An adjective for “forked, cleft, split”, most notably an element in the name Orthanc, derived from primitive ᴹ✶stankā based on the root ᴹ√STAK “split, insert” (UT/400; Ety/STAK). This word dates all the way back to Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, where ᴱN. thanc had glosses like “cleft, divided, split, cloven, forked, bifurcated” (PE13/154, 165; PE14/66), and in one place was also a noun glossed “cleft, break, breach” (PE13/165).
Sindarin
riss
noun. cleft; cleft, cloven, separate, cleft, [N.] ravine; cleft, cloven, separate
thanc
noun/adjective. forked, forked, [N.] cleft, split, [ᴱN.] divided, cloven, bifurcated; [ᴱN.] cleft, break, breach
ress
adjective. cleft, cloven, separate
riss
adjective. cleft
_ adj. _cleft, cloven, separate. Q. rista, risse, rinse. >> Imladris
cirith
noun. cleft, high climbing pass, narrow passage cut through earth or rock, ravine, defile
criss
noun. cleft, cleft, [N.] cut, slash, [G.] gash; [N.] pass, [G.] gully, ravine
A word for a “cleft, cut, slash” (PE21/81; Ety/KIRIS) derived from √KIRIS, a blend of the roots √KIR and √RIS (PE17/87).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it was probably already a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KIRISI as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/27; LT2A/Cris Ilbranteloth). In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien gave cris with the definition “a cleft, ravine, or narrow way of waters with high walls” (PE15/21), and in this period it typically appeared in this shorter form within names like G. Cris Ilbranteloth or G. Cris Thorn.
N. criss appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cleft, cut, slash” under the root ᴹ√KIRIS “cut” (Ety/KIRIS). It also appeared under the root ᴹ√KIR with the gloss “cleft, pass”, but this instance was deleted (EtyAC/KIR). S. criss “cleft” was mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure (EVS2) from the early 1950s as derived from primitive ✶kirissi (PE21/80-81), and it was mentioned as a blending of roots in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s as described above (PE17/87). Its use in names diminished over time, however, the only remnant in the final version of The Silmarillion being S. Crissaegrim (S/121).
Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems this word was principally used as for a “cleft, cut, slash” independent of geography. I would assume the same is true for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since criss is used only in a single geographic name in Tolkien’s later writings; S. cirith was use more broadly in geographic features. I would also assume it was a larger and more violent cut (a “gash” or “slash”) compared to S. rest for simple cuts.
falch
noun. deep cleft, ravine
riss
noun. ravine
thanc
adjective. cleft, split, forked
cirith
cleft
(i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)
criss
cleft
(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”
cîl
cleft
(i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”.
falch
cleft
(ravine[?]), pl. felch
falch
ravine
(deep cleft), pl. felch
iaw
ravine
1) iaw (cleft, gulf), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”. 2) ress (construct res), pl. riss (idh riss), 3) rest (cleft, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 4) riss (construct ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh riss)
iaw
ravine
(cleft, gulf), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”.
ress
ravine
(construct res), pl. riss (idh riss)
rest
cleft
(ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)
rest
ravine
(cleft, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)
riss
ravine
(construct ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh riss)****
rist
cleft
(noun) 1) rist (-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”, 2) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 3) cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”. 4) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”, 5) rest (ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 6) (deep cleft) falch (ravine[?]), pl. felch
rist
cleft
(-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”
thanc
cleft
(adj.) thanc (forked, split), pl. thainc
thanc
cleft
(forked, split), pl. thainc
thanc
split
(adj.) thanc (forked, cleft), pl. thainc
thanc
split
(forked, cleft), pl. thainc
thanc
forked
thanc (cleft, split), pl. thainc
thanc
forked
(cleft, split), pl. thainc
A noun for “cleft” appearing as the final element of the name Imladris “Rivendell” = “Deep Dale of the Cleft” (RC/774) or “Canyon of the Cleft” (VT47/14).
Conceptual Development: This noun first appeared as N. rhis or rhess “a ravine” derived from primitive ᴹ✶risse- under the root ᴹ√RIS (Ety/RIS²). The variant form rhess indicates some kind a-affection, perhaps because final e became a after s, though usually a double ss preserved e. In the 1940s and later Tolkien sometimes gave the name of Rivendell as Imladris(t), indicating a final element rist (TI/120; RC/774), but normally an -st does not reduce at the end of Sindarin words: compare Angrenost and Eglarest. In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien gave the form as riss < ✶rinsa, an adjective meaning “cleft, cloven, separate” (PE17/87), but here the expected a-affection is absent.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin I would assume the noun form is riss “cleft”, and the adjective form is ᴺS. ress “cleft, cloven, separate” with the usual a-affection.