alm

noun. elm-tree

A noun for “elm-tree” derived from the root ᴹ√(L)ALAM (Ety/ÁLAM). It does not seem to be a direct cognate with either ᴹQ. alalme or N. lalf. Helge Fauskanger suggested it might be derived from a primitive form ✱✶almā (AL-Nandorin/alm), but I think it may instead be derived from ✱✶alamā.

My rationale is that this word did not go through the [[dan|vowel-breaking before a cluster starting with liquid [l] or [r]]] seen in other words like ealc. This can be explained if, at the time of vowel-breaking, this word had the form alamā̆, and thus had no applicable cluster of consonants. The middle [a] would then be lost later through the Danian syncope.

alm

noun. back (from shoulder [to shoulder]), back (from shoulder to shoulder), [G.] shoulders

The noun G. alm appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with the glosses “the broad of back from shoulder to shoulder, the back, shoulders” along with a deleted variant {aldum} (GL/19). In this document it was derived from primitive ᴱ✶alđam-, and was clearly related to ᴱQ. al(da)mo “broad of the back” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread‽” (QL/29).

The forms alf, alaf appeared in Gnomish Lexicon Slips glossed “the broad of the back from shoulder to shoulder” and with the primitive form ᴱ✶aldǝmā (PE13/109). ᴱN. alm appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s with the incomplete gloss “back (from shoulder ...” (PE13/136). This 1920s document elsewhere had deleted forms {alf, alw} with the full gloss “the back from shoulder to shoulder” (PE13/136).

The deleted forms alf, alw are likely to be later than alm reflecting the Early Noldorin sound change of non-initial m to v (spelt f finally), a sound change that was not a feature of Gnomish as it appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon. These two deleted forms were revised to ᴱN. bost “back from shoulder to shoulder” (suffixal form -mmost), which in turn was related to ᴱN. amoth “shoulder” from primitive ᴱ✶a-mbod-t’ (PE13/137, 139); bost seems to be the last of the “back” words in these Early Noldorin Word-lists.

Neo-Sindarin: The early root ᴱ√ALA “spread‽” was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree”, which in later writings was derived from ✶galadā. Since it seems the early root ᴱ√ALA² >> √GAL, Gnomish alm and Early Noldorin alf might adapted as ᴺS. galf “back, shoulders” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, with an original sense of “spread (of the body)” referring to just the shoulders but later the entire back. The sense of the later root √GAL was “grow (like plants), flourish” rather than “spread”, so this is a bit of a reach semantically, though not impossible since ✶galadā referred to broad, spreading trees as opposed to ✶ornē for tall trees (NM/349). I would use ᴺS. galf for the “back” of a body and the back of the shoulders collectively. I would use ᴺS. amoth for an individual shoulder.

Strictly speaking, ᴱN. bost is a later word for “back” than alm >> alf, but I can’t figure out a way to incorporate it into the etymological framework of later versions of Tolkien’s languages, which is why I recommend ᴺS. galf “back” instead.

aulos

noun. forest

taur

noun. forest

alm

noun. back (from shoulder to shoulder), shoulders

alm(oth)

noun. forest

alos

noun. forest

A noun for “forest” the Gnomish Lexicon with an archaic variant †aloth, apparently an elaboration of G. âl “wood” (GL/19). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it appeared as ᴱN. aulos “forest”, but this word was deleted (PE13/137).

gawlas

noun. forest

goloth

noun. forest

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “forest”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶ŋgua-aloþ- (GL/41). This is likely a combination of ᴱ✶ŋu̯a “together” and some elaboration of the root ᴱ√ALA “spread”, the basis of “tree” words, so probably originally “✱together spread(ing)”. In The Gnomish Grammar it had the form gôloth (GG/8) and in Gnomish Lexicon Slips the form gawlas derived from primitive ᴱ✶ŋgwa-alassa (PE13/114).

alalme

noun. elm-tree

lalme

noun. elm-tree

lalm

noun. elm-tree

A noun meaning “elm-tree” developed from the root ᴹ√(L)ALAM (Ety/ÁLAM). An identical form appeared elsewhere in The Etymologies with its language marked “D”, perhaps for Doriathrin (Ety/LÁLAM). This word is unusual in that its [[ilk|final [m] did not become syllabic after a consonant]], although it did for other similar words such as talum.

(l)alam

root. elm-tree

málos

noun. forest

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s given as the cognate of G. goloth “forest”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶ŋgua-aloþ- (GL/41). This is likely a combination of ᴱ✶ŋu̯a “together” and some elaboration of the root ᴱ√ALA “spread”, the basis of “tree” words, so probably originally “✱together spread(ing)” or something to that effect.

taure

noun. forest

taurie

noun. forest