gwa-

prefix. *away

An element in the word gwahae, itself an element in Gwahaedir which was the Sindarin name of the palantír from drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices (PM/186 note #15). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, the word N. gwahae was the equivalent of ᴹQ. (a)vahāya under the root ᴹ√KHAYA “far, distant, remote” (EtyAC/KHAYA), so likely meaning “✱far away”. Therefore, the prefix gwa- probably means “away” and is based on the root √AWA.

Note, however, that in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, Tolkien said:

> Sindarin. The only normal derivative [of AWA] is the preposition o, the usual word for “from, of”. None of the forms of the element ✱awa [“away”] are found as a prefix in S, probably because they became like or the same as the products of ✱wō, ✱wo [S. go-, gwa- “together”] (WJ/366).

Neo-Sindarin: Despite Tolkien’s later statement that √AWA was not used a prefix in Sindarin, I think it is worth retaining gwa- “away”, as we have no better alternatives. Of the two variants of the prefix go-/gwa- “together”, go- is much more common and gwa- appears only in a few older forms like gwanon “twin”, usually of obscured meaning. I think that leaves enough semantic space for the prefix gwa- “away”. I would also use ᴺS. gwa “away” as an adverb in Neo-Sindarin. I rationalize these choices as being derived from inverted WA rather than AWA, and thus not technically in conflict with Tolkien’s notes in Quendi and Eldar; compare gwanwen “departed” < WA also appearing in that essay (WJ/378).

gwa-

prefix. together (only in old compounds, the living form is go-)

gwa-

prefix. together, co-, com-

gwae

wind

_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). Q. vea. >> gwaew

gwae

noun. wind

The normal Sindarin word for “wind”, usually appearing as gwae but sometimes as gwaew, most frequently derived from √WAY “blow” but also from a bewildering variety of other roots (NM/237; PE17/33-34, 189); see the entry for √WĀ for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: The earliest form of this word was G. gwâ “wind” from both Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GG/14; GL/43). The form ᴱN. gwá “wind” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s (MC/217), but in the Nebrachar poem from circa 1930 the form was gwaew “wind” (MC/217). It was N. gwaew “wind” in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√WAIWA (Ety/WĀ), and appeared a number of times in later writings as both gwae and (more rarely) gwaew, as noted above.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer using only gwae for “wind”, reserving gwaew for “storm”.

gwa

adverb. away

gwa

co-, com-

(prefix) gwa- (together)

gwa

co-, com

(together)

go-

prefix. together, co-, com-

The Sindarin suffix go- “together” was established early in Tolkien’s life. It was derived from √WO and had a variant gwa- depending on ancient patterns of stress, since ancient wo > wa > gwa when stressed but when unstressed wo > gwo > go (WJ/367-368). The go-variant is the normal form, and gwa- survived only in a few two-syllable words such as gwanon “twin = ✱together-born”.

Conceptual Development: The go-/gwa- variation dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but in that document the primitive form was ᴱ✶ŋu̯a which become go- when unstressed (GL/40). The derivation of N. go- from ᴹ√WŌ was introduced in The Etymologies of the 1930s which when stressed produced gwa-, but this gwa-variant was already limited to old formations in the 1930s (Ety/WŌ).

go-

prefix. *away

A hypothetical element in the name Gódhel, a late Sindarin replacement for Ódhel “Elf who left for Aman”, but Tolkien said “it seems most probable that it took g- from the old clan-name Golodh, pl. Goelydh, which it practically replaced” (WJ/364). Thus ✱go- “away” < ✶wā- is probably a false etymology.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use gwa- as the prefix for “away”, as in gwahae “✱far away”.

ethir

noun. mouth (of a river), estuary

go-

together

_pref. _together. Q. o-.

golas

noun. foliage

_ n. _foliage. Q. walass(s), olassie. >> Legolas

golas(s)

noun. foliage

_ n. _foliage. >> legolas

govannen

noun. met

gwaew

wind

_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). >> gwae

sûl

noun. wind

sûl

noun. wind, [strong] wind, *gust

A noun for “wind” appearing in names like Amon Sûl, derived from the root √SŪ “blow, move with audible sound (of air)” (NM/237; PE17/124).

Conceptual Development: A precursor to this word is G. saul “great wind” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/67), derived from the early root ᴱ√SUHYU “air, breath, exhale, puff” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Súlimo; QL/86).

Neo-Sindarin: Given its connection to the sound of wind, I think sûl would be used mostly for strong or noisy wind, including (but not limited to) gusts of wind, as opposed to more ordinary (and less noisy) gwae “wind”. This notion is supported by its Gnomish precursor G. saul “great wind”.

e

away

ed (out, forth); also as adjectival prefix "outer" and preposition "out from, out of" (WJ:367)

go

together

(prefix) go-, gwa- (+ lenition) (co-, com-).

go

together

gwa- (+ lenition) (co-, com-).

gobem

noun. mouth

godref

through together

(AI:92)

golas

foliage

golas (i **olas) (collection of leaves), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis**._.

golas

foliage

(i ’olas) (collection of leaves), pl. gelais (i ngelais = i ñelais), coll. pl. golassath. Archaic pl. göleis.

govannen

met

govannen (see

govannen

met

(see

gwachae

away

1. (adj.) gwachae (remote), lenited wachae, no distinct pl. form. The form occurring in the primary source, #gwahae, must represent the late Gondorian pronunciantion with h for ch (PM:186, isolated from gwahaedir). 2) (adv.) e, ed (out, forth); also as adjectival prefix "outer" and preposition "out from, out of" (WJ:367)

gwachae

away

(remote), lenited ’wachae, no distinct pl. form. The form occurring in the primary source, #gwahae, must represent the late Gondorian pronunciantion with h for ch *(PM:186, isolated from gwahaedir)*.         

gwaeren

windy

(lenited ’waeren; pl. gwaerin)

gwaew

wind

1. gwaew (i **waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew), 2) sûl (i hûl), pl. suil (i suil**). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.

gwaew

wind

(i ’waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew)

gwastar

hummock

gwastar (i **wastar), pl. gwestair (in gwestair**)

gwastar

hummock

(i ’wastar), pl. gwestair (in gwestair)

gwîn

pronoun. our (inclusive)

pîn

pronoun. our (inclusive)

sûl

wind

(i hûl), pl. suil (i suil). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.