beðe

root. BEÐE

bendē

noun. bendē

bendā

adjective. slanting, sloping, up or down hill

bē Reconstructed

root. ‽

ī

root. be

sah(y)a

root. be hot

A root given as ᴱ√SAHA or ᴱ√SAHYA and glossed “be hot” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives like ᴱQ. sá “fire” and ᴱQ. Sahóra “the South” (QL/81). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. sâ “fire” and G. sair “hot” (GL/66). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

awa

root. burn; be parched, yellow, warm

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “burn; be parched, yellow, warm” with derivatives having to do with warmth, sunlight and summer (QL/33; GL/20). For the purposes of Neo-Eldarin, it is probably better to use later roots like √UR “heat” or √AS “warmth”.

ara

root. (be) dry

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s meaning “(be) dry” (QL/32). Given the many uses to which √AR was put later, it is unlikely this sense remained valid in Tolkien’s later writing; the later root ᴹ√PARAK and its derivatives is probably better for the purposes of Neo-Eldarin writing.

taŋa

root. touch, be next to

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “touch, be next to”, with derivatives like adverb ᴱQ. tange “close to, by” and adjective ᴱQ. tange (tangi-) “close, near” (QL/89). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

lehe

root. come, be sent, approach

nā

root. be, exist

nō

root. become, be born

ō

root. be, exist

koro

root. be round, roll

laẏa

root. be alive, flourish

dyē

root. behind, back (before of time)

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “behind, back (before of time)” and with a number of derivatives related to “yesterday” (QL/105). In later writings the Quenya word for “yesterday” was noa (VT49/34).

toqo

root. bear fruit, bear, bring forth, produce

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “bear fruit, bear, bring forth, produce” with a single derived verb ᴱQ. toqo- of similar meaning (QL/94). In later writings “fruit” words were usually derived from ᴹ√YAB.

eðusmānī

place name. beyond the abode of the Mánir

tama

root. beat; smelt, forge

kuvu

root. bend, bow

tava

root. beam

gwete

root. *wind, turn, bend

A root given as the basis for the verb G. gwed- “wind, turn, bend (intr.)” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, with other derivatives like ᴱQ. wente/G. gwent “brook, small river” (GL/46). It seems to be an updated form of ᴱ√GWEÐE of similar meaning as it appeared in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon, since Tolkien first wrote this verb as gwedh- and the primitive form as gu̯eđ before changing it to gwed- < gu̯et. However, despite gu̯eđ >> gu̯et Tolkien did leave most of the gwedh- derivatives unchanged, so it seems he was undecided only whether ᴱ√GWETE replaced ᴱ√GWEÐE or was just a variant. In any case, there are no signs of any of these roots in Tolkien’s later writing.

afa

root. open, begin

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “open, begin” (QL/29). Although the root itself was not repurposed in Tolkien’s later writings, there are later words of similar meaning but with different derivations. For example, circa 1959-60 words having to do with opening a thing were attributed to the root √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry” vs. √PAK “close, shut” (PE17/159, 171; VT41/5-6). The sense “beginning” was assigned to words like Q. yesta (PE17/120), probably from ✱√YESET. It is quite likely Tolkien abandoned this root.

gweðe

root. *bend, loop

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with Qenya and Gnomish derivatives having to do with “bending” and “looping” (QL/103; GL/46). There are no signs of it in Tolkien’s later writing.

pot-i

root. *back, behind, after

The root ᴱ√POT-I appeared (unglossed) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with various derivatives having to do with the “back” or “rear” (QL/75). Many of its Gnomish equivalents began with b-, which would typically indicate the true form of the root was ᴱ√BOT-I, given that initial b- &gt; p- in Early Qenya. In this case, though, Tolkien specifically said that the Gnomish forms like G. bont “back(wards)” were the result of “atonic development” via the loss of an initial vowel (GL/23), and there were in fact Gnomish forms beginning with p- such as G. pont “the back, reverse or far side” (GL/64).

In the Early Noldorin of the 1920s, Tolkien gave the root as {boto >>} ✱bot- (PE13/139), possibly indicating a conceptual shift despite the continued presence of Qenya derivatives beginning with p-. However, ᴹQ. opto “back” from the 1940s points to ✱ᴹ√POT (PE22/50). This root was likely the conceptual precursor to various later directional roots like √OPO or √APA.

qḷtḷ

root. *belt, girdle

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. qalta “girdled, girt” and ᴱQ. qilta “belt, girdle” (QL/78).

Neo-Eldarin: I think it worth positing a Neo-Eldarin root ᴺ√KWILIT “belt, girdle” to preserve some of these Early Qenya words.

dyulu

root. *carry, bear

A root in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s whose derivatives had to do with “carry” and “burden” (GL/38). In later writings such words were derived from √KOL.

asa

root. *beside, close to

du̯ag-

verb. to beat

kṛkṛ

root. *point, bend

nuhu

root. bow, bend down, stoop, sink

tang-

verb. to beat

tulu

root. fetch, bear, bring; move, come; (originally) uphold, support, bear, carry

tṃp-

verb. to beat

vana

root. *beauty

dara(ma)

root. batter, thud, beat

tara(ma)

root. to batter, thud, beat

kṇðṇ

root. shine

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s given as ᴱ√KṆŘṆ “shine” with derivatives in both Qenya and Gnomish, such as ᴱQ. kanda- “blaze”, G. cintha- “to light, set alight”, ᴱQ. kanwa “lurid”, and G. cantha “flame” (QL/47; GL/25-26). It may be a variant of ᴱ√KṚN “✱red” (QL/48). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

oso

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. oksa “joint” and ᴱQ. oswe “hip” (QL/71). In Tolkien’s later writings “joint” words seem to be based on √LIM “link, join” as in Q. málimë/S. molif “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” (VT47/6), but ᴱQ. oswe “hip” may be salvaged as a derivative of ᴹ√OS “round, about” referring instead to a rotating joint rather than a link.

oqo

root. curve, bend

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “curve, bend” with derivatives ᴱQ. okka “knee” and ᴱQ. oqi “snake” (QL/70). G. octha “knee” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is clearly related (GL/62). There are plenty of other roots for “bend” in Tolkien’s later writings, but this root remains popular as the basis for Neo-Eldarin “knee” words.

velu

root. unroll

This root appeared as ᴱ√VELU “unroll” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. velunte “sail” and ᴱQ. velupantie “revelation” (QL/100). It had several Gnomish derivatives of similar meaning (GL/22), all beginning with “b” since initial voiced spirants became stops in Gnomish.

Neo-Eldarin: I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√BELU to salvage these early words. However, in The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien glossed the Quenya verb ᴹQ. panta- as “to unfurl, spread out, open”, so it is possible the sense “unfurl” moved to the root ᴹ√PAT (unglossed), though most of this root’s other derivatives are closer in sense to “open” (Ety/PAT).

ū

root. under

The root ᴱ√Ū⁽¹⁾ “under” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a reduced form of {ᴱ√UGU >>} ᴱ√UƷU, with derivatives like ᴱQ. ū “beneath” and ᴱQ. umbe “dale, dell” (QL/96-97). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. um⁽⁾ “lowlying” and G. umbel “a dell” (GL/74). Tolkien noted that ᴱ√Ū also meant “not”, and contrasted ᴱ√Ū¹ “under” with ᴱ√NŪ (ᴱ√NUHU) of similar meaning (QL/68, 96). Indeed, in Tolkien’s later writings, √NŪ/UNU was the usual basis for “under” words, and ᴱ√Ū¹ “under” seems to have been abandoned.

ru’u

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, probably actually ✱ᴱ√RUƷU, with derivatives like ᴱQ. rú “dwelling, village, hamlet”, ᴱQ. rue “rest, stillness, remaining, steadfastness”, and ᴱQ. ruin “peace” (QL/80). There were a number of likely-related words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. rô “enduring, long suffering; quiet, gentle, docile”, G. rû “dwelling, house”, and G. rûtha- “dwell, remain”, though Tolkien seems to have rejected the Gnomish forms beginning with rô- (GL/66). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√RUH “✱still” to preserve some of these early words.

hama

root. ‽

kaẇa

root. stoop

mele

root. love

tum(b)u

root. ‽

veðe Reconstructed

root. VEÐE

-yǝ

suffix. [unglossed]

dak-

verb. to slay

eke

root. *point

gwori

root. ‽

gwā

root. *wind

ini

root. small

kala

root. *grow

kar-

verb. to make

kaı̯-

verb. to lie down

kolo

root. *point

kṇřṇ

root. shine

lepse

?. [unglossed]

lopse

?. [unglossed]

mat-

verb. to eat

mata

root. eat

mī

root. in

nolo

root. dare

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “dare”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. nolme “audacity” and ᴱQ. nolwa “bold, brave” (QL/67). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

nulu

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s marked by Tolkien with a “?” having a single derivative ᴱQ. NÛLE “lead” (QL/68). There are no signs of this root elsewhere in Tolkien’s later writing, and even in the early period he generally used ᴱQ. kanu for “metallic lead” (LT1/100; QL/44).

olo

root. tip

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “tip”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. óleme “elbow” and ᴱQ. ole “three” (QL/69). It seems to have served as the basis for ᴱ√LOHO, an early root for various flower words (QL/55). There are no signs that ᴱ√OLO was used for “tip” in Tolkien’s later writings (except perhaps in √OLOB “branch”), and ᴱ√LOHO evolved into √LOT(H) “flower”.

po

root. ‽

pol-i

root. ‽

saw̯a

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/82), which may have reemerged as √SAWA “disgusting, foul, vile” in notes from the 1950s (PE17/172, 183).

sivi

root. [unglossed]

Unglossed roots in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√SIVI and ᴱ√SIWI and a single unglossed derivative ᴱQ. sivilda (QL/84). It is difficult to guess what Tolkien intended for these forms to mean, though they conceivably reemerged as the later roots ᴹ√SIW “excite, egg on, urge” (Ety/SIW) or √SIB “rest, quiet” (VT44/35).

siŋi

root. ‽

The root ᴱ√SIŊI appeared unglossed in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. singe “salt” and (adjective) ᴱQ. singwa “salt” (QL/83). It had similar derivatives the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. sing and singrin “salt”, noun and adjective (GL/67). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SIÑGI to salvage these early words.

sleiwa

adjective. pale

swandǝ

noun. dog

sē

root. ‽

sṣtyṣ

root. ‽

The unglossed root ᴱ√SṢT͡YṢ appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. sastya “sore, galled” and ᴱQ. sist (sisty-) “ulcer, sore” (QL/86). The latter word was also mentioned as siste in “ulcer, boil” as a derivative of ᴱ✶sṣtē (PE12/14), and the primitive form was given as sistyi, though Tolkien did say it was indicative of ancient syllabic ṣ (PE12/3). However, in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s it seems primitive ᴱ✶sṣt- = “✱hiss” (PE13/163); see the entry on ᴹ√SUS “hiss” for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SISTI to salvage some of these early words.

tara

root. *across

teled-

noun. [unglossed]

tołᵂo

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s illustrating a hypothetical series of ancient lateral approximants, with derived roots like ᴱ√TOLO and ᴱ√TOẆO [with ẇ = ɣʷ] (PE12/16). The former appeared in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon as the basis for island words (QL/94), but the latter appeared nowhere else in Early Qenya writings.

toẇo

root. [unglossed]

tḷkḷ

root. [unglossed]

vala

root. VALA

vī

root. as

vḷkḷ

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. valkane “torture” and ᴱQ. vilkin “bitter, evil”, serving as the basis for ᴱQ. Valkarauke, the Qenya name of Balrogs (QL/100). In later writings the initial element of this name was derived from √BAL “(divine) power”.

yn̄t

adjective. large

ðoro

root. sit

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “sit” with derivatives mean “sit” or “seat” (QL/85-86). In the Qenya Lexicon Tolkien gave the root as SORO with ÐORO in parenthesis, but Gnomish cognates like G. dorn “seat” and dortha- “to settle” (GL/30) make it clear ÐORO was the true form of the root. There were a variety of different roots for “sit” in later writings such ᴹ√KHAM or √KHAD.

ŋolo

root. to know

pṛtṛ Reconstructed

root. judge

A hypothetical root explaining words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such G. pridu- “decide” and G. pridwir “judge” (GL/64). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.