ëar

sea

ëar noun "sea" (AYAR/AIR [gives also dat. sg. ëaren],WJ:413; see Letters:386 for etymology). Not to be confused with the pl. form of the verb ëa "be, exist". Pl. ëari "seas" (FS, LR:47); Eär "the Great Sea" (cf. ëaron "ocean"), ablative Eärello "from the Great Sea", et Eärello "out of the Great Sea" (EO). Eärë noun "the open sea" (SD:305). Compound ëaruilë noun "seaweed" (UY). Found in proper names like Eärendil "Sea-friend", Eärendur masc. name, *"Sea-servant"; in effect a variant of Eärendil(Appendix A). Eärendur was also used ="(professional) mariner" (Letters:386).Fem. name Eärwen "Sea-maiden" (Silm); Eärrámë "Sea-wing", "Wings of the Sea", name of Tuor's ship (RAM, AYAR/AIR, SA)

ëar

noun. sea, great sea, sea, great sea, [ᴹQ.] open sea; water

The most common Quenya word for “sea”, derived from the root √GAYAR (or sometimes √AYAR), where the vowel combination was the result of the frequent Quenya sound change whereby aya > ëa.

Conceptual Development: As an element in the name ᴱQ. Earendel, this word first appeared as ᴱQ. ea or ᴱQ. earen “eagle” (QL/34). But by the 1940s Tolkien changed the form and meaning of this name to ᴹQ. Earendil “Friend of the Sea” (SD/237), and the word ᴹQ. ear “sea” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√AYAR (Ety/AY). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s it had the form eare and the gloss “open sea” (SD/241, 305). The first appearance of the “sea” meaning of this word seems to be in a word-list associated with the Ambarkanta “Shape of the World” from the early 1930s, where ear had the glosses “water, sea” (SM/241), though in later writings only “sea” remained.

Cognates

• S. gaear “sea” ✧ Let/386; PE17/027; PM/363; RGEO/65; SA/ëar; WJ/400
• T. gaiar “Great Sea” ✧ PM/363

Derivations

• √AY(AR) “sea” ✧ Let/386
• √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/027
• ✶gayār “sea, the terrifier” ✧ PM/363; WJ/400
  • √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400

Element in

• Q. Eälótë “*Sea Flower”
• Q. Eämbar “Sea-dwelling”
• Q. ëar amortala “the seas heaving” ✧ MC/222
• Q. ëar-celumessen “in the flowing sea” ✧ MC/222
• ᴺQ. ëarel “starfish, (lit.) sea-star”
• Q. ëaren “ocean, great sea” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363
• Q. Eärendil “Lover of the Sea” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363; RGEO/65; SA/ëar
• Q. Eärendur “Mariner, *(lit.) Servant of the Sea”
• Q. ëarendur “(professional) mariner, *(lit.) servant of the sea”
• Q. ëar falastala “the sea surging” ✧ MC/222
• ᴺQ. ëarina “of the sea”
• Q. Eärnil “*Lover of the Sea”
• Q. Eärnur “*Servant of the Sea”
• ᴺQ. ëarra “seal, sea lion”
• Q. Eärrámë “Sea-wing” ✧ SA/ëar
• ᴺQ. ëarsil “pearl, (lit.) sea-sheen”
• ᴺQ. ëassar “pearl, (lit.) sea-pebble/stone”
• Q. Eärwen “*Sea-maiden”
• Q. et Eärello Endorenna utúlien “Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come” ✧ LotR/0967; PE17/103

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√AYAR > ëar	[ajar] > [ear]	✧ Let/386
√GAY(AR) > ëar	[gajar] > [ɣajar] > [ɣear] > [ear]	✧ PE17/027
✶Gayar- > Eär	[gajar] > [ɣajar] > [ɣear] > [ear]	✧ PM/363
✶gayār > ëar	[gajār] > [ɣajār] > [ɣear] > [ear]	✧ WJ/400

Variations

• Eär ✧ PM/363; PMI/Eär
• eär ✧ WJ/413

ëaron

ocean

ëaron noun "ocean" (PE17:27), also airon. Cf. ëar.

hlas

noun. ear

The Quenya word for “ear” is derived from primitive √S-LAS, an elaboration of √LAS “listen” (PE17/62, 77). It had a stem form of hlar- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s the word for “ear” was derived directly from ᴹ√LAS “listen”, and had the form lár (Ety/LAS²). This seems to be a brief reversion to Early Qenya phonology of the 1910s, where medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26); compare to ᴹQ. kár (kas-) “head”, also from The Etymologies (Ety/KAS). In that document, the Noldorin word for “ear” was N. lhewig, a singular form based on the fossilized dual lhaw (Ety/LAS²). The voiceless lh- in this word was the result of the Noldorin sound-change of the 1930s whereby ancient initial r-, l- were unvoiced.

This Noldorin word made it into Lord of the Rings drafts as part of Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, (lit.) Hill of Ears” (TI/364), a form that Tolkien retained in the published version (LotR/393). Since the unvoicing of initial l was no longer a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, Tolkien needed to contrive a new derivation from primitive √S-LAS, which also necessitated a change in the Quenya cognate to voiceless initial hl-.

Early Qenya words for “ear” from the 1910s had a completely different basis. They include ᴱQ. ankar (ankas-) “ear (of men)”, ᴱQ. qan (qand-) “ear”, and ᴱQ. unk (unq-) “ear (of animals)” from the Qenya Lexicon, all based on the root ᴱ√ṆQṆ (QL/31, 76, 98). The last of these reappeared as unko “ear” in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s and contemporaneous word lists (PE14/52, 76, 117; PE15/71), but seems to have been abandoned by the 1930s.

Cognates

• S. lheweg “ear” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/062; PE17/077

Derivations

• √SLAS “ear” ✧ PE17/062
• ✶slas “ear” ✧ PE17/077
  • √SLAS “ear”

Element in

• ᴺQ. hlarma “earpiece, receiver”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√S-LAS > hlas	[slas] > [l̥as]	✧ PE17/062
✶slasū > hlaru	[slasū] > [l̥asū] > [l̥azū] > [l̥azu] > [l̥aru]	✧ PE17/077

hlas

ear

hlas noun "ear", stem hlar- as in the dual form hlaru (PE17:62). Compare lár #2.

lár

ear

lár (2) noun "ear" (?). Tolkien's wording is not clear, but ¤lasū is given as an ancient dual form "(pair of) ears"; Quenya lár could represent the old singular las- (LAS2). In a post-LotR source, Tolkien derives hlas "ear" (dual hlaru) from a stem SLAS(PE17:62). Initial hl- rather than l- reflects the revised form of the stem (LAS becoming SLAS), and in the later version of the phonology, postvocalic -s does not become -r when final. Compare the noun "dream", given as olor in the Etymologies (LOS), but as olos pl. olori in a later source (UT:396)

airë

noun. sea

An archaic word for “sea” which fell out of use to due conflict with “holy” words like aira or airë; it was a noun form of primitive ✶gaı̯ră (PE17/27). The more common modern word for “sea” is ëar.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. aire “sea” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√AYAR (Ety/AY); it appeared beside a form ᴹQ. airen that might be a genitive form, or might be a longer form; see the entry on ᴹQ. airon for discussion.

Cognates

• S. gaear “sea” ✧ PE17/027

Derivations

• ✶gayār “sea, the terrifier” ✧ PE17/027
  • √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400

Element in

• Q. airon “ocean” ✧ PE17/027

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶gaı̯ră > aire	[gaira] > [ɣaira] > [aira]	✧ PE17/027

Variations

• aire ✧ PE17/027 (aire)

vëa

sea

vëa (3) noun "sea" (MC:213, 214, 216; possibly obsoleted by #1 and #2 above, though some argue that the initial element of the late names Vëantur and Vëandur [q.v.] could be vëa #3 rather than #2 (it can hardly be #1) . In any case, the normal word for "sea" in LotR-style Quenya seems to be ëar.) Inflected vëan "sea" (MC:220), vëar "in sea" (a "Qenya" locative in -r, MC:213), vëassë "on sea" (MC:220). Cf. also vëaciryo.

airen

noun. sea

airë

sea

airë (2) noun "sea" (the form airen is given, intended as a genitive singular when Tolkien wrote this; in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be a dative sg.) (AYAR/AIR; cf. airon)

váya

sea

váya noun "sea" (considered as "waters, motion"). The wording of the source indicates that Tolkien only tentatively considered such a word (PE17:33)

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).

lassë

leaf

lassë noun "leaf"; pl. lassi is attested (Nam, RGEO:66, Letters:283, LAS1, LT1:254, VT39:9, Narqelion); gen. lassëo "of a leaf", gen. pl. lassion "of leaves" (earlier lassio) (WJ:407). The word lassë was only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees (PE17:62), perhaps particularly _ear-shaped _leaves (cf. the entry _LAS1 _in the Etymologies, where Tolkien comments on the pointed or leaf-shaped Elvish ears and suggests an etymological connection between words for "ear" and "leaf"); see also linquë #3. Compound lasselanta "leaf-fall", used (as was quellë) for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter (Appendix D, Letters:428); hence Lasselanta alternative name of October (PM:135). Cf. also lassemista "leaf-grey, grey-leaved" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:224, PE17:62), lassewinta a variant of lasselanta (PM:376). Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves" (PE17:56). See also lillassëa, lantalasselingëa.

airon

noun. ocean

An (archaic) word for “ocean”, an augmentative form of airë mentioned in a couple of later notes (PE17/27, 149). A more modern form is ëaron.

Conceptual Development: The form ᴹQ. airen appeared in parenthesis beside ᴹQ. aire “sea” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/AY). Helge Fauskanger suggested that it might be a genitive form (QQ/airë), but in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s, aire “sea” >> airen (PE22/23 note #70), suggesting it is an alternate (augmentative?) form. If so, it is probably a precursor to airon.

Cognates

• S. gaearon “ocean, (lit.) great sea” ✧ PE17/027; PE17/149

Derivations

• ✶airō “ocean” ✧ PE17/149
  • √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/149
  • √AY(AR) “sea” ✧ PE18/097

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶airō > airon	[airon]	✧ PE17/149

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.

Derivations

• ✶kas “head” ✧ PE17/188
  • √KAS “head”

Element in

• ᴺQ. candóla “crown of head”
• Q. carma “helm”
• ᴺQ. caraxo “skull, *(lit.) head-bone”
• ᴺQ. quaccas “tadpole, (lit.) frog head”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶kāza > kára	[kāsa] > [kāza] > [kāra]	✧ PE17/188

Variations

• kára ✧ PE17/188
• kas ✧ PE19/103; VT49/17

lassë

noun. leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal

The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).

Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.

Cognates

• S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE17/062
• Nan. las “leaf” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

• ✶lassē “leaf” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
  • √LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Element in

• Q. ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen “ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen “ah! leaves fall golden in [by means of] the wind” ✧ RGEO/58
• Q. laicalassë “green-leaf, green as leaves”
• ᴺQ. lassëa “with leaves, leafy”
• Q. lasselanta “(late) autumn, (lit.) leaf-fall, (late) autumn, (lit.) leaf-fall; [ᴹQ.] October” ✧ LotR/1107
• Q. Lassemista “Leaf-Grey”
• Q. lassewinta “leaf fall, autumn, *(lit.) leaf blowing”
• Q. lillassëa “having many leaves”
• ᴺQ. lótelas “petal, (lit.) flower-leaf”
• ᴺQ. nornolassëa “having oak-leaves”
• Q. olass(i)ë “foliage, collection of leaves”
• ᴺQ. parmalas(së) “page, (lit.) leaf of book”
• Q. táli lantalasselingië “*with feet like the music of falling leaves” ✧ PE16/096; PE16/096
• Q. taniquelassë “*high-white-leaf”
• ᴺQ. tyávelassë “spice, (lit.) taste-leaf”
• ᴺQ. yullas “tea”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶lassē > lasse	[lassē] > [lasse]	✧ Let/282
✶lassḗi > lássei > lassī	[lassei] > [lassī] > [lassi]	✧ PE19/106
✶lasséinen > lassēnen > lassī́nen	[lasseinen] > [lassīnen]	✧ PE19/106
✶lassē > lasse	[lassē] > [lasse]	✧ VT39/09

Variations

• lasse ✧ Let/282; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/062; Plotz/11; VT39/09

Eärendil

son of eärendel

Eärendil, masc. name; see ëar. Eärendilyon noun "son of Eärendel" ("used of any mariner") (LT1:251)

Rása

the sea

Rása noun "the Sea" (LT2:347; rather ëar in Tolkien's later Quenya)

airon

ocean

airon noun "ocean" (PE17:27). Also ëaron, q.v.

oaris

mermaid

oaris (oarits-), also oarwen, noun "mermaid" (LT1:263; read perhaps ëar- for oar- in LotR-style Quenya)

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

Changes

• nā → nāner ✧ VT49/09
• nār → năr ✧ VT49/30

Cognates

• Ad. -n “predicate suffix”
• S. na- “to be”

Derivations

• √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist” ✧ PE17/093

Element in

• Q. á hyamë rámen úcarindor “pray for us sinners” ✧ VT43/34
• Q. aistana elyë imíca nísi “blessed art thou amongst women” ✧ VT43/30; VT43/30
• Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun “glory [be] to God in the highest” ✧ VT44/34; VT44/34
• Q. A (ná) calima lá B “A is brighter than B; (lit.) A is bright beyond B” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/090
• Q. A anamelda na ar ilyan “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A anamelda na epë B “A is dear before B” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A anamelda na ep’ ilya “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A arimelda na epe B “A is (very much) [dearer] than B” ✧ PE17/057 (A arimelda na epe B)
• Q. A arimelda na ilyaron “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. á na márië “be well” ✧ PE17/162
• Q. aranielya na tuluva “thy kingdom come” ✧ VT43/14; VT43/14
• Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13
• Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16
• Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cé tulis, tanomë nauvan “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09
• Q. essë úpa nas “he is dumb” ✧ PE17/126
• Q. i Héru aselyë “the Lord is with thee” ✧ VT43/30
• Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
• Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23
• Q. mára ná “it is good” ✧ PE17/093
• Q. ná “yes, it is so, it is a fact”
• Q. na airë esselya “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT43/14
• Q. na carë indómelya “thy will be done” ✧ VT43/15
• Q. nai “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; [ᴱQ.] remoter possibility” ✧ RGEO/60; VT49/28
• Q. naitë “true” ✧ VT49/28
• ᴺQ. nalumë “sometime(s)”
• Q. namárië “farewell, (lit.) be well, let it be well (to you)” ✧ PE17/058; PE17/059; PE17/059; PE17/074
• Q. námo “person, somebody (unnamed)”
• Q. náner ataformaitë ve fírimor quetir “*were ambidextrous as mortals say” ✧ VT49/10
• ᴺQ. nanomë “someplace, somewhere”
• Q. nanwa “existing, actual (true), existing, actual (true), *real; [️ᴱQ.] being” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. nár (naitië) “they are (indeed = truly)” ✧ PE22/166
• Q. násië “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
• Q. násan “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
• Q. nás mára nin “I like it” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. nassë “nature, true-being, *essence; person, individual” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. návë “being”
• Q. nésë nórima rocco “he was a horse strong/swift at running” ✧ VT49/29
• Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
• Q. roccor i Erulingaron márë nár (ma naitë)? “the horses of the Rohirrim are good (are they not, lit. is it true)” ✧ PE22/166
• Q. savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo “I believe that E[lessar] really existed and that he was a King of Gondor” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
• Q. sínen i·anda nyarnë metta ar taina andaurenya na quanta “*with this the long tale ends and my extended long day is complete” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
• Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost, lost to those from the east is Valimar!” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost is, [to one] from the East lost, Valimar!” ✧ RGEO/59
• Q. umbë nin i hríve nauva urra (si loa) “I have a feeling that winter will be bad (this year)” ✧ PE22/168
• Q. yá hríve menë, ringa ná “when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold” ✧ VT49/23 (yá hríve tene, ringa ná)
• ᴺQ. yonávë “company, *companionship, camaraderie”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NĀ > ná	[nā]	✧ PE17/093

Variations

• ná ✧ LotR/0377; PE17/090; PE17/093; PE22/154; PE22/167; VT42/33; VT49/09; VT49/23
• na ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/057; PE17/074; PE17/074; PE17/090; PE17/162; VT43/13; VT43/30
• nā ✧ PE17/058; RGEO/59; VT49/09 (nā); VT49/28; VT49/30
• nā- ✧ PE22/166; VT49/27; VT49/28 (nā-)
• nā̀ ✧ RGEO/58
• Nā ✧ RGEO/60
• nā̆ ✧ VT49/30
• nār ✧ VT49/30 (nār)

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.

cára

noun. head

taniquelassë

leaf

taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"

waya

noun. ocean

ó

the sea

†Ó noun "the sea" (poetic word, hardly valid in Tolkien's later Quenya) (LT1:263, there spelt Ô)

aear

Sea

_n. _Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Q. ear. nef aear, sí nef aearon lit. 'beyond the Sea, here beyond the Great Sea'. >> gaear, gaer

gaear

Sea

_n. _Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Shorter form gaer. Q. ear. >> aear, gaer

gaear

noun. sea

A word for “sea” variously attested as gaear (PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400), gaer (PE17/27; PE17/149), and aear (Let/386; RGEO/65) in later writings. Of these, I prefer gaear for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, reduced to gaer in compounds.

Possible Etymology: The presence or absence of the initial g- depends on whether the word’s root is √AY(AR) (as it appears in The Etymologies and some later writings) or √GAY(AR) (as it appears in other later writings). See the entry of the root √GAY(AR) for a discussion of this vacillation. Similarly, the form gaer appears primarily as an element in compounds, and can be explained as a reduced form of gaear in that context. For these reasons, this entry uses gaear as the ordinary Sindarin word for “sea”. This has the additional advantage of disambiguating it from the adjective gaer “dreadful”.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared as N. oer or oear “sea” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, reflecting the Noldorin sound change of ai to oe (Ety/AY). However name for the “Great Sea” was N. {Belegar >>} Belegaer in the narratives of this period (LR/19), and the name N. Rhûnaer “Eastern Sea” appeared in draft Lord of the Rings maps from 1943 (TI/307). The element N. oer did appear in the day-of-the-week name N. Aroeren “✱Sea-day” in drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, but this was revised to S. Oraeron (PM/130, 138).

Cognates

• Q. airë “sea” ✧ PE17/027
• Q. ëar “sea, great sea, sea, great sea, [ᴹQ.] open sea; water” ✧ Let/386; PE17/027; PM/363; RGEO/65; SA/ëar; WJ/400

Derivations

• √AY(AR) “sea” ✧ Let/386
• √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/027; PE17/149; SA/gaer
• ✶gayār “sea, the terrifier” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400
  • √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/027; PM/363; WJ/400

Element in

• S. Aerandir “Sea-wanderer”
• S. Belegaer “Great Sea” ✧ PM/363; SA/ëar; SA/gaer
• S. gaearon “ocean, (lit.) great sea” ✧ PE17/027; PE17/149; PM/363; RGEO/65
• S. Gaerdil “*Sea-lover” ✧ PE17/027
• ᴺS. gaeruil “seaweed”
• S. Gaerys “Ossë” ✧ SA/gaer
• ᴺS. gaessarn “pearl, (lit.) sea-pebble”
• S. nef aear, sí nef aearon “here ... beyond the Sea, beyond the wide and sundering Sea” ✧ LotR/0238; PE17/027; RGEO/63; RGEO/64
• S. Tirith Aear “Sea-ward Tower”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶gaı̯ră > gaer	[gaira] > [gair] > [gaer]	✧ PE17/027
✶Gayar- > gaear	[gaiara] > [gaiar] > [gaear]	✧ PM/363

Variations

• aear ✧ Let/386; RGEO/65
• gaer ✧ PE17/027; PE17/149; SA/ëar; SA/gaer

aear

noun. sea

Tolkien changed this word several times, see gaear

aear

noun. sea

gaear

noun. sea

aearon

noun. great sea, ocean

Tolkien changed this word several times, see gaearon

aearon

ocean

_n. _ocean. Augmentative form of _aear _Sea. Q. earon, airon. nef aear, sí nef aearon lit. 'beyond the Sea, here beyond the Great Sea'. >> aear

gaearon

ocean

_n. _ocean. Augmentative form of _gaear _Sea. Q. earon, airon. >> gaear

gaearon

noun. great sea, ocean

lheweg

noun. ear

The Sindarin word for “ear” was derived from primitive √S-LAS, an elaboration of √LAS “listen” (PE17/62). Its singular form lheweg is somewhat unusual. Based on its Quenya cognate Q. hlas (< ✶slas), its historical singular should probably be ✱lhâ. However, it seems the modern Sindarin form was actually based on the (fossilized) dual lhaw < ✶slasū, from which a singular form lheweg “ear” was derived using the singular suffix -eg, though it isn’t clear why the base vowel also changed from a to e.

Conceptual Development: Tolkien described a similar scenario in The Etymologies of the 1930s, except the singular was N. {lhaweg >>} lhewig and it was derived directly from ᴹ√LAS “listen” (Ety/LAS²; EtyAC/LAS²). The voiceless lh- in this word was the result of the Noldorin sound-change of the 1930s whereby ancient initial r-, l- were unvoiced. This Noldorin dual lhaw made it into Lord of the Rings drafts as part of Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, (lit.) of Ears” (TI/364), a form that Tolkien retained in the published version (LotR/393). Since the unvoicing of initial l was no longer a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, Tolkien needed to contrive a new derivation from primitive √S-LAS.

The Gnomish word for “ear” from the 1910s had a completely different basis: it was G. unc “ear, handle (of a jar)” (GL/75), cognate to ᴱQ. unk derived from the root ᴱ√ṆQṆ (QL/98).

Cognates

• Q. hlas “ear” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/062; PE17/077

Derivations

• √SLAS “ear” ✧ PE17/062

Element in

• S. Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, *(lit.) Hill of Ears” ✧ PE17/077
• N. Amon Lhaw

Elements

Word	Gloss
lhaw	“ears (of one person)”
-eg	“diminutive/singular ending”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√S-LAS > lhaw	[slasū] > [slasu] > [l̥asu] > [l̥ahu] > [l̥au]	✧ PE17/062

aear

sea

aear (ocean); pl. aeair. The shorter form aer (for N oer) is maybe best avoided since it can be confused with aer "holy", unless the latter is actually a lenited form of gaer. Forms with g-, representing an alternative concept of the word for ”sea”: gaear (i **aear) (ocean), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair = i ñaeair) (PM:363), also gaer (i **aer, no distinct pl. form except with article: i ngaer = i ñaer), but homophones of the latter mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy".

aear

sea

(ocean); pl. aeair. The shorter form aer (for N oer) is maybe best avoided since it can be confused with aer "holy", unless the latter is actually a lenited form of gaer. Forms with g-, representing an alternative concept of the word for ”sea”: gaear (i ’aear) (ocean), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair = i ñaeair) (PM:363), also gaer (i ’aer, no distinct pl. form except with article: i ngaer = i ñaer), but homophones of the latter mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy".

lhaw

noun. ears (referring to one person's pair of ears only)

aear

ocean

aear (sea), pl. aeair.

gaear

ocean

gaear (i **aear) (sea), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair** = i ñaeair).

gaear

ocean

(i ’aear) (sea), pl. gaeair (i ngaeair = i ñaeair).

gaearon

great ocean

(i ‘Aearon), pl. Gaearyn (i Ngaearyn = i Ñaearyn) if there is a pl.

aear

ocean

(sea), pl. aeair.

aer

noun. sea

Tolkien changed this word several times, see aear , gaear

gaer

Sea

_n._Sea, especially the Great (Western) Sea. Shorter form of gaear.Q. aire (obsolete). >> aear, gaear

gaer

noun. sea

gaer

noun. sea

lhewig

ear

lhewig (?i thlewig or ?i lewig the lenition product of lh is uncertain). This ia a singular formed from the collective

lhewig

ear

(?i thlewig or ?i lewig – the lenition product of lh is uncertain). This ia a singular formed from the collective

las

leaf

pl1. lais** **_ n. _leaf. Only applied to certain kinds of leaves, esp. those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of hyacinth. It is thus possibly related to LAS 'listen', and S-LAS stem of Elvish words for 'ear'. Q. lasse, pl1. lassi.

lhaw

ears

(?i thlaw or ?i law).

lass

noun. leaf, leaf; [G.] petal

The basic Sindarin word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; PE22/166). It appeared as both lass and las, but I believe the latter is the suffixal form, the result of the Sindarin sound change whereby final ss shortened in polysyllables (LotR/1115). Its plural form was lais, which is of interest because normally consonant clusters prevent i-intrusion]]; compare nern and resg the plurals of narn and rasg. I am of the opinion that the ss was a particular “weak” cluster and allowed intrusion anyway; see the entry on Sindarin plural nouns for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: G. lass “a leaf” appeared all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but there Tolkien said it was sometimes used for “petal” = G. tethlas (GL/52). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. lhas “leaf” (PE13/148) and N. lhass “leaf” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶lassē under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). These 1920s-30s forms were due to the Noldorin sound change whereby initial l was unvoiced to lh. Tolkien abandoned this sound change in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, so that lass “leaf” was restored.

Cognates

• Nan. las “leaf”
• Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE17/062

Derivations

• ✶lassē “leaf”
  • √LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Element in

• S. athelas “kingsfoil, a healing herb” ✧ PE17/049; PE22/166
• S. Eryn Lasgalen “Greenwood the Great, (lit.) Wood of Greenleaves”
• S. Finglas “Leaflock” ✧ RC/760
• S. Iorlas
• S. lais geledhion “leaves of trees” ✧ PE17/097
• S. Lasgalen “Green of Leaf”
• S. Mithrellas
• S. Nellas “?Three-leaf”
• ᴺS. parlas “parchment, document”
• ᴺS. suithlas “tea, *(lit.) drink of leaf”
• ᴺS. yllas “tea, *(lit.) drink of leaf”
• ᴺS. tuilas “petal, (lit.) bud-leaf”

Variations

• las(s) ✧ Let/282; RC/760
• las ✧ PE17/062; PE22/166

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).

lass

leaf

lass (pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).

-dhol

head

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

belegaer

noun. ocean

_ n. _ocean.

dol

noun. head

dol

noun. hill or mountain

dol

head

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

doll

head

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

gaer

ocean

_ n. _ocean.

gaeron

noun. great sea, ocean

gaeron

noun. ocean

_ n. _ocean.

las

noun. leaf

lass

noun. leaf

lass

leaf

_n. _leaf. >> athelas, las

na-

verb. to be

Changes

• dôd → dád ✧ VT44/22
• dád → hae ✧ VT44/22
• hae → no ✧ VT44/24

Cognates

• Q. ná- “to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist”

Derivations

• √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist”

Element in

• S. no aer i eneth lín “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT44/24
• ᴺS. novaer “goodbye, farewell, (lit.) be well”
• ᴺS. navaer “farewell, (lit.) be well”
• S. sí il chem en i Naugrim en ir Ellath thor den ammen “*now all (?hands) of the Dwarves and Elves will be (?against) to us” ✧ VT50/23

Variations

• dôd ✧ VT44/22 (dôd)
• dád ✧ VT44/22 (dád)
• hae ✧ VT44/22 (hae)

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).****

golas

collection of leaves

(i ’olas) (foliage), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis. ”

lasbelin

leaf-withering

(no distinct pl. form).

lass

leaf

(pl. #lais). (Letters:282, PM:135).

las

noun. leaf

Cognates

• S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”
• Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

• √LAS “leaf”

Element in

• Nan. Legolas “Greenleaf” ✧ Let/382

Variations

• -las ✧ Let/382

huzun

noun. ear

A noun translated as “ear” and fully declined as an example of a Strong I noun (SD/430).

azra

noun. sea

The Adûnaic word for “sea” (SD/429), appearing as azar in some early texts (SD/305). It is fully declined on SD/431.

Element in

• Ad. azra-zâin “sea-lands, maritime regions” ✧ SD/429; SD/435
• Ad. azrîya du-phursâ akhâsada “that [the] seas should gush into [the] chasm” ✧ SD/247
• Ad. azrē nai {phurusam >>} phurrusim akhās-ada “seas might-flow Chasm-into” ✧ SD/311
• Ad. Azrubêl “Sea-lover, Friend of the Sea” ✧ PM/373; SD/305; SD/429

Variations

• azar ✧ PM/373; SD/305

pharaz

noun. sea

A draft word for “sea”, deleted and replaced with azar (SD/305), which later become azra. This word reappeared later with a different meaning: pharaz “gold”.

Changes

• pharaz → azar “sea” ✧ SD/305

Element in

• Ad. Pharazîr “Sea-lover” ✧ SD/305 (Pharazîr*)

Variations

• pharaz ✧ SD/305 (pharaz)

bund

noun. head

Element in

• Kh. bund “head” ✧ PE17/036
• Kh. Bundushathûr “Cloudy-head” ✧ PE17/036; TI/174

Variations

• Bundu ✧ PE17/036
• Bund(u) ✧ PE17/036

slas

root. ear

Derivatives

• ✶slas “ear”
  • Q. hlas “ear” ✧ PE17/077
• Q. hlar- “to hear”
• Q. hlas “ear” ✧ PE17/062
• ᴺS. lhassa- “to hear”
• ᴺS. lhae- “to hear”
• S. lheweg “ear” ✧ PE17/062

Variations

• S-LAS ✧ PE17/062
• SLAS/S-LAS ✧ PE17/185

slas

noun. ear

Derivations

• √SLAS “ear”

Derivatives

• Q. hlas “ear” ✧ PE17/077

ay(ar)

root. sea

Changes

• AY(AR) → GAY(AR) ✧ PE17/027

Derivatives

• ✶airō “ocean” ✧ PE18/097
  • Q. airon “ocean” ✧ PE17/149
• Q. ëar “sea, great sea, sea, great sea, [ᴹQ.] open sea; water” ✧ Let/386
• S. gaear “sea” ✧ Let/386

Element in

• Q. ailin “a large lake, (large) lake, [ᴹQ.] pool” ✧ PE17/160
• Q. Eärendil “Lover of the Sea” ✧ Let/386
• S. ael “lake, pool”

Variations

• AYAR ✧ Let/386; PE18/097
• AYA(R) ✧ PE17/149; PE17/160

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).

Derivatives

• ✶kas “head”
  • Q. cas “head, head, [ᴱQ.] top, summit” ✧ PE17/188
• ✶kasd(a) “to the head”
  • Q. cas(ta) “to(wards) the top, upwards” ✧ PE21/76; PE21/76
• ✶kasma “?helm” ✧ PE17/114
  • Q. carma “helm” ✧ PE17/114; PE17/114; PE17/114
• S. cast “cape, headland”

Element in

• ✶kasraya “a tressure” ✧ VT42/12

Variations

• kas ✧ PE21/70
• cas ✧ VT42/12

las

root. leaf

This root was connected to leaves throughout Tolkien’s life. It did not appear directly in the Qenya or Gnomish lexicons of the 1910s, but ✱ᴱ√LASA “leaf” is implied by ᴱQ. lasse and G. lass “leaf” (QL/51; GL/52). ᴹ√LAS appeared directly in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivatives ᴹQ. lasse and N. lhass (Ety/LAS¹), and the root √LAS “leaf” was also mentioned in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/77; VT39/9).

Derivatives

• Nan. las “leaf”
• ✶lassē “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09
  • Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
  • S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”

Element in

• Nan. Legolas “Greenleaf” ✧ PE17/153

Variations

• las ✧ PE17/077; VT39/09
• LAS ✧ PE17/153

airō

noun. ocean

Changes

• airē → airō ✧ PE17/149

Derivations

• √GAY(AR) “awe, dread; astound, make aghast; sea” ✧ PE17/149
• √AY(AR) “sea” ✧ PE18/097

Derivatives

• Q. airon “ocean” ✧ PE17/149

Variations

• airē ✧ PE17/149 (airē)
• air- ✧ PE18/097

kas

noun. head

Derivations

• √KAS “head”

Derivatives

• Q. cas “head, head, [ᴱQ.] top, summit” ✧ PE17/188

Element in

• Q. castol(o) “helmet” ✧ PE17/188
• S. castol “helmet” ✧ PE17/188

Variations

• kāza ✧ PE17/188

lassē

noun. leaf

Derivations

• √LAS “leaf” ✧ PE17/153; VT39/09

Derivatives

• Q. lassë “leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal” ✧ Let/282; PE19/106; PE19/106; VT39/09
• S. lass “leaf, leaf; [G.] petal”

Element in

• ✶lassiē “*leafness”

oear

noun. sea

oear

noun. sea

lhewig

noun. ear

Changes

• lhaweg → lhewig ✧ Ety/LAS²

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lár “ear” ✧ Ety/LAS²

Derivations

• ᴹ✶lassē “ear” ✧ Ety/LAS²
  • ᴹ√LAS “listen” ✧ Ety/LAS²

Elements

Word	Gloss
lhaw	“ears (of one person)”
-eg	“diminutive/singular ending”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶lasū > lhaw	[lasū] > [lasu] > [lahu] > [l̥ahu] > [l̥au]	✧ Ety/LAS²

Variations

• lhaweg ✧ EtyAC/LAS² (lhaweg)

lhewig

noun. ear

lhaw

noun. ears (referring to one person's pair of ears only)

oer

noun. sea

Cognates

• ᴹQ. aire “sea” ✧ Ety/AY
• ᴹQ. ear “(open) sea; water” ✧ Ety/AY

Derivations

• ᴹ√AY(AR) “sea” ✧ Ety/AY; Ety/AY; Ety/UY

Element in

• N. Airlond “(?sea-stead)”
• N. Belegoer “Great Sea” ✧ Ety/AY
• N. oeruil “seaweed” ✧ Ety/UY
• N. Oeros “Osse”
• N. Aroeren “Sea-day”
• N. Rhûnaer “Eastern Sea” ✧ TI/307

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ÁYAR > oear	[ajar] > [aiar] > [oear]	✧ Ety/AY
ᴹ√AI̯R > oer	[ajr] > [air] > [oer]	✧ Ety/AY

Variations

• oear ✧ Ety/AY
• aer ✧ TI/307 (aer)

aer

noun. sea

oer

noun. sea

dôl

noun. head

dôl

noun. hill or mountain

lhass

noun. leaf

lhass

noun. leaf

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Derivations

• ᴹ✶lassē “leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹
  • ᴹ√LAS “*leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹

Element in

• N. Ammalas
• N. Finglas “Leaflock”
• N. lhasbelin “leaf-fall, autumn” ✧ Ety/LAS¹
• N. Dantilais “autumn” ✧ PM/135 (Dantilais)
• N. Lhasgalen “Green of Leaf” ✧ Ety/LAS¹
• N. Mindor Uilas “*Isolated Mountain of Ever-leaf”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶lassē > lhass	[lassē] > [lasse] > [lass] > [l̥ass]	✧ Ety/LAS¹