dol

head

_ n. _head (often applied to hills or mountains that had _not _a sharp apex). >> -dhol, doll, Dol-fanui, Fanuidhol

dol

noun. head

dol

noun. hill or mountain

Dol Baran

place name. Dol Baran

topon. >> dol, paran

Dol Guldur

Dol Guldur

topon. -. >> dol, doll

dol(l)

noun. head, hill

This is the normal Sindarin word for “head” (PE17/32, 173; RC/268), which also “often applied to hills or mountains that had not a sharp apex” (PE17/36). Based on the epithet Glórindol “Goldenhead” for Hador (S/147, WJ/234), the word also applied to the head of people (and presumably also animals). In compounds and names it took the form dol, -dol or (mutated) -dhol, as in Dol Guldur, Nardol, or Fanuidhol. Tolkien also represented this word as doll, which is likely its form as an independent word (PE17/32, 36).

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor to this word was G. nôl “head” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/61), cognate of ᴱQ. nóla “head, hill” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon under the early root ᴱ√NOHO “extended” (QL/67). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱN. {naul >>} nod “head” (PE13/150-151), while in The Etymologies of the 1930s he had N. dôl “head” under the root ᴹ√NDOL (Ety/NDOL).

The last of these indicates the noun began with the ancient cluster nd-, which is important because it would affect mutated forms. However, later Sindarin Fanuidhol “Cloudy Head” requires derivation from unstrengthened ✱dol (RGEO/66). In the 1940s, the plural of this word was duil (SM/225; TI/268) which is consistent with a noun ending in a single l (dôl), but Tolkien later represented it as ending in two ll (PE17/32, 36).

Neo-Sindarin: In keeping with Fanuidhol, I think it is best to assume the ancient form of the word began with unstrengthened d-, so that its independent mutated form would be dholl as in ✱i dholl “the head”. As for its plural, it is possible that the cluster ll would resist i-intrusion so that the plural form would ✱dyll “heads”; compare gyrth plural of gorth. However, I prefer to assume that final ss, nn, ll clusters were especially weak and still allowed for i-intrusion: compare lais plural of lass and periain plural of perian, versus class-plural periannath. Hence, I would use its 1940s plural form duil, which gives doll “a head”, i dholl “the head”, duil “heads” and i nuil “the heads”.

dol amroth

place name. *Hill of Amroth

Capital of the province of Belfalas in Gondor (LotR/750), a combination of dol(l) “head, hill” and the name Amroth, hence: “✱Hill of Amroth”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was briefly changed to N. Barad Amroth “Castle Amroth” (WR/423), but mostly appeared as N. Dol Amroth (WR/395, TI/310).

dol baran

place name. *Bare Hill

A hill at the southern end of the Misty Mountains. Its initial element is dol(l) “head, hill” (PE17/36, RC/433) and its second element is the lenited form baran of the adjective paran “bare, naked; smooth, shaven” (PE17/86, RC/433), hence: “✱Bare Hill”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Dolbaran (WR/72), a form that also appeared in The Etymologies where its second element was N. baran “brown” (Ety/BARÁN). This is likely the etymology Christopher Tolkien used when he translated Dol Baran as “Golden-brown Hill” in the index of The Unfinished Tales (UTI/Dol Baran).

This etymology is problematic, however, since the following adjective baran should be lenited to varan, as happened (for example) in S. Parth Galen “Green Sward”. In his “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien devised a new etymology for the word, with S. paran as the (lenited) second element (RC/433).

dol guldur

place name. Hill of Sorcery

Fortress of the Necromancer in Mirkwood (LotR/250). This name is a combination of dol(l) “head, hill” and guldur “sorcery” (SA/dol, gûl, dûr; PE17/32).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as (Ilk.?) Dol Dúghol (TI/178), with several variations in the second element as Tolkien worked through the drafts (sometimes u instead of o, sometimes gh instead of g). The form Dol Guldur did not appear until very late in Tolkien’s writing (WR/122).

dolmed

place name. Wet Head

A mountain between the Dwarf-cities of Belegost and Nogrod, a combination dol(l) “head, hill” (SA/dol) and mêd(h) “wet”.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name first appeared as Dolm (SM/232), later revised to Dolmed (LR/146). The name Ilk. Dolmed was designated Ilkorin in The Etymologies, with the derivation given above (Ety/NDOL, MIZD). The Ilkorin adjective mêd “wet” did not have a Noldorin equivalent, but the words for “moisture, dew” (Ilk. mîd, N. mîdh) strongly imply it would have been N. ✱mêdh. If so, the Noldorin form of this name would have been N. ✱Dolmedh.

Tolkien continued to use the form Dolmed in his Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/10), and it is unclear whether it was intended to be some dialectical form, or whether Tolkien revised (or was planning to revise) the etymology of the name. In Silmarillion map revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien wrote Dolmeð (WJ/183 section F14), which seems to be the Sindarization of this name, and perhaps he would have eventually made the same change in the narratives. Absent further information, the derivation given above is the best available.

Dol Baran

noun. gold-brown hill

(n-)dol (“hill”), baran (“gold-brown”) #The lack of lenition in baran could probably be explained by dialectal differences.

Dol Guldur

noun. hill of dark magic

(n-)dol (“hill”), (n-)gûl (“magic”) + dûr (“dark”)

Dolmed

noun. wet head

(n-)dol (“hill”) + méd (Dor. “wet”)

Dol-fanui

the form taken by Fanuidhol with the usual S

_topon. _the form taken by Fanuidhol with the usual S. order of word combination (i.e. with the adjectival element following the noun). >> dol, fanui

doll

head

_ n. _head (often applied to hills or mountains that had _not _a sharp apex). >> -dhol, dol, Dol-fanui, Fanuidhol

dol tarlang

place name. Tarlang’s Head

A mountain near the pass of Tarlang’s Neck translated “Tarlang’s Head” (RC/536), a combination of dol(l) “head, hill” with the name of the pass.

dolen

adjective. hidden, hidden, [N.] secret

-dhol

head

_ suff. _head (often applied to hills or mountains that had _not _a sharp apex). >> Fanuidhol

Dol Baran

Dol Baran

The name means "Shaven hill" (dol + paran) referring to its lack of trees.

Dol Tarlang

Dol Tarlang

The name Dol Tarlang is glossed as "Tarlang's Head", consisting of dol ("head") and Tarlang.

Dolmed

Dolmed

The name means "wet head" in Sindarin, from dol and med. The word for head is used often in Sindarin to refer to hills.

Dolmed

wet head

The name means "wet head" in Sindarin, from dol and med. The word for head is used often in Sindarin to refer to hills.

dolen

hidden

1) dolen (secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen. 2) hall (veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”, 3) thoren (guarded, fenced), pl. thorin, 4) thurin (secret); no distinct pl. form_.

dolen

hidden

(secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen.

dolen

secret

(hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin

doll

dark

doll (dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dark

(dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dusky

doll (dark, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dusky

(dark, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

misty

1) doll (dark, dusky, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in Sindarin. 2) hithui (foggy), lenited chithui; no distinct pl. form.

doll

misty

(dark, dusky, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in Sindarin.

dolt

knob

(round knob) dolt (i dholt) (boss), pl. dylt (i nylt)

dolt

boss

dolt (i dholt) (round knob), pl. dylt

dolt

round knob

dolt (i dholt) (boss), pl. dylt

doltha

conceal

(i dholtha, i noltar). Pa.t. †daul, an archaic form that was maybe replaced by dolthant later. Passive participle dolen (see

dolph

noun. mole

dolt

round knob

(i dholt) (boss), pl. dylt

dolt

knob

(i dholt) (boss), pl. *dylt*** (i nylt**)

dolt

boss

(i dholt) (round knob), pl. dylt

dôl

hill

(i** dhôl, construct **dol) (head), pl. dŷl (i** nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i** nôl, pl. i** ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n** if the former derivation had been maintained).

dôl

head

dôl (i dhôl, construct dol) (hill), pl. dŷl (i nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i nôl, pl. i ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n if the former derivation had been maintained).

dôl

head

(i dhôl, construct dol) (hill), pl. dŷl (i nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i nôl, pl. i ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n if the former derivation had been maintained).****

amon

hill

1) amon (pl. emyn) (steep-sided mount), 2) dôl (i dhôl, construct dol) (head), pl. dŷl (i nŷl). Note: In the Etymologies, this word was derived from a root with initial nd- (NDOL), which would make the mutations different (i nôl, pl. i ndŷl). However, the later name Fanuidhol "Cloudyhead" apparently indicates that the lenited form of this d was later to be dh (whereas it would be n if the former derivation had been maintained). 3) tund (i dund, o thund, construct tun) (mound), pl. tynd (i thynd), coll. pl. tunnath.

delia

conceal

(i dhelia, i neliar), pa.t. daul (whence the passive participle dolen ”concealed”), later pa.t. deliant.

delia

conceal

1) delia (i dhelia, i neliar), pa.t. daul (whence the passive participle dolen ”concealed”), later pa.t. deliant. 2) doltha- (i dholtha, i noltar). Pa.t. †daul, an archaic form that was maybe replaced by dolthant later. Passive participle dolen (see HIDDEN)

hethu

obscure

_(adjective) _1) *hethu (foggy, vague), analogical pl. hethy; lenited chethu. Cited in archaic form hethw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH). 2) doll (dark, dusky, misty), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

hethu

obscure

(foggy, vague), analogical pl. hethy; lenited chethu. Cited in archaic form hethw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH). 2) doll (dark, dusky, misty), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

thurin

secret

(adjective) 1) thurin (hidden); no distinct pl. form, 2) dolen (hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin;

toll

island

toll (i doll, o tholl, construct tol), pl. tyll (i thyll)

toll

island

(i doll, o tholl, construct tol), pl. tyll (i thyll)

tollui

eighth

tollui (lenited dollui). (VT42:15; Tolkien may have abandoned the form [t]olothen occurring in lenited form dolothen in an earlier source, SD:129)

tollui

eighth

(lenited dollui). (VT42:15; Tolkien may have abandoned the form [t]olothen occurring in lenited form dolothen in an earlier source, SD:129)

tolodh

cardinal. eight

The Sindarin number “eight” derived from the root √TOLOD, probably from primitive ✱✶tolodō, where the [[s|[d] became [ð] after a vowel]] as usual.

Conceptual Development: The earliest attested word for “eight” was G. uvin in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/75), replacing rejected ung. In The Etymologies from the 1930s it became N. toloth from the root ᴹ√TOLOTH, similar to but not quite the same as ᴹQ. tolto from the root ᴹ√TOLOT (Ety/TOL¹-OTH/OT).

In some notes from the 1950s, Tolkien used S. tolod (PE17/95), apparently deciding both Quenya and Sindarin were derived from the same root √TOLOT. Later still, toloth reappeared, but it was rejected and replaced by tolodh (toloð: VT42/25, 31). When Tolkien revisited the Elvish number system in the 1960s, he changed the t to a d in the root form for “eight” (VT47/11) and established tolodh as its Sindarin form (VT48/6).

Neo-Sindarin: I personally prefer tolodh as the Sindarin word for “eight”, but some Neo-Sindarin writers use the older (and perhaps better known) toloth. It seems Tolkien had considerable trouble deciding on the primitive root for “eight”, so any of these forms could be valid (VT47/31).

tolothen

ordinal. eighth

tolothen

ordinal. eighth

amon

noun. hill, steep-sided mount

amon

hill

pl1. emyn n. hill, lump, clump, mass, often applied to (esp. isolated) mountains. Q. umbo(n). FAmon Amarth

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

hithui

adjective. misty

An adjectival form of hîth “mist”, constructed via the common adjective suffix -ui. It is translated in the early name N. Eredhithui “Misty Mountains” (TI/124), a precursor of S. Hithaeglir. It is attested in later writings as S. Hithui, the Sindarin name for November (lit. “✱Misty-one”).

thurin

masculine name. Secret

A name that Finduilas gave to Túrin translated “Secret” (UT/157), simply the adjective thurin “secret, hidden” used as a name.

tol

noun. island, (steep) isle rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river

tolhui

ordinal. eighth

tolhui

ordinal. eighth

tollui

ordinal. eighth

tollui

ordinal. eighth

tolod

cardinal. eight

tolodh

cardinal. eight

Tolkien emended toloth to tolodh, cf. VT/42:31 (and also VT/48:6). If we are to follow him, a word such as tolothen would be incorrect, unless the two forms coexisted

tolthui

ordinal. eighth

tolthui

ordinal. eighth

torn

hidden

adj. hidden, secret. >> terech

torn

adjective. hidden, secret

amon

hill

(pl. emyn) (steep-sided mount)

angol

deep lore

(magic), pl. engyl. Note: a homophone means "stench".

basgorn

round bread

(loaf) (i masgorn), pl. besgyrn (i mbesgyrn).

corn

round

corn (circular, globed), lenited gorn, pl. cyrn. The word is also used as a noun "circle".

corn

round

(circular, globed), lenited gorn, pl. cyrn. The word is also used as a noun "circle".

cîl

pass between hills

(i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

dath

pit

dath (i dhath) (hole, steep fall, abyss), pl. daith (i naith) (VT45:8)

dath

pit

(i dhath) (hole, steep fall, abyss), pl. daith (i naith) (VT45:8)

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith);

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

falch

deep cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch;

golu

secret lore

(i ngolu = i ñolu, o n’golu = o ñgolu) (secret lore), analogical pl. gely (in gely = i ñgely) if there is a pl. Archaic golw, hence golwath as the likely coll. pl. 

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

graw

dark

graw (swart), lenited raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

graw

dark

(swart), lenited ’raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

guldur

dark sorcery

(i nguldur = i ñuldur), pl. gyldyr (in gyldyr = i ñgyldyr)

gwathra

obscure

(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (dim, veil, overshadow

gwathra

obscure

(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, veil, overshadow

hall

hidden

(veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”

hithui

misty

(foggy), lenited chithui; no distinct pl. form.

im

deep vale

(dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad (VT45:18, VT47:19)

imlad

deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides

(glen), pl. imlaid;

maeg

going deep in

(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (sharp, penetrating). (WJ:337);

morn

dark

morn (black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

(black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

môr

dark

môr (black), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also

môr

dark

(black), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr* (Letters:382)*, also

sab-

verb. to dig

thoren

hidden

(guarded, fenced), pl. thorin

thurin

hidden

(secret); no distinct pl. form

thurin

secret

(hidden); no distinct pl. form

tofn

deep

tofn (lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

tofn

deep

(lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

toloth

cardinal. eight

toloth, tolodh;

toloth

eight

tolodh;

tund

hill

(i** dund, o thund, construct tun) (mound), pl. tynd (i** thynd), coll. pl. tunnath.

tûm

deep valley

tum- (i** dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. t**uim (i** thuim**)

dol amroth

place name. Dol Amroth

dolad

place name. Dolad

Name of a hill appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/NDOL). Its first element seems to be dôl “head, hill”, but the meaning of the second element is unclear.

dolbaran

place name. Dolbaran

dolt

noun. round knob, boss

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “round knob, boss” under the root ᴹ√NDOL (Ety/NDOL).

dolwethil

feminine name. (Woman of) Secret Shadow

Noldorin equivalent of Ilk. Thuringwethil (Ety/THUR), a combination of doll “secret” with the lenited form of gwath “shadow” where the [[n|[a] changed to [e] because of the following [i]]], ending with the feminine suffix -iel.

doltha-

verb. to conceal

dolereb

place name. Lonely Mt.

Early name of S. Erebor from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s glossed “Lonely Mt.” (TI/306). It is a combination of dôl “head, hill” and ereb “lonely”.

doll

adjective. obscure, dark, dusky, hidden, secret

dolen

adjective. hidden, secret

dolamarth

place name. Mount Doom

Early name of S. Amon Amarth from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, also appearing as Amarthon (TI/343). It is a combination of dôl “head, hill” and ammarth “doom”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.57).

dolen

noun. concealed, hidden

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. obscure

dolt

noun. round knob, boss

doltha-

verb. to conceal

dôl

noun. head, hill

dôl

noun. head

dôl

noun. hill or mountain

delia-

verb. to conceal

amon

noun. hill, steep-sided mount

amon

noun. hill

corn

adjective. round, globed

daudh

noun. pit

delia-

verb. to conceal

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

adjective. dark

hithui

adjective. misty

mindon

noun. isolated hill, especially a hill with a watch tower

mindon

noun. tower

muin

adjective. secret

nûr

adjective. deep

nûr

adjective. deep

thurin

adjective. secret, hidden

toll

noun. island, (steep) isle rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river

toloth

cardinal. eight

Tolkien emended toloth to tolodh, cf. VT/42:31 (and also VT/48:6). If we are to follow him, a word such as tolothen would be incorrect, unless the two forms coexisted

toloth

cardinal. eight

tund

noun. hill, mound

tunn

noun. hill, mound

dolgu

noun. dark, (evil) night

A noun attested as the isolated word dolgu, described as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’” (SD/306). It may be related to S. dû “night” and N. doll “obscure, hidden, dusky”, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/13). It is similar to the word dulgu “black” appearing in the Lament of Akallabêth and the two may be variations of the same word, but most authors have suggested (AAD/13-14, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/DUL’G, NBA/11, 24) that they are distinct words. In the phonetic rules in Lowdham’s Report from this period, a short o cannot appear in an Adûnaic (SD/423), so perhaps the proper form of this noun should be ✱dôlgu.

toli

noun. doll, puppet

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

nolpa

noun. mole

Túna

hill, mound

Túna (also Tún) place-name, used of the hill on which Tirion was built (Silm, TUN, KOR), derived from a stem (TUN) apparently meaning simply *"hill, mound".

ambo

hill, rising ground

ambo noun "hill, rising ground" (Markirya, PE17:92), "mount" (PE17:157), allative pl. ambonnar "upon hills" in Markirya (ruxal' ambonnar "upon crumbling hills") According to VT45:5, ambo was added to the Etymologies as a marginal note.

ambona

noun. hill

amun

hill

amun (amund-) noun "hill" (LT2:335; in Tolkien's later Quenya ambo)

cas

head

cas ("k")"head" (VT49:17), cf. also deleted [cas] ("k")noun "top, summit" (VT45:19). This noun should evidently have the stem-form car-. See cár.

cas

noun. head, head, [ᴱQ.] top, summit

This is the Quenya word for “head”, with a stem form of car- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final. This word can refer to the head of people and animals, as well as the metaphorical “head” (or top) of other things, in much the same way that Q. tál “foot” can refer to their base.

Conceptual Development: This word was established very early in Tolkien’s writing, being derived from the root ᴱ√KASA “head” all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), but its exact form varied as Tolkien changed his mind on the phonetic development of s in Quenya. Its form in the Qenya Lexicon was in fact ᴱQ. kar (kas-), since in Early Qenya period medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26). This kar (kas-) was the usual word for head in the 1910s and 20s, but in the typescript version of the Early Qenya Grammar Tolkien instead revised it to ᴱQ. kas (kast-) “head” (PE14/72 and note #5).

In noun declensions from the late 1920s and early 1930s, Tolkien instead had cas (car-), reflecting a conceptual shift in the phonologic development of s (PE13/112-113; PE21/22). However, for reasons unclear, the form ᴹQ. kár (kas-) was restored in The Etymologies written around 1937 under the root ᴹ√KAS “head” (Ety/KEM), despite s > z > r being the normal medial phonetic development in this period (PE19/33). This abnormal form slipped into The Lord of the Rings itself as part of the name Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm” (LotR/1038).

Tolkien generally used the form cas for “head” in his later writings (PE19/103; VT49/17), but in his notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien was forced to contrive another explanation for Eldacar:

> What is -kar in names. How could it stand for helm? E.g. as stem ✱kāsā (√KAS, head) would give kāra, but in compound forms -kāsă > -kas. Would not an ă be lost before voicing of s or at least before z > r (PE17/114).

In this note Tolkien considered having Q. carma “helm” < kas-mā, but discarded the idea since he felt karma “tool or weapon” < KAR “do, make” + mā was the more likely meaning. He then said “Eldă|kāzā in compounds to -kār(ă) > -kar” despite its phonological implausibility, and indeed kāza/kára appeared in a discussion of helms within 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD: PE17/188).

As for the sense “top”, there is better evidence for it among Tolkien’s earlier writings, such as the glosses “head, top” in Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/79) and the early-1930s allative form kasta “up (to the top)” (PE21/22). I see no reason to assume this alternate meaning did not survive in Tolkien’s later conception of the language.

corima

round

corima _("k")_adj. "round" (LT1:257; rather corna in Tolkien's later Quenya)

corna

round, globed

corna ("k")adj. "round, globed" (KOR)

cuv-

verb. to conceal, to conceal, *hide

cár

head

cár (cas-) ("k")noun "head" (KAS).The given stem-form appears doubtful within the phonological framework of LotR-style Quenya. Probably we should read cas with stem car- (PE14:69 indeed reads "kas head, pl. kari", and VT49:17 quotes the sg. "kas" from a post-LotR source). Compare other forms found in late sources: hlas "ear" with stem hlar- (PE17:62) and olos "dream", pl. olori (UT:396). In Tolkiens early "Qenya", post-vocalic -s became -r at the end of words but was preserved when another vowel followed. His later scheme either lets -r appear in both positions, or reverses the scenario altogether (hence olos, olor-). It would seem that the forms cár, cas- were distractedly carried over into the Etymologies from the Qenya Lexicon (kar, kas-, QL:45) even though they presuppose an earlier version of the phonology. An apparent variant form in late material, cára from earlier cáza ("k"), however fits the later phonology since intervocalic s would become z > r (PE17:188).

cára

noun. head

foina

hidden

foina adj. "hidden" (LT2:340)

fur-

to conceal, to lie

fur- vb. "to conceal, to lie" (LT2:340) Read perhaps *hur- in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya, since Tolkien decided that fu- tended to become hu-.

furin

hidden, concealed

furin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also hurin, which form may be preferred in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya) (LT2:340)

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

hurin

hidden, concealed

hurin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also furin) (LT2:340)

lomba

secret

lomba adj.or noun "secret" (LT1:255)

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

lóna

island, remote land difficult to reach

lóna (2) noun "island, remote land difficult to reach" (LONO (AWA) ). Obsoleted by #1 above?

lún

deep

lún adj.??? a word of obscure meaning, perhaps "deep" as used of water (VT48:28)

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

muina

hidden, secret

muina adj. "hidden, secret" (MUY)

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

noldarë

mole

noldarë noun "mole"; also nolpa (GL:30)

nolpa

mole

nolpa "mole"; also noldarë (GL:30)

nulda

secret

nulda adj. "secret" (DUL)

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

tol

island, isle

tol noun "island, isle" (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from the river, SA:tol, VT47:26). In early "Qenya", the word was defined as "island, any rise standing alone in water, plain of green, etc" (LT1:269). The stem is toll-; the Etymologies as published in LR gives the pl. "tolle" (TOL2), but this is a misreading for tolli (see VT46:19 and compare LT1:85). The primitive form of tol is variously cited as ¤tolla (VT47:26) and ¤tollo (TOL2).

toldo

cardinal. eight

The Quenya number “eight” derived from the root √TOLOD, probably from primitive ✱✶tolodō, with the middle vowel lost due to the Quenya syncope.

Conceptual Development: The earliest attested Qenya word for “eight” was ᴱQ. umna in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/75), but when Tolkien composed the number lists in the Early Qenya Grammar from the 1920s, it was revised to ᴱQ. tolto (PE14/49, 82). In The Etymologies from the 1930s it remained ᴹQ. tolto from the root ᴹ√TOLOT (Ety/TOL¹-OTH/OT).

When Tolkien revisited the Elvish number system in the 1960s, he first used tolto (VT47/32), but he later changed the t to a d in both the Quenya form and the root (VT48/6).

Neo-Quenya: I personally prefer toldo as the Quenya word for “eight”, but some Neo-Quenya writers use the older (and perhaps better known) tolto. It seems Tolkien had considerable trouble deciding on the primitive root for “eight”, so any of these forms could be valid (VT47/31).

toldëa

eighth

toldëa oridinal "eighth" (VT42:25), also toltëa (VT42:31). See tolto.

toldëa

ordinal. eighth

tolos

knob, lump

tolos noun "knob, lump" (LT1:269; this "Qenya" form would seem to be a precursor of Quenya tolma, q.v.)

tolto

cardinal. eight

tolto cardinal "eight" (TOL1-OTH/OT), variant toldo (VT48:6). Ordinal toltëa "eighth" (VT42:31), with variant toldëa (VT42:25) to go with toldo.

tolto

cardinal. eight

toltëa

eighth

toltëa ordinal "eighth" (VT42:31), also toldëa (VT42:25). See tolto.

toltëa

ordinal. eighth

tundo

hill, mound

tundo noun "hill, mound" (TUN)

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

umbo

hill, lump, clump, mass

umbo, umbon noun "hill, lump, clump, mass" (PE17:93)

hísëa

adjective. misty

A neologism for “misty” coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo as a replacement for ᴱQ. maska of similar meaning. It is just an adjective form of hísë “mist”, and is thus not particularly original.

sap-

verb. to dig

toli

root. *doll

ambō

noun. hill

dom

root. dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim

This root was the basis for the main Elvish words for “dusk, night”, which was established as Q. lómë in Quenya for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√LOMO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with various derivatives having to do with “dusk” and “shadow” (QL/55). One notable derivative was ᴱQ. lóme “dusk, gloom, darkness”, which survived in Tolkien’s later writings as “night” and in the 1910s was the basis for ᴱQ. Hisilóme/G. Hithlum “Shadowy Twilights”. Another notable derivative was G. lómin “shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)” (GL/45) used in the name G. Dor Lómin, which in the 1910s was translated as “Land of Shadow” (LT1/112).

The “shadow” meaning of this early root seems to have transferred to ᴹ√LUM from The Etymologies of the 1930s, which served as the new basis for N. Hithlum (Ety/LUM), as opposed contemporaneous N. Dor-lómen which was redefined as “Land of Echoes (< ᴹ√LAM via Ilkorin or in later writings, via North Sindarin). The “dusk” sense was transferred to a new root ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim”, which (along with ᴹ√DOƷ) was the basis for the pair words ᴹQ. lóme/N. dû “night” (Ety/DOMO).

These two words for “night” survived in Tolkien’s later writing in both Quenya and Sindarin (Let/308; SA/dú). In notes from the 1940s Tolkien clarified that it “has no evil connotations; it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that, say, ‘dark’ has for us” (SD/306). The Elves were quite comfortable being under the night sky, dating back to the time when the Elves lived under the stars before the rising of the Sun and the Moon. The root √DOM reappeared in etymologies for star-words from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152). It appeared again in some very late notes from 1969 where it was glossed “dark” and served as the basis for words meaning “blind” as well as “night”, though this paragraph was rejected (PE22/153, note #50).

kas

root. head

The root for “head” was established very early in Tolkien’s Elvish languages, appearing in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√KASA “head” (QL/45), though in this period its Qenya derivative was ᴱQ. kar (kas-) because [[eq|final [s] became [r]]] in Early Quenya (PE12/26). It had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. cas “head, skull” (GL/25), a word that reappeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s as ᴱN. cas “skull” (PE13/140).

The root ᴹ√KAS “head” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, still with the form ᴹQ. kár (kas-) “head” (Ety/KAS), but Tolkien eventually abandoned the Early Qenya phonology and the Quenya form became Q. kas after some vacillation (PE19/103). The root √KAS “head” continued to appear frequently in Tolkien’s later writing (PE17/114; PE21/70; VT42/12).

kas

noun. head

kor

root. round, round; [ᴱ√] be round, roll

This was the Elvish root for round things throughout Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√KORO “be round, roll” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, and had Early Qenya and Gnomish derivatives like ᴱQ. korima “round” and G. corm “ring, circle, disc” (GL/26). ᴹ√KOR “round” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin (Ety/KOR). √KOR “round” was also mentioned in etymological notes probably written in the early 1960s (PE17/184). Its derivatives like Q. corma “ring” (LotR/953) and S. cerin “(circular) mound” (LotR/350; RC/309) appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings.

mornā

adjective. dark

tollă

noun. island

tolod

root. eight

The earliest Elvish words for “eight” were ᴱQ. {ungo >>} umna and G. {ung >>} uvin in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/75), but in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s it became ᴱQ. {telte >>} tolto (PE14/49). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave the root ᴹ√TOL-OTH/OT “eight” as the basis for ᴹQ. tolto and N. toloth of the same meaning (Ety/TOL¹-OTH/OT); in this document it was distinct from ᴹ√TOL which was the basis for “island” words.

In documents on Elvish numbers from the late 1960s, Tolkien vacillated between √TOLOTH (VT42/30 note #52), √TOLOT (VT42/24; VT47/31) and √TOLOD (VT47/11) for the form of this root, but in the more polished versions of these documents he seems to have settled on √TOLOD > Q. toldo, S. toloð (VT48/6). In this last iteration, Tolkien connected the root √TOLOD to the root √TOL “stick up” due to the prominence of the middle fingers (3 and 8) in counting (VT47/11); see the entry on √TOL for discussion.

tolot

root. eight

du Reconstructed

root. dark

búrz

adjective. dark

búrz

adjective. dark

bund

noun. head

tolodya

ordinal. eighth

tolot

cardinal. eight