norno

noun. oak

A word appearing as norno “oak” in both The Etymologies of the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s derived from primitive ✶[[p|dor[o]no]] and the root ᴹ√DORON (PE19/80; Ety/DÓRON). The appearance of an initial n- is unusual, since generally [[aq|initial [d] became [l]]] in Ancient Quenya. But sometimes ancient [[aq|initial [d] assimilated to following nasal]] instead, as was the case with this word.

Conceptual Development: Variants of this word date all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which had ᴱQ. nor (norn-) “oak” and ᴱQ. norne “oak-tree” under the early root ᴱ√NOŘO [NDOÐO?] (QL/67). The form ᴱQ. norne “oak” was mentioned in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/140), but it became ᴹQ. norno in The Etymologies of the 1930s, as noted above.

Neo-Quenya: Tolkien introduced words Q. nordo and S. norð “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25), possibly to avoid conflict with Norno “Dwarf” (WJ/388). I prefer the form norno “oak” as better-established and more etymologically interesting.