ala

root. spread‽

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “spread”, though Tolkien marked the gloss with a question mark (QL/29). Its most notable derivative was ᴱQ. alda “tree”, and the Gnomish cognates of this word likewise began with a. In later writings, Tolkien gave a new etymology for this Quenya word from the root ᴹ√GALAD with Sindarin/Noldorin cognate galadh (Ety/GALAD; Let/426). The basic sense of the early root ᴱ√ALA² “spread” may have evolved into the later root √GAL “grow, flourish”.

ala

root. gaze‽

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “gaze”, though Tolkien marked the gloss with a question mark (QL/29). One of its notable derivatives was ᴱQ. ala “behold, look”, which was probably later replaced with Q. ela “behold”. It is unlikely this root remained valid in Tolkien’s later writing, giving the many conflicting uses to which he gave √AL.

lā

root. spread‽

kala

root. shine golden

n(d)ala Reconstructed

root. ring, play

ðana

root. day

A primitive form in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives meaning “day” (GL/38). There were a variety of different roots for “day” in later writings such ᴹ√AR or √UR.

ū

root. not