find

noun. tress; single hair, tress, [ON.] lock of hair; [ᴱN.] hair (in general); [S.] single hair

This word had a quite lengthy history as an element in the name S. Glorfindel “Golden Hair”. It appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as G. finn “a lock of hair” (GL/35), simply as ᴱN. find or finn “hair” in Early Noldorin Word-lists (PE13/143), and as Old Noldorin sphinde “lock of hair” from The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√SPIN (Ety/SPIN). In notes from the mid-1960s Tolkien said that find, finn meant a “single hair (of man or elf)” vs. S. †findel for a head of hair (PE17/17), but in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien said it meant “tress” and was derived from primitive ✶phindē (PM/362 note #37).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use fîn for a single hair, find for hair in general or for a tress or lock of hair, and finnel for an entire head of hair.

find

noun. a tress

find

noun. single hair

n. single hair (of man or elf). >> finn

fing

noun. lock of hair

A noun appearing in 1967 notes on the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings as an element in Finglas “Leaflock” (RC/760). The form fineg appeared unglossed in notes from around 1965 as a derivative of ✶phinik (PE17/17). The word fing is more obscure than S. find of similar meaning.

Conceptual Development: The word G. fingl or finnil “a tress” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/35). In that period, the gl was probably the result of the sound change whereby *ðl* became *gl*, since this early form was likely derived from the root ᴱ√FIŘI [FIÐI] (QL/38). When it first appeared, the name N. Finglas (= find + las?) may also have had a similar sound change, but since Tolkien abandoned that phonetic rule in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s (compare S. edlenn vs. N. eglenn “exiled”), Tolkien needed to come up with a new etymology.

finn

noun. single hair

n. single hair (of man or elf). >> find

finn

noun. tress; single hair, tress; single hair; [ᴱN.] hair; [G.] lock of hair

find

lock of hair

find (tress). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath

find

tress

find (lock of hair). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath.

find

hair

(construct fin), no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. finnath.

find

lock of hair

(tress). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath

find

tress

(lock of hair). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath.

fend

door

(threshold), construct fen, pl. find, coll. pl. fennath, 2) fennas (gateway), pl. fennais, coll. pl. fennassath, 3) annon (great gate), pl. ennyn

fend

treshold

(door), construct fen, pl. find, coll. pl. fennath

fing

lock of hair

fing (no distinct pl. form)

hir-

verb. find

hir-

verb. to find, *light on, chance on

A Sindarin neologism inspired by the Quenya verb hir- of the same meaning, which been around long enough that I don’t know where it originated.

Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath

May they find peace after death.

This is a phrase that Legolas, Aragorn, And Gimli think that the hobbits are dead.

rada

find a way

rada- (make a way) (i rada, idh radar)

rada

make/find a way

rada- (i rada, idh radar).

rada

find a way

(make a way) (i rada, idh radar)

fîn

hair

1. (a single hair) fîn (construct fin), no distinct pl. form. (PM:362), 2) (lock of hair, tress) find (construct fin), no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. finnath.

finn-

noun. a tress

fîn

noun. a tress

laws

noun. hair ringlet

fast

shaggy hair

(pl. faist if there is a pl.).

fîn

hair

(construct fin), no distinct pl. form. (PM:362)

findelë

tress, lock

findelë noun "tress, lock" (PE17:119); apparently a synonym of findë #1, q.v.

findë

hair

findë (1) noun "hair" (especially of the head) (PM:340), "a tress or plait of hair" (PM:345), "tress, braid of hair, lock of hair" (SPIN)

findl

lock of hair, tress

findl noun "lock of hair, tress" (but findil elsewhere in LotR-style Quenya, no word can end in -dl). (LT2:341)

finë

hair

finë (1) (stem *fini-, given the primitive form ¤phini) noun "a hair" _(PM:340, PE17:17) or "larch" (SPIN)_

#tuv-

verb. find

#tuv- vb. "find", perfect #utúvië "has found" in Aragorn's exclamation when he found the sapling of the White Tree: utúvienyes "I have found it" (utúvie-nye-s "have found-I-it") (LotR3:VI ch. 5)

hir-

verb. find

hir- vb. "find", future tense hiruva in Namárië (hiruvalyë "thou shalt find") (Nam, RGEO:67, VT49:39); Hirilondë "Haven-finder", name of a ship (UT:192)

ces-

verb. to search, examine (in order to find something)

A verb in notes from 1964 meaning “to search (for something), to examine (something) in order to find (something)”, based on the root √KEÞ “enquire of, question, or examine something” (PE17/156).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. saka- “pursue, look for, search” under the early root ᴱ√SAKA (QL/81).

ecces-

verb. to find out, bring out by examining or eyeing[?]

A verb in notes from 1964 meaning “to find out, bring out by examining, or eyeing” (PE17/156), clearly a combination of et- “out” and ces- “seek” where [[p|[tk] became [kk]]].

hir-

verb. to find

The most common Quenya verb for “find”, most notably appearing in the Namárië poem (LotR/378), based on the root √KHIR of the same basic meaning (PE17/75).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use hir- in the sense “find something previously lost”, as opposed to tuv- = “find something new = discover”.

ces-

to search (for something), to examine (something) in order to find (something)

ces- (Þ) ("k"), "to search (for something), to examine (something) in order to find (something)"; the root meaning is given as "enquire of, question, examine" (something). Cesë parma "to look in a book" (for a passage or information required); here the aorist stem cesë is used as infinitive. Notice that ces- here takes a simple direct object parma (not locative *parmassë, despite the translation). Past tense cense (Þ) given, replacing the phonologically expected form centë (also cited). (PE17:156)

ecces-

verb. to find out, bring out by examining, or eyeing[?]

ecces- ("k") (þ) vb. "to find out, bring out by examining, or eyeing[?]" (PE17:156). Pa.t. probably *eccensë; compare ces-.

tuv-

verb. to find, discover

A verb for “find”, most notably appearing in the phrase utuvienyes “I have found it” when Aragorn found the White Tree of Gondor (LotR/971). It also has the sense “discover”, as in túvima “discoverable” (PE22/155).

Conceptual Development: In the sense “find”, ᴹQ. tuv- first appeared in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 (PE22/101, 107), though it was (briefly) replaced by ᴹQ. kim- (PE22/108 note #50, PE22/125). In Tolkien’s earlier writings, ᴱQ. tuvu- meant “receive, take”, dating back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/96) and appearing as ᴹQ. tuvo “take” in the late 1940s as well (PE23/92). Conversely, the Early Quenya verb for “find” was ᴱQ. tuku-, appearing with the glosses “go in search of, look for, fetch” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√TUKU (QL/95) and appearing in a few other places as well (PE15/32; VT40/8).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use tuv- in the sense “find something new = discover”, as opposed to hir- = “find something previously lost”.

nai elyë hiruva. namárië!

maybe even thou shalt find it. farewell!

Seventeenth line @@@

namárië! nai hiruvalyë valimar

farewell! maybe thou shalt find Valimar

Sixteenth line @@@

cim-

verb. light on, find, come by

nai elyë hiruva. namárië!

be-it-that even you will find [it]. farewell!

The 17th and final phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation. This is nothing particularly notable about its word order.

nai hirinyes

it may well chance for me to find it

nai lye hiruva airëa amanar

may thee find a blessed Amanar [Yule]

nai nin híres

it may well chance for me to find it

namárië! nai hiruvalyë valimar

farewell! be-it-that you will find Valimar

The 16th phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation. This is nothing particularly notable about its word order.

alahírima

adjective. unfindable, impossible to find

A neologism for “impossible to find” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), based on the verb hir- “find”.

rasta-

verb. to guide (with allative); to explain (with dative); (lit.) to make find a way

A neologism for “guide, explain” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-01-26 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a causative verb derived from RAT “find a way”, so more literally “to make find a way”. It has the sense “guide” when used with the allative: rastan tye Arcimbelenna “I guide you to Rivendell”. It has the sense “explain” when used with the dative: rastan tye nótengolmen “I explain mathematics to you; (lit.) I guide you about mathematics”.

rata-

verb. to make a way, find a way

A neologism created by Boris Shapiro in PPQ (PPQ) from the early 2000s, based on N. rada- of the same meaning.

cim-

verb. [ᴱQ.] to heed, *obey; [ᴹQ.] to find

rat-

verb. to explore, find a way

A neologism coined by Orondil posted on 2024-09-14 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from the root √RAT of similar meaning.

loxë

hair

loxë (1) ("ks")noun "hair" (LOK). In later sources Tolkien uses findë, findessë, findilë for "hair", leaving the conceptual status of loxë uncertain.

phin-

single hair, filament

phin- noun "a single hair, filament" (PE17:17); this is may be seen as an "element" rather than a regular word; the spelling ph rather than f is unusual for Quenya. See fine.

findel

noun. (braided) hair

rada-

verb. to make a way, find a way

A verb appearing in its [Noldorin] infinitive form rado “to make a way, find a way” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√RAT “walk” (Ety/RAT).

rada-

verb. to make a way, find a way

fast

noun. shaggy hair

finnel

noun. (braided) hair

lhaws

noun. hair ringlet

khir

root. light on, find

A root serving as the basis for Q. hir- “find” from Notes on Galadriel’s Song (NGS) from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/75).

rat

root. to find a way

This root first appeared as ᴹ√RAT “walk” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like N. râd “path, track”, N. ostrad “street”, N. rath “course, river-bed”, and N. rant “lode, vein”, the last with the meaning Ilk. rant “flow, course of river” in Ilkorin (Ety/RAT). Hints of this root can be seen as early as the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s in words like G. rada “track, path, way” with primitive form rad·, probably actually ✱ᴱ√RATA (GL/64).

ᴹ√RATA reappeared on a rejected page of roots in the Quenya Verbal System from the 1940s with the gloss “go in a line (as a road)” (PE22/127). Above it Tolkien wrote “usually of animals/or two feet is {SRATA}”, perhaps indicating Tolkien was divorcing this root from the sense “walk”, which in later writings seems to be attributed to the root ✱√PAT (PE17/34).

In notes from the late 1960s Tolkien glossed √RAT as “find a way”, saying it “applied to persons journeying in the wild; to travel in roadless land; and also to streams and rivers and their courses” (NM/363). In this document it was the basis for S. rant “course” in S. Celebrant “Silverlode”, as well as Q. ratta “track” and S. rath “(climbing) street”, the latter also influenced by √RATH “climb” that was itself a more emphatic variant of √RAT (NM/354).

phin

root. hair

phindē

noun. tress

ash nazg gimbatul

one ring to find them