chírbann, construct círban), pl. círbain (i chírbain).

círbann

haven

(i gírbann, o chírbann, construct círban), pl. círbain (i chírbain).

duin

river

(long, large river with strong current) duin (i dhuin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nuin) (VT48:24)

duin

large river

(i dhuin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nuin), coll. pl. duinath (Names:179, PM:54); compare the river-name Anduin, ”long river”.

dôr

land

1. dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413), 2) bâr (dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

dôr

land

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413)

echui

awakening

echui (echuiw). No distinct pl. form. Coll. pl. echuiwath.

echui

awakening

(echuiw). No distinct pl. form. Coll. pl. echuiwath.

edlothia

flower

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

flower

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothiad

flowering

(blossoming), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.**

ethir

of a river

(estuary), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. ethiriath. Note: a homophone means "spy".

ethuil

spring

(season) ethuil (no distinct pl. form). SPRING-SINGER, see SWALLOW

ethuil

spring

(no distinct pl. form).

gail

light

(adjective) 1) gail (bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18), 2) lim (clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

gail

light

(bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18)

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer).

glawar

sunlight

(i ’lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

gwaloth

collection of flowers

(i ’waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i ’oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18). Specific flowers, see

him

cool

him (lenited chim; no distinct pl. form). Note that homophones include both the adjective ”steadfast, abiding” and the adverb ”continually”.

him

cool

(lenited chim; no distinct pl. form). Note that homophones include both the adjective ”steadfast, abiding” and the adverb ”continually”.

hûb

haven

hûb (i chûb, o chûb, contruct hub) (harbor, small landlocked bay), pl. huib (i chuib)

hûb

haven

(i chûb, o chûb, contruct hub) (harbor, small landlocked bay), pl. huib (i chuib)

iôl

wash

(pl. ŷl) (VT48:33, RC:334)

lim

light

(clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

limp

adjective. wet

limp

wet

(no distinct pl. form).

lind

river

”singer” may also be used of rivers (see

loen

soaking wet

(swamped), no distinct pl. form.

lond

haven

lond (harbour, pass, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294)

lond

haven

(harbour, pass, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294)

loth

flower

loth, pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

flower

pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

lotheg

single flower

lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”).

mesc

wet

1. mesc (lenited vesc, pl. misc). Also spelt mesg. 2) limp (no distinct pl. form). 3)

mesc

wet

(lenited vesc, pl. misc). Also spelt mesg.

nand

wide grassland

(construct nan) (valley), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36);

parth

enclosed grassland

(i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth);

rath

course

rath (climb, climbing path, street, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rath

course

(climb, climbing path, street, riverbed), pl. raist (idh raist) (UT:255)

rimma

flow like a torrent

(i rimma, idh rimmar)

siria

flow

(vb.) siria- (i hiria, i siriar).

siria

flow

(i hiria, i siriar).

sirith

flowing

(noun) sirith (i hirith, o sirith) (stream), no distinct pl. except with article (i sirith)

sirith

flowing

(i hirith, o sirith) (stream), no distinct pl. except with article (i sirith)

sîr

river

1. (also = rill) sîr (i hîr, o sîr), in compounds sir- or -hir or -hír; no distinct pl. form except with article (i sîr), coll. pl. siriath. Note: sîr is also the adverb ”today”. 2) celon (i gelon, o chelon), pl. celyn (pl. i chelyn), 3) The word lind ”singer” may also be used of rivers (see . (WJ.309).

sîr

river

(i hîr, o sîr), in compounds sir- or -hir or -hír; no distinct pl. form except with article (i sîr), coll. pl. siriath. Note: sîr is also the adverb ”today”.

toll

island

toll (i doll, o tholl, construct tol), pl. tyll (i thyll)

toll

island

(i doll, o tholl, construct tol), pl. tyll (i thyll)

tuia

spring

(verb) tuia- (i duia, i thuiar) (swell, sprout)

tuia

spring

(i duia, i thuiar) (swell, sprout)

yr

course

; no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. yrath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iôr.

ŷr

course

*ŷr (construct yr; no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. yrath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iôr.

nen

root. water, water, [ᴱ√] flow

A root connected to water and (to a lesser extent) rivers for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appearance was as ᴱ√NENE “flow” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though Tolkien marked both the root and the gloss with a “?”; it had derivatives like ᴱQ. nen “river, †water” and ᴱQ. nēnu “yellow water lily” (QL/65). Under this entry Tolkien noted that “nen water is perhaps different from nen river, which is from neře” (QL/65); elsewhere in QL Tolkien gave ᴱ√NERE² or ᴱ√NEŘE [NEÐE] as the basis for nen (nend-) “river”, a root he said was often confused with ᴱ√NESE “give to feed; feed, pasture; graze” (QL/66). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon he had G. nenn “(1) water, (2) river” and G. nendil “water fay” which were probably a blending of NENE and NEÐE, as well as G. nern “brook” from ✱nere¹ (GL/60), probably corresponding to ᴱ√NERE² from QL.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had unglossed ᴹ√NEN with derivatives like ᴹQ. nén/N. nen “water” and ᴹQ. nelle “brook” (Ety/NEN), whereas ᴱ√NERE² and ᴱ√NEÐE from the 1910s seems to have been abandoned. The primitive form √NEN or nē̆n “water” continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s writings from the 1940s, 50s and 60s (PE17/52, 167; PE19/102; PE21/64, 79).

nenda

noun. water

nē̆n

noun. water

kel

root. flow (down or away), run (of water or rivers), go away, flow (down or away), run (of water or rivers), go away, [ᴹ√] run away especially downwards or at end; [ᴱ√] ooze, trickle

√KEL was established as the root for “flow” very early in Tolkien’s Elvish languages, also with the variant vocalic extension √KELU. ᴱ√KELE appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “flow, run” and also “ooze, trickle”, though the latter sense did not appear in later writing (QL/46). It also had a variant ᴱ√KELU elsewhere compared to ᴱ√QEL+U of similar meaning (QL/75). It had derivatives in both Qenya and Gnomish such as ᴱQ. kelu- “flow”, G. celu- “trickle” and ᴱQ. kelu(me)/G. celu “stream” (QL/75; GL/25).

The root ᴹ√KEL reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s where it seems to have an added connotation of “flow downwards”, given its gloss “go, run (especially of water), flow away downhill” (Ety/KEL). This more specific meaning to the root continued to appear in later writings, with glosses such as 1930s “flow, flow away, run (of rivers)” (PE18/58), 1940s “run away especially downwards or at end” (PE22/114), 1950s “go away, flow away or flow down (of water)” (PE18/103), and 1960s “flow (down)” (PE17/157). The u-extension ✶kelu with the (continuative?) sense “flow, well up” remained common throughout all these periods as well (PE18/86; PE22/98, 133, 135).

Starting with The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien compared this root with etymological variants √KWEL “fade (away), die away, grow faint” and √KYEL “come to an end, cease, run out” (Ety/KWEL, KYEL; PE18/58, 103), and indeed Tolkien used it as one of his basic examples of such etymological variations:

> There existed in Quenderin 1. √KEL “flow, flow away, run (of rivers)”. Of this simple base, since the initial variation is possible, while the sundóma is the same 2. √KJEL “cease, come to an end”, and 3. √KWEL “fade, die away, grow faint” may be regarded as differentiated variants (second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa, TQ2, circa 1950, PE18/103).

A similar note appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/58). Likewise ✶kelu was one of his main examples of variant vocalic extensions:

> This “variant extension” always had the form i or u. It appears in many cases where its original function is no longer discoverable, if indeed that was more than to serve as a euphonic connecting link to affixes. But the added element [u] often appears as a differentiator as in kel¹-u beside kel², and some old verbs have a fixed u as the end of their base (TQ2, PE18/86).

In the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, it seems that √KYEL “end” was replaced by √TEL “close, end, come to an end” (WJ/411) as indicated by the replacement of 1930s ᴹQ. tyelma “ending” (LR/72) by later Q. telma “conclusion” (WJ/411). In a 1967 note the etymological variant √KYEL seems to have been assigned a new meaning “go down slowly”, which served as the basis for Q. tyellë “grade, a step in a stairway or ladder” (PE17/157).

To summarize, the base root √KEL meant “flow (down)” for pretty much all of Tolkien’s life, usually used with a variant vocalic extension √KELU, and starting in the 1930s it had etymological variants √KWEL and √KYEL, with √KWEL always meaning “fade (away), die” and √KYEL meaning “cease, end” from the 1930s to 40s, but changing to “go down slowly” sometime between the 1950 and 1967 (but probably before the 1st edition of LotR), with “end” being reassigned to √TEL by 1960. See the entry on √TEL for further discussion of those developments.

et-kelē

noun. spring, issue of water

et-kel

verb. spring out (of water)

lō

noun. lying water

eph Reconstructed

root. emerge (especially from water, opp[osite] of dive)

sub

root. sink (esp. in water)

ay(ar)

root. sea

duinē

noun. (large) river

nēnā

adjective. wet

slōno

place name. Lhûn

galab

root. flower

galmā

noun. flower

kalat

noun. light

lot(h)

root. flower

This root and ones like it were connected to flowers for all of Tolkien’s life. The earliest manifestation of this root was ᴱ√LOHO or ᴱ√LO’O from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s; the entry for ᴱ√LOHO appears immediately below ᴱ√LO’O, and Tolkien indicates they are related roots, both extended from ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/55). These roots include derivatives like ᴱQ. lōte “flower”, ᴱQ. lotōrea “flourishing” and ᴱQ. lokta- “sprout, bud, put forth leaves or flowers”. There are also derivatives of these roots in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. lost “blossom, bloom”, G. lothli “floret”, G. luitha- “to bloom” (GL/54-55), though G. lôs “flower” was said to be unrelated, connected to G. lass “leaf” instead (GL/55). ᴱQ. losse “rose” probably had a similar derivation (QL/56).

This confusion of √LOT(H) and √LOS carried forward into Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LOT(H) was given as the root for “flower” (Ety/LOT(H)), but this entry originally included a variant ᴹ√LOS (EtyAC/LOT(H)). Tolkien then said ᴹQ. losse “blossom” (< ᴹ√LOT(H)) was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H)), where ᴹQ. olosse was derived from ᴹ√GOLOS “✱snow, white” (Ety/GOLÓS). This intermingling carried forward into etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said (PE17/26):

> The stems √LŎS, √LOTH, √LOT are much entangled both for formal reasons, and because of actual associations of meaning (probably from beginning of Primitive Quendian and explaining the approach of the forms). Quenya word for “flower, a single bloom” is lóte, but S loth (< lotho/a), but Quenya also has lōs. Q. for snow is losse (S los).

These associations were also mentioned in etymological notes on roots for flowers from this same period, where Tolkien clarified that √LOT, √LOTH were the roots for “flower” and √LOS for “snow” (PE17/160-161). These roots were mentioned again in notes associated with The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69 (VT42/18):

> S. loss is a derivative of (G)LOS “white”; but loth is from LOT. Sindarin used loss as a noun, but the strengthened form gloss as an adjective “(dazzling) white”. loth was the only derivative of LOT that it retained, probably because other forms of the stem assumed a phonetic shape that seemed inappropriate, or were confusible with other stems (such as LUT “float”), e.g. ✱lod, ✱lûd. loth is from a diminutive lotse and probably also from derivative lotta-.

In this last note, Tolkien seems to have abandoned √LOTH, explaining S. loth “flower” as derived from √LOT via ✱lotse. In any case, starting in the 1930s Tolkien was consistent that the roots for “flower” and “snow” were distinct but often confused, and that snow-words were derived from roots like √(G)LOS and flower words from roots like √LOT(H), though he waffled a bit on the exact details.

lotho/a

noun. flower

lotse

noun. flower

ndorē

noun. land

ndōro

noun. land

sir

root. flow

The root √SIR and similar roots meant “flow” for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] “flow” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variant sini and derived forms like ᴱQ. sindi “river” and ᴱQ. síre “stream” (QL/84). The latter word became “river” in Tolkien’s later writings, and words appearing in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon like G. sîr “river” and G. siriol “flowing” (GL/67-68) rather than ✱✱sidh- indicate Tolkien very early revised the root to ✱ᴱ√SIRI. Indeed, the root was ᴹ√SIR “flow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, and the root appeared with this form and essential meaning several times in Tolkien’s later writings (PE22/127, 135).

swal

root. wash

A root meaning “wash” appearing in Eldarin Pronouns, Demonstratives, and Correlatives (EP1) from the early 1950s (PE23/122). Compare with ᴱ√SOVO “wash” from the 1910s, and ᴹ√POY “✱clean” from the 1930s.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would use this root as the basis for “wash” as a verb, but retain ᴱ√SOVO >> Neo-Root ᴺ√SOW as the basis for “bath” nouns.

tollă

noun. island

likwis

root. clear, transparent

nén

noun. water, water, [ᴱQ.] river

The word for “water”, a derivative of the root √NEN of the same meaning (PE17/52; Ety/NEN). Its stem form was nen- (Ety/NEN) and its primitive form was given as ✶nē̆n, the vowel length variation due to distinct subjective nēn versus objective/inflected nĕn- in ancient monosyllables (PE21/64).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with two senses: “river” and (archaic) “†water”. Tolkien indicated the two senses were based on distinct roots: ᴱ√NEŘE [NEÐE] and ᴱ√NENE respectively, with two distinct stem forms nend- and nēn (QL/64-65). The Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa also mentions the forms nen (nēn-) “water” versus nen(d-) “river” (PME/64-65). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the mid-1920s Tolkien had both nēn “river” (PE15/76) and nēn “water” (PE15/78), but in the Early Qenya Grammar he had only nēn “water” (PE14/43, 72), also appearing as nen “water” in documents on The Valmaric Script from this period (PE14/110).

In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. nēn “water”, but in this document it had nēn- with long ē in its inflected forms as well (PE21/23). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, uninflected nén “water” had a stem form of nen- with short e (Ety/NEN), and the reasons for this variation was discussed in Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, the nominative/objective distinction noted above (PE21/64). This seems to be the paradigm Tolkien stuck with thereafter, as evidenced by S. nen “water” rather than ✱✱nîn.

Nénar

water

Nénar noun name of a star (or planet), evidently derived from nén "water" (Silm), tentatively identified with Uranus (MR:435)

Uinen

water

Uinen (Uinend-, as in dative Uinenden) fem. name, used of a Maia, spouse of Ossë (UY, NEN). Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:404), though it is also said that it contains -nen "water" (SA:nen); the latter explanation may be folk etymology. In the Etymologies, the name is derived from the same stem (UY) as uilë "long trailing plant, especially seaweed".

nén

water

nén (nen-) noun "water" (NEN).

cuiviénen

place name. Water of Awakening

The lake where the Elves first awoke (S/48), a compound of cuivië “awakening” and nén “water” (SA/cuivië, nen).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, the name appeared as a plural: ᴱQ. Koivie-néni “Waters of Awakening” (LT1/85). In The Lays of Beleriand, the name was changed to singular ᴱQ. Cuiviénen (LB/23). It keep this form in most later writings, sometimes written with a “C” and sometimes with a “K”, as in ᴹQ. Kuiviénen (LR/168, Ety/KUY). Tolkien also sometimes used Coivie- rather than Cuivie- in later writings (PE21/33; PE23/134).

ehtelë

noun. spring, issue of water

A noun glossed “spring, issue of water”, derived from the primitive form ✶et-kelē, literally “✱out-flow”, but in ancient times the [tk] was transposed to [kt] giving ektelē (SA/kel; Ety/KEL). In Quenya, this kt became ht [xt].

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, this word appeared as ᴱQ. ektele “fountain”, a variant of ᴱQ. kektele (QL/35). This word was mentioned in a number of other documents from this period, including the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/31), the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/46), and the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/23). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it appeared as ᴱQ. ehtil (PE13/136, 158). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as ᴹQ. ehtele with the gloss and derivation given above (Ety/ET, KEL).

nendili

collective name. Water-lovers

A name of the Teleri as lovers of the sea (WJ/411). It is a compound of nén “water” and the plural form of the suffix -(n)dil “-lover”. It is similar in origin to their other name Falmari.

nenya

proper name. (Ring) of Water

One of the three Elvish rings of power, the Ring of Water (S/288). It is a combination of nén “water” and the adjectival suffix -ya.

nísinen

place name. *Fragrant Water

A lake near Eldalondë “so named from the abundance of sweet-smelling shrubs and flowers that grew upon its banks” (UT/168). This name might be a compound of the verbal element nis- (“to smell sweetly”?) seen in nísima “fragrant” and the noun nén “water”, therefore meaning something like “✱Fragrant Water” (as suggested by Helge Fauskanger, QQ/Nísinen).

Nendili

water-lovers

Nendili noun "Water-lovers", the most frequently used "title" or secondary name of the Lindar (Teleri) (WJ:411) Sg. #Nendil.

Nísinen

fragrance-water

Nísinen noun *"Fragrance-water", a lake in Númenor (UT:168)

calpa

water-vessel

calpa ("k") (1) noun "water-vessel" (KALPA), "bucket, vessel" (QL:47)

calpa-

verb. draw water, scoop out, bale out

calpa- ("k") (2) vb. "draw water, scoop out, bale out" (KALPA)

capalinda

spring of water

capalinda _("k")_noun "spring of water" (LT1:257; ehtelë may be preferred in LotR-style Quenya)

celussë

freshet, water falling out swiftly from a rocky spring

celussë ("k")noun "freshet, water falling out swiftly from a rocky spring" (UT:426, VT49:30)

ehtelë

issue of water, spring

ehtelë noun "issue of water, spring" (SA:kel-, KEL, ET). Compare "Qenya" ectelë ("k")"fountain" (LT1:257, LT2:338; in LotR-style Quenya ehtelë).

hlóna

river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains

[hlóna (2) noun "a river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains" (VT48:27; the word is marked with a query and the note containing it rejected; it was apparently replaced by lón, q.v.)]

nénu

yellow water-lily

nénu noun "yellow water-lily" (LT1:248)

celu-

verb. spring forth (of water)

cuivië

noun. awakening

A word for “awakening”, most notably an element in the word Cuiviénen “Water of Awakening” (S/48). It was derived from the root √KUY (Ety/KUY). In a few places it appeared as kuive instead (PE17/68; Ety/KUY).

Conceptual Development: The earliest form for “Waters of Awakening” was ᴱQ. Koivie-néni (LT1/85), and ᴱQ. koivie was glossed as “awakening” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/48). It was glossed “liveliness” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, however, and ᴱQ. qîvie was “awakening” (GL/29).

ef-

verb. to emerge (especially from water)

suv-

verb. to sink (esp. in water)

súsa

noun. bath water, hot water

cuivië

awakening

cuivië noun "awakening" (early "Qenya" coivië, q.v., but this word Tolkien later used = *"life"). In Cuiviénen, "Water of Awakening" (SA:cuivië, SA:nen, KUY; spelt with a k_ in the Etymologies). Somewhat surprisingly, cuivië is used to mean "life" in cuivie-lancassë ("k"), literally 'on the brink of life' ("of a perilous situation in which one is likely to fall into death") (VT42:8)_ The form coivië is used for "life" elsewhere.

linquë

wet

linquë ("q") (1) adj. "wet" _(LINKWI). In early "Qenya", this word was glossed "water" (LT1:262)_, and "wet" was linqui or liquin, q.v.

nanda

vale (wide)

nanda noun "vale (wide)" (PE17:80), "water-mead, watered plain" (NAD)

nen

river

nen noun "river" (LT1:248), "river, water" (LT1:262) (In Tolkien's later Quenya, nén with a long vowel means "water", but hardly "river" - that is sírë.)

nenya

wet

nenya adj. "wet" (PE17:52), also néna, q.v. Nenya as the name of a Ring of Power seems to imply *"(thing) related to water", since this Ring was associated with that element (SA:nen).

nór

land

nór noun "land" (stem nor-, PE17:106) this is land as opposed to water and sea (nor in Letters:308). Cf. nórë.

tol

island, isle

tol noun "island, isle" (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from the river, SA:tol, VT47:26). In early "Qenya", the word was defined as "island, any rise standing alone in water, plain of green, etc" (LT1:269). The stem is toll-; the Etymologies as published in LR gives the pl. "tolle" (TOL2), but this is a misreading for tolli (see VT46:19 and compare LT1:85). The primitive form of tol is variously cited as ¤tolla (VT47:26) and ¤tollo (TOL2).

luimë

flood

luimë noun "flood" (VT48:23, 30; the additional glosses "floodwater, flooded land" were struck out, VT48:30), "flood, high tide" (VT48:24, 30). According to VT48:30, partially illegible glosses in Tolkien's manuscript may also suggest that luimë can be used for any tide, or for the spring tide (the maximum tide just after a new or full moon).

váya

sea

váya noun "sea" (considered as "waters, motion"). The wording of the source indicates that Tolkien only tentatively considered such a word (PE17:33)

cuiviénen

Cuiviénen

The Quenya name Cuiviénen (cuivië "awakening" + nen "water") means "water of awakening".[source?]

-(n)duinë

suffix. (large) river

An element in several river names such as Q. Anduinë and Q. Nunduinë, the equivalent of S. duin. It did not survive as an independent word in Quenya:

> Common Eldarin bases DUY and LUY, for instance, were distinct. DUY meant “to flood, drench, inundate”, but LUY was the base of words for “blue”. Both would become LUY in Quenya. Which probably accounts for the disappearance from Quenya of C.E. ✱duinē “large river (liable to flood surrounding land)” seen in [S.] Anduin “long river” and Baranduin “brown river”: it became identical with [Q.] luine adj. “blue” (VT48/23).

In fact, its use in Quenya river names may have been a later loan from Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: In one place Tolkien did consider the suffix’s survival as an archaic independent Quenya noun †nuine, but Tolkien rejected the note where it appeared, replacing it with the above (VT48/30 note #2).

nenda

adjective. wet

sír(ë)

noun. river, river, [ᴱQ.] stream

The most common Quenya word for “river”, derived from the root √SIR “flow”.

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as ᴱQ. sīre “stream” as a derivative of ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] (QL/84), and this form and gloss also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/84). The form ᴹQ. siri- “river” appeared in the Declension of Nouns (DN) from the early 1930s, along with uninflected sire with short i and various inflected forms with siry- (PE21/10). The form sīre “river” with long ī appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√SIR “flow” (Ety/SIR; EtyAC/SIR). In several notes from the mid-1960s, it appeared in monosyllabic form sír (PE17/65) or sīr (VT49/17), but it had dual form siryat from the late 1960s implying a stem form of sirĭ- and a development similar to that of DN from the early 1930s (VT47/11).

Neo-Eldarin: Its form síre is probably better known and more commonly used in Neo-Quenya. For example this is the typical form in Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT).

ranta

noun. course

-duinë

suffix. (large) river

-ndor

land

-ndor, final element in compounds: "land" (Letters:308, UT:253)

airen

noun. sea

airë

sea

airë (2) noun "sea" (the form airen is given, intended as a genitive singular when Tolkien wrote this; in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be a dative sg.) (AYAR/AIR; cf. airon)

airë

noun. sea

An archaic word for “sea” which fell out of use to due conflict with “holy” words like aira or airë; it was a noun form of primitive ✶gaı̯ră (PE17/27). The more common modern word for “sea” is ëar.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. aire “sea” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√AYAR (Ety/AY); it appeared beside a form ᴹQ. airen that might be a genitive form, or might be a longer form; see the entry on ᴹQ. airon for discussion.

alba

noun. flower

alma

flower

alma (2) "flower" (PE17:153), said to be the "usual Quenya word" or "general Quenya word" (i.e. for flower), but its coexistence with #1 is problematic. Compare lós, lótë, lotsë, indil.

alma

noun. flower

A word for “flower” derived from primitive ✶galmā in notes on flowers in the same bundle containing Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 (PE17/153). Initially Tolkien said alma meant both “a blessed thing and a flower”, then said that Q. almë was “a blessed thing” and alba was “flower” (< √GAL-AB), before saying that alma was “flower”. Tolkien implied that alma was a usual or general word for “flower” in Quenya. These same notes also said the word alda < ✶galadā was used mainly of flowering trees. It seems in this instance Tolkien connected the root √GAL (normally just “grow, flourish”) specifically to flowers, giving it the gloss “bloom” along with other glosses like “grow, flourish, be vigorous”.

Neo-Quenya: Elsewhere alda was the general word for a “tree” and √GAL had no special connection to flowers. I think alma as a “flower” word was a transient idea. I would use lótë “flower” instead for purposes of Neo-Quenya, since it is much better established.

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

celusindi

river

celusindi _("k")_noun "river" (LT1:257; hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, where the terms sírë and sirya appear instead)

cuivë

awakening

cuivë ("k")noun "awakening" (KUY)

cuivë

noun. awakening

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

hópa

haven, harbour, small landlocked bay

hópa noun "haven, harbour, small landlocked bay" (KHOP)

insil

noun. flower

TQ. flower, lily

lelya-

verb. go, proceed (in any direction), travel

lelya- (1) vb. "go, proceed (in any direction), travel", pa.t. lendë / elendë (WJ:363, VT14:5, PE17:139) At one point Tolkien assigned a more specific meaning to the underlying root LED: "go away from the speaker or the point in mind, depart" (PE17:52), which would make lelya- a near synonym of auta-. The same source denies that the derivatives of _LED _were used simply for "go, move, travel", but elsewhere Tolkien assigns precisely that meaning to lelya-.

lenna-

verb. go

lenna- vb. "go", pa.t. lendë "went" (LED; cf. lelya-). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word lenna- wrongly appears as **linna-; see VT45:27.

linqui

wet

linqui ("q")adj. "wet" (MC:216; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

liquin

wet

liquin ("q")adj. "wet" (LT1:262; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

lutta-

verb. flow, float

lutta- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)

lutu-

verb. flow, float

lutu- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)

lóna

island, remote land difficult to reach

lóna (2) noun "island, remote land difficult to reach" (LONO (AWA) ). Obsoleted by #1 above?

lós

flower

lós (þ?) noun "flower" (PE17:26). If this is to be the cognate of Sindarin loth, as the source suggests, the older Quenya form would be *lóþ.

lóte

noun. flower

lótë

flower

lótë noun "flower", mostly applied to larger single flowers (LOT(H), LT1:259, VT42:18). (The shorter form -lot occurs in compounds, e.g. fúmellot, q.v.) In the names Ninquelóte *"White-flower" (= Nimloth), Vingilótë "Foam-flower", the name of Eärendil's ship (SA:loth), also in Lótessë fifth month of the year, "May" (Appendix D). See also olótë, lotsë.

lúto

flood

lúto noun "flood" (LT1:249)

men-

verb. go

#men- (4) vb. "go" (VT47:11, cf. VT42:30, VT49:23), attested in the aorist (menë) in the sentence imbi Menel Cemenyë menë Ráno tië "between Heaven and Earth goes the path of the Moon". In the verb nanwen- "return" (or go/come back), -men- is changed to -wen- following nan- "back" (etymological form cited as nan-men-, PE17:166). In examples from VT49:23, 24, Tolkien used men- in the sense of "go as far as": 1st person sg. aorist menin (menin coaryanna "I arrive at [or come/get to] his house"), endingless aorist menë, present tense ména- "is on point of arrival, is just coming to an end", past tense mennë "arrived, reached", in this tense usually with locative rather than allative (mennen sís "I arrive[d] here"), perfect eménië "has just arrived", future menuva "will arrive". All of these examples were first written with the verb as ten- rather than men-, Tolkien then emending the initial consonant.

missë

wet, damp, rain

[missë] adj.ornoun "wet, damp, rain" (VT45:35)

mixa

wet

mixa ("ks")adj. "wet" (MISK); later sources have néna, nenya

nanda

noun. vale (wide)

nenya

adjective. wet

ninda

adjective. wet

norima

adjective. running

nuinë

suffix. river

néna

wet

néna adj. "wet" (PE17:167). Cf. nenya, mixa.

néna

adjective. wet

nór

noun. land

A term for “land” as in “(dry) land as opposed to the sea”, mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/413) and again in notes from around 1968 (PE17/106-107).

Possible Etymology: In the Quendi and Eldar essay this term was derived from primitive ✶ndōro, but in the aforementioned 1968 notes Tolkien clarified that its stem form was nŏr-. This means it was probably derived from ancient ✱ndŏr-, where the long vowel in the uninflected form was inherited from the Common Eldarin subjective form ✱ndōr, a phenomenon also seen in words like nér (ner-) “man”. I prefer this second derivation, as it makes the independent word more distinct from the suffixal form -ndor or -nóre used in the names of countries.

nóre

noun. land

nórë

land

nórë noun "land" (associated with a particular people) (WJ:413), "country, land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live, race, clan" (NŌ, NDOR, BAL), also used = "race, tribe, people" (SA:dôr, PE17:169; however, the normal word for "people" is lië). Early "Qenya" hasnórë "native land, nation, family, country" (in compounds -nor) (LT1:272)

oar

child of the sea, merchild

oar (2) noun "child of the sea, merchild" (LT1:263; hardly valid in Tolkien's later Quenya)

oaris

mermaid

oaris (oarits-), also oarwen, noun "mermaid" (LT1:263; read perhaps ëar- for oar- in LotR-style Quenya)

sindi

river

sindi noun "river" (LT1:265; rather sírë in LotR-style Quenya)

sir-

verb. flow

sir- (1) vb. "flow" (SIR)

sir-

verb. flow

sirea

adjective. flowing, liquid

sirilla

flowing

sirilla participle *"flowing", "Qenya" participle of siri- "flow" (Narqelion, cf. QL:xiv)

sirya

river

#sirya noun "river", attested in the dual form siryat (VT47:11). Compare sírë.

sirya

verb. flow

sovo-

verb. wash

sovo- vb. "wash" (read perhaps #sov- if the verb is to be adapted to LotR-style Quenya, since Tolkiens later versions of the language do not seem to have o-stem verbs), pa.t. sóvë (QL:86)

sír

river

sír noun "river", shorter form of sirë (PE17:65, VT49:17)

sírë

river

sírë noun "river" (SIR, VT46:13), "stream" (LT1:265). Also short form sír, q.v.Compare #sirya.

tuilë

spring, spring-time

tuilë noun "spring, spring-time", also used = "dayspring, early morn" (VT39:7, TUY), in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 54 days, but also used without any exact definition. Cf. tuilérë, q.v. (Appendix D) - In early "Qenya", the word tuilë is glossed "Spring", but it is said that it literally refers to a "budding", also used collectively for "buds, new shoots, fresh green" (LT1:269). Cf. tuima in Tolkien's later Quenya.

tuilë

noun. spring, spring, [ᴹQ.] spring-time, [ᴱQ.] (lit.) a budding; buds, new shoots, fresh green

ulundë

flood

ulundë noun "flood" (ULU), possibly in the sense of (great) river.% Cf. nuinë, oloirë.

vanya-

verb. go, depart, disappear

vanya- (2) vb. "go, depart, disappear", pa.t. vannë (WAN). The verb auta- may have replaced this word in Tolkien's later conception.

vëa

sea

vëa (3) noun "sea" (MC:213, 214, 216; possibly obsoleted by #1 and #2 above, though some argue that the initial element of the late names Vëantur and Vëandur [q.v.] could be vëa #3 rather than #2 (it can hardly be #1) . In any case, the normal word for "sea" in LotR-style Quenya seems to be ëar.) Inflected vëan "sea" (MC:220), vëar "in sea" (a "Qenya" locative in -r, MC:213), vëassë "on sea" (MC:220). Cf. also vëaciryo.

wet

wet

wet, see we #2

ëar

sea

ëar noun "sea" (AYAR/AIR [gives also dat. sg. ëaren],WJ:413; see Letters:386 for etymology). Not to be confused with the pl. form of the verb ëa "be, exist". Pl. ëari "seas" (FS, LR:47); Eär "the Great Sea" (cf. ëaron "ocean"), ablative Eärello "from the Great Sea", et Eärello "out of the Great Sea" (EO). Eärë noun "the open sea" (SD:305). Compound ëaruilë noun "seaweed" (UY). Found in proper names like Eärendil "Sea-friend", Eärendur masc. name, *"Sea-servant"; in effect a variant of Eärendil(Appendix A). Eärendur was also used ="(professional) mariner" (Letters:386).Fem. name Eärwen "Sea-maiden" (Silm); Eärrámë "Sea-wing", "Wings of the Sea", name of Tuor's ship (RAM, AYAR/AIR, SA)

dóri-

noun. land

Isolated from Lindórinan. The independent form of the word may differ; it is unclear where the i of the compound Lindórinan comes from. In the Etymologies, the Eldarin words for "land" are derived from a stem NDOR "dwell, stay, rest, abide" (LR:376).

No Nandorin word is there listed, but Sindarin dor is derived from primitive ndorê. Notice, however, that Tolkien many years later derived the Eldarin words for "land" from a stem DORO "dried up, hard, unyielding" (WJ:413). However, this later source does confirm that the Primitive Quendian form was ndorê, now thought to be formed by initial enrichment d > nd. This is defined as "the hard, dry land as opposed to water or bog", later developing the meaning "land in general as opposed to sea", and finally also "a land" as a particular region, "with more or less defined bounds".

Whether dóri- actually comes from ndorê is highly doubtful (this would rather yield *dora in Nandorin), but it must be derived from the same set of stems.

duinë

noun. (large) river

cala

noun. light

twílë

noun. spring

azra

noun. sea

The Adûnaic word for “sea” (SD/429), appearing as azar in some early texts (SD/305). It is fully declined on SD/431.

khibil

noun. spring

A noun translated “spring” and fully declined as an example of a Strong I noun (SD/430).

pharaz

noun. sea

A draft word for “sea”, deleted and replaced with azar (SD/305), which later become azra. This word reappeared later with a different meaning: pharaz “gold”.

thâni

noun. land

A noun translated “land” (SD/435) appearing in the Adûnaic names for the Blessed Realm: Amatthâni and thâni’nAmân. Its Primitive Adûnaic form was also ✶thāni, though its primitive was glossed “realm" (SD/420).

zâyan

noun. land

An Adûnaic word for “land” (SD/423). It has an irregular plural form zâin which is the result of the phonetic change (SD/423): [[pad|medial [w] and [j] vanished before [u] and [i]]]. Thus, the archaic plural changed from †zâyîn > zâîn > zâin.

Conceptual Development: In earlier names this word appeared as zen (SD/378, 385).