band

noun. duress, prison, custody, safe-keeping

badh-

verb. to judge

badhor

noun. judge

badhron

noun. judge

badhor

noun. judge

badhron

noun. judge

baudh

noun. judgement

baudh

noun. judgement

bad- Reconstructed

verb. *to tread, travel, *to tread, [G.] travel

The earliest appearance of this verb was G. bad- “travel” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/21), probably based on the early root ᴱ√VAHA (QL/99). N. bad- appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an element in the verb N. trevad- “traverse” under the root ᴹ√BAT “tread” (Ety/BAT), so probably of similar meaning.

The verb bad- was probably the original basis for the passive participle N. govannen “met” in the phrase mai govannen “well met” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (RS/194). In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s, Tolkien gave the primitive form of this passive participle as ✶gwā-ƀandina (PE17/17). In this same set of notes he considered basing govannen on a Sindarin verb form ba(n)- “go” (PE17/16). By 1959 Tolkien had abandoned √BA(N) “go” and replaced it with √MEN (PE17/143); see those entries for discussion.

Neo-Sindarin: I don’t think the verb S. ba(n)- “go” can be used, but I think N. bad- can be salvaged with the sense “to tread”. For “travel” I prefer glenna-.

foeg

adjective. mean, poor, bad

foeg

adjective. mean, poor, bad

um

adjective. bad, evil

ú-

prefix. un, bad-

pâd

noun. ?way

adab

noun. building, house

al-

prefix. no, not

balch

adjective. cruel

balch

adjective. cruel

bann

noun. duress, prison, custody, safe-keeping

blab-

verb. to beat, batter, flap (wings, etc.)

dringa-

verb. to beat (with a hammer, etc.)

lhonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lhonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lond

noun. narrow path or strait

lond

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. path

mû

interjection. no

othlon

noun. paved way

othlond

noun. paved way

rada-

verb. to make a way, find a way

râd

noun. path, track

band

noun. duress, prison, custody, safe-keeping

tharbad

noun. cross-way

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”.

ogol

bad

_ adj. _bad, evil, wrong. Q. olca bad, wicked. oklā << ōklā. >> oew, ogron

thu

bad

_adj. _bad. >> thugar. This gloss was rejected.

band

duress

band (i mand, o mband; construct ban) (custody, prison, safekeeping, doom, hell), pl. baind (i mbaind), coll. pl. bannath.

band

duress

(i mand, o mband; construct ban) (custody, prison, safekeeping, doom, hell), pl. baind (i mbaind), coll. pl. bannath.

saur

adjective. bad (of food), putrid

An adjective meaning “bad (of food), putrid” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 based on the root √SAWA “disgusting, foul, vile” that was the basis of the (Quenya) name Sauron (PE17/183). In a marginal note Tolkien said “No. THAW-, cruel. Saura, cruel”, apparently rejecting this etymology, but then he wrote an “X” next to the marginal note (PE17/184).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thaw “corrupt, rotten” under the root ᴹ√THUS, also connected to the name Sauron (Ety/THUS).

Neo-Sindarin: For purpose of Neo-Sindarin, I think saur “putrid” and thaw “corrupt” can coexist.

badhron

judge

badhron (i vadhron), pl. bedhryn (i medhryn); also badhor (i vadhor), analogical pl. bedhyr (i medhyr)

badhron

judge

(i vadhron), pl. bedhryn (i medhryn); also badhor (i vadhor), analogical pl. bedhyr (i medhyr)

bâd

pathway

(i vâd, construct bad) (beaten track), pl. baid (i maid).

bâd

beaten track

(pathway) (i vâd, construct bad), pl. baid (i maid)

ogol

adjective. bad, evil, wrong; gloom(y)

@@@ TBD - discuss abnormal plurals

oth-

prefix. [wrong] with a bad sense; unsuitable, bad, improper, useless, wrong

faeg

adjective. mean, poor, bad

úgarth

noun. bad deed, sin, trespass

felagund

noun. den-dweller; brock, badger

A word for “brock, badger”, more literally “den-dweller”, appearing in 1969 notes as a late etymology for the name Felagund (NM/304). In this scenario, the name “den-dweller” was given to Felagund somewhat derisively by the sons of Fëanor referring to his tendency to hide away in Nargothrond (NM/304). However, in The Sillmarillion as published, Christopher Tolkien used the explanation that the name was given to Finrod by the Dwarves and meant “cave-hewer”, based on marginal notes from 1959 in Tolkien’s copy of The Silmarillion itself (PM/352).

Neo-Sindarin: Since I prefer the Silmarillion origin for the name Felagund, I would not use this word for “badger”. I would instead suggest a neologism ᴺS. eriab based on ᴱQ. oryat (oryap-).

faeg

bad

*faeg (poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

faeg

bad

(poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

um

bad

um (evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read *ûm with a long vowel. (According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)

um

bad

(evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read ✱ûm with a long vowel. *(According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)*

faeg

adjective. mean, poor, bad

bain

fair

_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân

eriab

noun. badger

A neologism for “badger” coined by Paul Strack in 2021 based on ᴱQ. oryat (oryap-), to serve as a replacement for the somewhat improbable S. felagund “badger”.

thindrostir

noun. badger

A neologism for “badger” coined by Hialmr in VQP (VQP), a combination of thind “grey” and an agental form of [N.] rosta- “dig”.

faeg

mean

(adj.) faeg (poor, bad); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.

faeg

mean

(poor, bad); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.

ogol

evil

1) ogol (wicked), pl. egyl (archaic ögyl) (VT48:32), 2) possibly also um (bad), pl. ym (or uim?) (David Salo would read *ûm with a long vowel. According to VT46:20, it may be that Tolkien intended um as a primitive base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word; the word ogol may therefore be preferred.)

um

evil

(bad), pl. ym (or uim?) (David Salo would read ✱ûm with a long vowel. According to VT46:20, it may be that Tolkien intended um as a primitive base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word; the word ogol may therefore be preferred.)

mên

way

1) mên (i vên, construct men, in compounds -ven) (road), pl. mîn (i mîn), 2) lend (journey), pl. lind, coll. pl. lennath. Note: a homophone means ”tuneful, sweet”, 3) #pâd (construct pad), i bâd, pl. paid (i phaid). Isolated from Tharbad ”Crossroad”. 4) tê (i dê, o thê) (line), pl. tî (i thî), coll. pl. ?teath.

pada

walk

(i bada, i phadar)

pâd

way

(construct pad), i bâd, pl. paid (i phaid). Isolated from Tharbad ”Crossroad”.

pâd

noun. way

baw

interjection. no, don't!

bân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain

fael

adjective. fair minded, just, generous

gwain

adjective. fair

adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.

gwana

noun/adjective. fair

gwân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, pale.

lind

adjective. fair

lond

noun. narrow path or strait

lond

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

lonn

noun. narrow path or strait

lonn

noun. entrance to harbour, land-locked haven

men

noun. way, road

oer

adjective. nasty

oer

adjective. nasty

othlonn

noun. paved way

rhû

evil

adj. evil, wicked. Q. hruo. >> Rhudaur

rhû

evil

_ adj. _evil, wicked. Q. hrúa, hrúya. >> rhu-, Rhudaur

thaur

adjective. abominable, abhorrent

ú

prefix. no, not (negative prefix or particle)

û

interjection. no

adv. or interj. no, not (of fact).

adab

building

1) adab (house), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb_. _2)

adab

building

(house), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb. 2)

bain

fair

bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

fair

(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

balch

cruel

1) balch (lenited malch; pl. belch), 2) baug (tyrannous, oppressive) (lenited maug), pl. boeg

balch

cruel

(lenited malch; pl. belch)

baug

cruel

(tyrannous, oppressive) (lenited maug), pl. boeg

baw!

no

! (interjection expressing refusal or prohibition, not denying facts) baw! (dont!) Prefix

baw!

no

(don’t!) Prefix

blab

beat

1) blab- (i vlâb, i mlebir) (flap), pa.t. blamp, 2) dringa- (i dhringa, in dringar).

blab

beat

(i vlâb, i mlebir) (flap), pa.t. blamp

car

building

car or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (house), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car (or adab) may be preferred for clarity.

car

building

or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (house), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car (or adab) may be preferred for clarity.

dav-

verb. to judge

deleb

abominable

deleb (horrible, loathsome), lenited dheleb; pl. delib

deleb

abominable

(horrible, loathsome), lenited dheleb; pl. delib

dringa

beat

(i dhringa, in dringar).

fû Speculative

noun. path

A noun appearing only it is plural form fui “paths” in the name Fui ’Ngorthrim “Paths of the Dead” (RC/526). The most plausible singular form is ✱fû “path”.

gú

no, not

also ú

imrad

path

(between mountains, hills or through trackless forest) imrad (pass), pl. imraid.

imrad

path

(pass), pl. imraid.

lend

way

(journey), pl. lind, coll. pl. lennath. Note: a homophone means ”tuneful, sweet”

lhaew

ill

*lhaew (sick, sickly), lenited ?thlaew or ?laew (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thloew, flaew.

lhaew

ill

(sick, sickly), lenited ?thlaew or ?laew (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thloew, flaew.

mên

way

(i vên, construct men, in compounds -ven) (road), pl. mîn (i mîn)

ogol

evil

(wicked), pl. egyl (archaic ögyl) (VT48:32)

râd

path

râd (track), construct rad, pl. raid (idh raidh).

râd

path

(track), construct rad, pl. raid (idh raidh).

thang

duress

thang (compulsion, need, oppression, tyranny), pl. theng if there is a pl.

thang

duress

(compulsion, need, oppression, tyranny), pl. theng if there is a pl.

thaur

foul

thaur (detestable, abhorrent, abominable), pl. thoer. Note: a homophone means ”fenced”.

thaur

foul

(detestable, abhorrent, abominable), pl. thoer. Note: a homophone means ”fenced”.

thaur

abominable

thaur (destestable, abhorrent, foul), pl. thoer. Note: a homophone means ”fenced”.

thaur

abominable

(destestable, abhorrent, foul), pl. thoer. Note: a homophone means ”fenced”.

thel

mean

(verb) ?thel- (intend, purpose, resolve, will)

thel

mean

(intend, purpose, resolve, will)

tê

way

(i dê, o thê) (line), pl. tî (i thî), coll. pl. ?teath.

ummas

noun. evil

úgarth

sin

*úgarth (ill deed), pl. úgerth (VT44:23)

úgarth

sin

(ill deed), pl. úgerth (VT44:23)

úmarth

evil fate

(pl. úmerth).

urra

adjective. bad

felu

bad magic

felu noun "bad magic" (QL:38)

olca

evil, bad, wicked

olca adj. "evil, bad, wicked" (VT43:23-24, VT48:32, VT49:14, PE17:149). The root meaning implies "wickedness as well as badness or lack of worth" (PE17:170). Variant of ulca.

ulca

evil, bad, wicked, wrong

ulca adj. "evil, bad, wicked, wrong" (QL:97, VT43:23-24, VT48:32, VT49:14; compounded in henulca "evileyed", SD:68); variant olca, q.v. Compare noun ulco. The adj. ulca may also itself be used as a noun "evil", as in the ablative form ulcallo "from evil" (VT43:8, 10) and the sentence cé mo quetë ulca *"if one speaks evil" (VT49:19).

olca

adjective. bad, wicked

saura

adjective. cruel, evil, vile; stinking, foul; bad, unhealthy, ill, wretched, stinking, foul, [ᴹQ.] evil-smelling, putrid; [Q.] cruel, evil, vile; [Q.] bad, unhealthy, ill, wretched

us-

prefix. [wrong] with a bad sense; unsuitable, bad, improper, useless, wrong

ú-

prefix. no, not, un-, in-; hard, difficult, bad, uneasy; hardly, with difficulty, ‘badly’

urra

adjective. nasty, bad

ú-

prefix. bad, uneasy, hard

úmara

adjective. bad, ill-used, evil, sinister

lúrë

noun. dark weather, bad weather

-ima

fair

-ima adjectival suffix. Sometimes it is used to derive simple adjectives, like vanima "fair" or calima "bright"; it can also take on the meaning "-able" (PE17:68), as in mátima "edible" (mat- "eat"), nótima "countable" (not- "count") and (with a negative prefix) úquétima "unspeakable" (from quet- "speak"). Note that the stem-vowel is normally lengthened in the derivatives where -ima means "-able", though this fails to occur in cenima "visible" (q.v., but contrast hraicénima, q.v.) and also before a consonant cluster as in úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176). "X-ima" may mean "apt to X" (when the ending is added to an intransitive verbal stem), as in Fírimar "mortals", literally "those apt to die" (WJ:387). The adj. úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176) also appears as úfantuma (PE17:180), indicating the existence of a variant ending -uma (possibly used to derive adjectives with a "bad" meaning; compare the ending *-unqua next to -inqua, q.v.)

saura

foul, evil-smelling, putrid

saura (þ) adj. "foul, evil-smelling, putrid" (THUS), "foul, vile" (PE17:183). This adjective underlies the name Sauro, Sauron (q.v.) Alternatively explained to mean "cruel" (PE17:184); a deleted gloss defined the word as "bad, unhealthy, ill, wretched" (PE17:172). Tolkien did not consistently hold that the initial s represents older þ; sometimes he derived saura (and so implicitly Sauron) from stems with original s-.

ú-

verb. not-, un-, in-

ú- (2) prefix "not-, un-, in-", denying presence or possession of thing or quality (VT39:14, UGU/UMU/VT46:20, GŪ, LT1:272), or simply suggesting something bad or immoral (see #úcar-, Úmaiar). Tolkien at one point considered redefining ú- as an element signifying "bad, uneasy, hard"; the already-published form únótima would then mean "difficult/impossible to count" rather than simply "uncountable" (VT42:33). However, Tolkien's very last word on the matter seems to be that ú- was to remain a mere negative (VT44:4). Compare úa, q.v. According to the Etymologies, the prefix ú- usually has a "bad sense", whereas according to early material u- (uv-, um-, un-) is a "mere negation" (UGU/UMU vs. VT42:32) According to a later source, ú- could be used as an uninflected verbal prefix, mainly in verse, but in a normal style the prefix was "verbalized" as ua-, q.v. (PE17:144). The stem Ū, as a negation, was accompanied by "pursed lips and shaking of the head" (PE17:145).

oryat

noun. badger

Námo

judge

Námo (1) noun "Judge", name of a Vala, normally called Mandos, properly the place where he dwells (WJ:402)

Uswevandë

way of escape

Uswevandë noun "way of escape" (LT2:336)

alima

fair, good

alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)

alya

fair, good

alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)

ampano

building

ampano noun "building" (especially of wood), "wooden hall" (PAN; alternative form umpano, VT45:36, which Tolkien in one case altered to ampano, VT46:8). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, ampano was also the name of tengwa #6 (VT46:8), which letter Tolkien would later call umbar instead (changing its value from mp to mb).

ampano

noun. building, construction, edifice

carasta-

verb. to build, to build, construct

A verb meaning “to build” derived from √KAR “do, make” and related to carassë “built fort or dwelling” (PE17/84).

ham-

judge

#ham- (2) vb. "judge", attested in the aorist form hamil "you judge". (VT42:33; notice the pronominal ending -l "you". See nemë. The verb #ham- with the meaning "judge" may seem to be an ephemeral form in Tolkien's conception.)

ham-

verb. to judge

il-

verb. no, *un-

il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.

la

no, not

la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)

lelya-

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-

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.

linda

fair, beautiful

linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.

londa

path

[londa noun "path"], changed by Tolkien to londë noun "road (in sea)" (VT45:28)

lá

no, not

lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.

lé

way

lé (1) noun "way" = "method, manner" ("as in that is not As way"). Not to be confused with lé as a stressed form of le = plural "you"; Tolkien was himself dissatisfied with this clash (PE17:74).

lúrë

dark weather

lúrë noun "dark weather" (LT1:259)

men

way

men (2) noun "way" (SA) or "place, spot" (MEN)

men

noun. way, way, *direction; [ᴹQ.] place, spot [only in compounds]

A noun or word element, most notably appearing in the four cardinal directions formen, hyarmen, númen, and rómen, which Christopher Tolkien translated as “way” in The Silmarillion appendix (SA/men). This is consistent with the later meaning of its root: √MEN “go, move, proceed”, and in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 Tolkien had a primitive form ✶mēn- “a way, a going, a mov[ement]” (PE17/165) which might be the source of Christopher Tolkien’s translation of Q. men.

Conceptual Development: The situation in Tolkien’s earlier writings was different. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. men was translated “place, spot” under the root ᴹ√MEN (Ety/MEN). In this document, it seems the literally meaning of direction words were “✱north-place”, “✱south-place”, etc., as opposed to later “✱north-direction, ✱south-direction”. This can be seen in other words Tolkien used in this period, such as ᴹQ. Ilmen “Place of Light” (SM/241).

This ambiguity continued into Tolkien’s later writings, as can be seen in a 1965 letter to Dick Plotz, where Tolkien translated númen “the direction or region of the sunset” (Let/361). Another example is menel “firmament, high heaven, the region of the stars”, which Tolkien said was “a Q. invention from men (direction, region) + el (the basis of many stars)” in The Road Goes Ever On as published in 1967 (RGEO/65). There are other Quenya words where men refers to a location rather than a direction: ruimen “fireplace, hearth” (PE17/183) and turmen “realm” = “✱mastered-region” (PE17/28), both from the mid-1960s.

However, some words are hard to explain as locations, such as alamen “a good omen on departure”, also from DLN of 1959 (PE17/162). Tolkien used men as an element in the terms coimen “life-year” and olmen “growth-year” in notes from around 1959, which are probably best explained as a “way” or “process” of life or growth (NM/84-85). However the stems of these words ended in mend-, so their element men may be different from what is seen in formen, etc. As another wrinkle, Tolkien regularly used nómë to mean “place” in his later writings, as in sinomë “in this place [= here]” (LotR/967) and tanomë “in that place [= there]” (VT49/11).

It is hard to determine how much of this variation is due to conceptual vacillation on Tolkien’s part. My best guess of the timelime is that:

• In the 1930s men meant “place, spot”, and the root ᴹ√MEN was not verbal (Ety/MEN).

• In the 1940s Tolkien decided that √MEN was verbal, meaning {“intend” >>} “go” (PE22/103).

• By the 1950s Tolkien reformulated men to mean “way, a going” in keeping with the new meaning of the root (PE17/165). In this period Tolkien also introduced nómë “place”.

• By the 1960s Tolkien partially reversed himself, deciding men could mean either “way, direction” and “place, region”, but without abandoning nómë.

Neo-Quenya: The word men is somewhat contentious in Neo-Quenya. The word men is a very popular element for “place” in many neologisms (especially older ones), such as ᴺQ. natsemen “website = ✱web-spot”, ᴺQ. tirmen “theater = ✱watch-place” and ᴺQ. mótamen “office = ✱work-place”. However, others feel that this sense has been entirely replaced by nómë, so that men in such compounds should be replaced by a suffix ᴺQ. -non (-nom-).

Given this ambiguity, I would use men only for “way, ✱direction” as a standalone word, and would instead use nómë = “place”. However, given Tolkien’s vacillations as described above, I would allow the use of men as “place, spot, region” in compounds [perhaps originally conceived of as a destination], though I think ᴺQ. -non “-place” is also fine.

men-

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.

nai

ill, grievously, abominably

nai (2) prefix "ill, grievously, abominably" (PE17:151), cf. naiquet-. Earlier material also lists an interjection nai "alas" _(NAY; this may be obsoleted by # 1 above; _Namárië uses ai! in a similar sense)

naicea

adjective. cruel

nam-

judge

#nam- vb. "judge", attested in the 1st person aorist: namin "I judge" (VT41:13). Compare Námo.

nam-

verb. to judge, to judge, *think (have as an opinion)

The verb nam- “judge” appeared in 1968 notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor, attested in the phrase namin alasaila “I judge [it] unwise” (VT41/13). This version of the verb is consistent with the name Námo, given in The Silmarillion as the true name of Mandos (S/28).

In a marginal note within Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 Tolkien revised the root to √NDAB “to judge” with a new form Návo to replace Námo (PE22/154 note #53). These notes initially had nem- for “judge”, revised to ham- and finally to nav- (PE22/154 note #53, 55, 56); it was after all these revisions that he coined the new root √NDAB.

The verb nav- “judge” appeared in several phrases:

• la năvin karitalya(s) mára “I do not advise you to do so, (lit.) I don't judge your doing (it) good”

• lá karitas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise”

• alasaila ná lá kare tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good”

Based on the above phrases, it seems the basic sense of the verb is “judge” or “think = ✱have as an opinion”.

Conceptual Development: Tolkien introduced the name Námo in the 1950s, which is probably where this concept originated. It seems to have remained √NAM up through 1968, and then nam- >> nem- >> ham- >> nav- in 1969.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer to use the form nam- “judge, ✱think [have as an opinion]” for consistency with the name Námo in The Silmarillion as published.

nav-

judge

#nav- vb. "judge" (cited in the form navë, apparently the 3rd person aorist). Also given with pronominal suffixes: navin *"I judge" (Tolkien's free translation: "I think"), navilwë "we judge" (VT42:33, 4, VT48:11)

naxa

adjective. evil

naxa

noun/adjective. evil

nem-

judge

[#nem- vb. "judge", attested as endingless aorist nemë, changed by Tolkien to hamë and finally to navë "in all but one case" (Bill Welden). Forms like námo "judge" and namna "statute" point rather to #nam- (q.v.) as a verb "to judge" (VT42:34); the verb namin "I judge" is even listed in Etym.]

nem-

verb. to judge

nwalca

cruel

nwalca ("k")adj. "cruel" (ÑGWAL; this must represent earlier *ñwalca = *ngwalca; these forms are not given in Etym, but compare nwalmë_ below. In Tengwar writing, the initial NW would be represented by the letter nwalmë.)_

náma

judgement

náma noun "a judgement" or "a desire" (VT41:13)

námo

noun. judge

pal-

beat

[pal- (2) vb. "beat", also in an alternative (extended?) form palap-, VT46:8. See palpa-.]

tele

verb. mean, intend

tier

path

tier is, besides the pl. form of tië "path" above, an ephemeral word for "so", abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)

tië

path, course, line, direction, way

tië noun "path, course, line, direction, way" (TE3, VT47:11); pl. tier in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67); tielyanna "upon your path" (UT:22 cf. 51; tie-lya-nna "path-your-upon")

ui

no

ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.

ulco

evil

ulco (stem #ulcu-) noun "evil", pl. *ulqui (VT43:23-24; the stem-form is attested in the ablative case: ulcullo "from evil", VT43:12)

ulco

noun. evil

vand-

way, path

vand- noun "way, path" (LT1:264; a final vowel would seem to be required, but in Tolkien's later Quenya, the words tië or mallë are to be preferred)

vanya

fair

vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.

vanya-

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.

vanë

fair

vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)

vanë

adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely

úmëa

evil

úmëa (2) adj. "evil" (UGU/UMU). Obsoleted by #1 above? Possibly connected to úmëai in Narqelion, if that is a "Qenya" plural form.

úra

evil, nasty

úra (1) adj. "evil, nasty" (VT43:24, VT48:32)

úra

adjective. nasty

úro

evil

úro noun "evil" (VT43:24); Tolkien may have abandoned this form in favour of ulco, q.v.

uthu

root. bad; unsuitable; improper, useless, wrong; [wrong] with a bad sense

This root appeared in a page of roots from Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 with the gloss “unsuitable, bad, improper, useless, wrong” (PE17/172). This page was rejected, but the root √UTHU appeared again later in DLN as the basis for prefixes meaning wrong “with a general bad sense”: Q. us- and S. oth- as in S. othgarn “misdeed” and Q. uskare > Q. uxarë of the same meaning (PE17/151).

oklā

adjective. bad, wicked

oko

root. evil, wicked, bad

saw

root. disgusting, foul, vile; bad, unhealthy, ill, wretched

uk

root. nasty

The root √OKO was mentioned a couple times in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 with glosses like “wicked, evil” and “evil, bad” serving as the basis for Q. olca/S. ogol “bad, wicked, evil” along with similar words (PE14/149, 170). In other notes from this period Tolkien said √OKO “evil” influenced the meaning of the Sindarin root √AK “hostile return” (PE17/167). In one of these 1959 notes, Tolkien wrote UK, UKLA below OKO with derivatives Q. ulca and S. ogl, all unglossed (PE17/149); Q. ulca was the word Tolkien used most frequently for “evil” in Quenya. In notes from 1968, Tolkien mentioned √UK “nasty” in passing, without giving any derivatives (VT48/25); Patrick Wynne suggested this form of the root may have been connected to 1969 √UG “dislike” (VT48/32 note #15; PE22/160).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer Q. ulca for “evil”, but I think √OKO “wicked” might coexist with it as variant to salvage other words from that root.

nam Reconstructed

root. judge

A root implied by various Quenya words having to do with “judgement” from the 1950s and 60s, most notably Q. Námo “Ordainer, Judge” as the true name of Q. Mandos (S/28), a name that began to appear in documents starting in the early 1950s (PE21/85). The root is evident in other words from this period, such as Q. namna “statute” (MR/258), Q. námië “a single judgment or desire” (VT41/13) and the verb Q. nam- “judge” in the phrase: Q. ore nin karitas nō namin alasaila “I feel moved to do so but judge it unwise” (VT41/13). ✱√NAM might also be the basis for the second element of the name Q. Rithil-Anamo “Doom-ring”, the circle of thrones where the Valar sat in council (WJ/401).

In notes from 1969 Tolkien seems to have changed his mind of the root for “judge”, writing Q. nemin >> Q. hamin >> Q. navin for “I judge”, and giving a new root √NDAB “to judge” in a marginal note along with a revised name Návo to replace Námo (PE22/154, notes #53 and #55). This new root conflicts with √NDAB “endeavor, try” from earlier in the same bundle of documents (PE22/151).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would ignore the late change of ✱√NAM >> √NDAB “judge”, since ✱√NAM has more attested derivatives and Námo appears in the published Silmarillion. Also, all of the derivatives of this root are Quenya, and its possible use in the name Rithil-Anamo (coined in Valinor) imply that it might be a root invented after the Elves arrived in Aman. Thus I think it is best to treat it as Quenya-only root, and used ᴹ√BAD “judge” as the basis for (Neo) Sindarin words for judgement by retaining Noldorin words with these meanings from the 1930s (Ety/BAD).

bani

adjective. fair

ndab

root. to judge

ugrā

adjective. nasty

wanyā

adjective. fair

mag- Speculative

verb. to build

A hypothetical verb from which the agental-formation magân “wright, ✱builder” is derived, itself attested only as an element in the name Balkumagân “Shipwright”. It may be related to the Elvish root ᴹ√MAG “use, handle”, as suggested by Andreas Moehn (EotAL/MAG).