Primitive elvish
aw
root. possess, own, keep (have in hand, use or with one)
aw(a)delo
noun. aw(a)delo
aw’tha
noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition
aw
root. possess, own, keep (have in hand, use or with one)
aw(a)delo
noun. aw(a)delo
aw’tha
noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition
A root appearing in some late notes on verbs from around 1969, with the sense “possess, own, keep” (PE22/151). It seems to be a restoration of a much earlier root from the 1910s, which appeared as ᴱ√AW̯A in the Qenya Lexicon with derivatives having to do with wealth, such as ᴱQ. ausie “wealth” and ᴱQ. aute “rich” (QL/33), as well as Gnomish and Early Noldorin cognates G. avos “wealth” (GL/20) and ᴱN. awes “rich” (PE13/137). This root is a good example of how certain linguistic ideas could lay dormant for many years in Tolkien’s writing, only to reemerge much later. This makes it difficult to say for certain whether Tolkien really abandoned a particular idea.