imbë

dell, deep vale

imbë (2) noun "dell, deep vale" (VT45:18), "wide ravine (between high mountain sides)" (PE17:92)

Nando

valley, wide valley

nando (2) "valley, wide valley", variant of nandë #1, q.v. (PE17:80)

nalda

valley

nalda adj. "valley" (used as an adjective), also "lowly" (LT1:261, QL:66)$

nandë

valley

nandë (1) noun "valley" in Laurenandë (UT:253), elided nand in the name Nand Ondoluncava (k") "Stonewain Valley" (PE17:28). Possibly the complete word is here meant to be the variant nando (PE17:80), as suggested by the alternative form Ondoluncanan(do) ("k") "Stonewain Valley". Also nan, nand- noun "valley" (Letters:308); Nan-Tasarion "Vale of Willows" (LotR2:III ch. 4) (Note that this and the next nandë would be spelt differently in Tengwar writing, and originally they were also pronounced differently, since nandë "harp" was ñandë in First Age Quenya.)

nandë

noun. valley

tumba

deep valley

tumba noun "deep valley" (Letters:308; SA:tum and TUB gives tumbo "valley, deep valley"); apparently an extended form *tumbalë in tumbalemorna "deepvalleyblack" or (according to SA:tum) "black deep valley", also tumbaletaurëa "deepvalleyforested"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

tumba

adjective. deep valley, [ᴹQ.] deep, lowlying; [Q.] deep valley

The adjective ᴹQ. tumba “deep, lowlying” appeared in rough (and ultimately rejected) notes on irregular verbs from the Quenya Verbal System of the late 1940s as a derivative of ᴹ√TUB “fall low, go down” (PE22/127). In a 1961 letter to Rhona Beare tumba was glossed “deep valley” as an element in the Entish phrase Q. Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna Tumbaletaurëa Lómëanor “Forestmanyshadowed-deepvalleyblack Deepvalleyforested Gloomyland” (Let/308; LotR/467), but I think this is only an approximate translation, and the word is better understood as adjectival in sense: “✱like a deep valley”. As further evidence of this, in notes from the late 1960s the form tumba was changed to a more typical noun form Q. tumbo in the name Q. i Tumbo Tarmacorto “the Vale of the High Mountain Circle” (NM/351).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d treat this word as an adjective only, and use Q. tumbo for the noun.

Changes

• Tumba → Tumbo ✧ NM/351

Element in

• Q. tumbalë “depth, deep valley”
• Q. Tumbaletaurëa “Deepvalleyforested” ✧ Let/308

Variations

• Tumba ✧ NM/355 (Tumba)

arca

narrow

arca (1) adj. "narrow" (AK)

lún

deep

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

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

náha

narrow

náha adj. "narrow" (PE17:166)

náha

adjective. narrow, narrow, *thin

Derivations

• √NAKH “narrow, thin” ✧ PE17/166

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NAKH > nāha	[nākʰa] > [naxa] > [naha]	✧ PE17/166

Variations

• nāha ✧ PE17/166

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

imlad

noun. imlad

n. >> Imladris

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, [N.] dell, glen

A common Sindarin word for “valley”, an elaboration of the more ancient element †im of similar meaning which fell out of use due to its conflicts with other words like the reflexive pronoun im (VT47/14). S. imlad was more or less the equivalent of Telerin imbe meaning “a gap, gully; low, narrow tract between high walls”; in Telerin the ancient element ✶imbi survived. More specifically S. imlad referred to a “narrow valley with steep sides but a flat habitable bottom” (RC/234, 482).

Conceptual Development: N. imlad “dell, deep vale” was mentioned in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√IMBE, alongside its shorter form N. imm of the same meaning (Ety/IMBE). N. im(b)lad was also mentioned in rough notes on irregular verbs from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s with the gloss {“ravine” >>} “glen”, more accurately a “glen with a long bottom, much longer than its width, that still has much habitable ground” (PE22/127).

Cognates

• Q. imbilat “*deep valley” ✧ NM/355
• T. imbe “gap, gully; low/narrow tract between high walls” ✧ VT47/14

Derivations

• ✶imbi-lătă ✧ PE17/087

Element in

• S. Imlad Morgul “Morgul Vale” ✧ LotRI/Morgul Vale; RC/482; SA/lad
• ᴺS. imladren “vale like, of the vale”
• S. Imladris “Rivendell, (lit.) Deep Dale of the Cleft” ✧ PE17/087; SA/lad; VT47/14

Elements

Word	Gloss
im	“valley, valley; [N.] dell, deep vale”
lad	“plain, valley, plain, valley; [G.] a level, a flat; fair dealing”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶imbi-lătă > imlad	[imbilata] > [imbilat] > [imbilad] > [imblad] > [imlad]	✧ PE17/087

Variations

• Imlad ✧ LotRI/Morgul Vale; RC/482

imrad

noun. a path or pass (between mountains, hills or trackless forest)

im

noun. dell, deep vale

This word only survived in compounds (due to the clash with im.1 )

im

noun. valley, valley; [N.] dell, deep vale

An archaic element meaning “valley” that survived only in compounds, a derivation of ✶imbi “between” (VT47/14). The basic sense “valley” was transferred to its more elaborate form imlad as in Imladris “Rivendell”, and †im “valley” fell out of use due to its conflicted with other words like the reflexive pronoun im.

Conceptual Development: N. imm “dell, deep vale” was mentioned in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√IMBE, alongside its elaboration N. imlad of the same meaning (Ety/IMBE).

Derivations

• ✶imbi “between” ✧ VT47/14
  • √MI/IMI “in, within, [ᴹ√] inside” ✧ PE17/092; VT47/11; VT47/30

Element in

• S. imlad “deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, [N.] dell, glen” ✧ VT47/14
• S. Imloth Melui “Lovely or Sweet Flower-valley” ✧ VT42/18
• S. imrad “path or pass between mountains or trackless forest, *(lit.) valley path” ✧ VT47/14
• S. imrath “long narrow valley with road or watercourse running through it lengthwise, *(lit.) valley course”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶imbi > imm > im	[imbi] > [imbe] > [imb] > [imm] > [imm] > [im]	✧ VT47/14

Variations

• im ✧ VT42/18; VT47/14

imloth

noun. flower-valley, flowery vale

This word only occurs in the place name Imloth Melui, a vale where roses grew

imrath

noun. long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise

nand

vale

_ n. _vale. >> nan, Nanduhirion

nan

vale

_ n. _vale. >> nand, Nanduhirion

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

imlad

narrow valley with steep sides

(glen, deep valley), pl. imlaid.

imlad

deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides

(glen), pl. imlaid;

imlad

deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides

imlad (glen), pl. imlaid;

imlad

glen

imlad (deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides), pl. imlaid

imlad

glen

(deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides), pl. imlaid

imlad

narrow valley with steep sides

imlad (glen, deep valley), pl. imlaid.

imlad

narrow valley with steep sides

imlad (glen, deep valley), pl. imlaid. STEEP MOUNTAIN PEAK, see HORN

imlad

narrow valley with steep sides

imlad (glen), pl. imlaid.

lâd

valley

(lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid

im

dell

im (deep vale), 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)

im

dell

(deep vale), 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)

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)

im

vale

(deep vale) im (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)

im

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)***

imloth

flowering valley

(pl. imlyth) (VT42:18).

imrath

narrow valley

(pl. imraith)

imrath

valley

(long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith)

lond

narrow path

(harbour, haven, pass, strait), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294).

maeg

going deep in

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

nand

valley

1) nand (construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. nannath (VT45:36), 2) lâd (lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid, 3) (long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith).

nand

valley

(construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36)

talath

wide valley

(i** dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, plain), pl. telaith (i** thelaith). *Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v.*

talath

dal

Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the Silmarillion.

agor

narrow

agor (analogical pl. egyr). In archaic S agr.

agor

narrow

(analogical pl. egyr). In archaic S agr.

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”.

angol

deep lore

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

falch

deep cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch;

tûm

deep valley

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

tûm

deep valley

(under or among hills) tûm, tum- (i dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. tuim (i thuim)

tûm

deep valley

(under or among hills) tûm, tum- (i dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. tuim (i thuim). or

nand

noun. valley

Isolated from Lindórinand, Lórinand (q.v. for reference). While this word is not given in the Etymologies, it is clearly derived from the stem NAD (LR:374) and hence a close cognate of the similar Doriathrin word nand "field, valley". The Quenya cognate nanda (meaning "water-mead, watered plain") indicates a primitive form *nandâ; as in most cases, the final -â is lost in Nandorin.

duban

noun. valley

nek

root. narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp

A root appearing in notes on words and phrases from The Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, serving mainly as the basis for S. naith “angle” (PE17/55). It was also mentioned in a discussion of the death of Isildur at the Gladden Fields, again as the basis for S. naith among other words, where the root √NEK was glossed “narrow” (UT/281-2, note #16). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. naith was derived from ᴹ√SNAS or ᴹ√SNAT, but the precise derivation was unclear, and in any cases seems to have been replaced by Tolkien with a more straightforward derivation from √NEK.

The root √NEK also appeared in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 with the gloss “deprive”, serving among other things as the basis for S. neithan “one deprived” (PE17/167), which was the name adopted by Túrin after he became an outlaw (S/200). The root appeared again in notes on Elvish numbers from the late 1960s glossed as either “divide, part, separate” (VT47/16) or “divide, separate” (VT48/9), where it served as the basis for √ENEK “six” as the dividing point between the lower and upper set of numbers in the Elvish duodecimal system.

It is not clear whether Tolkien intended all these various meanings for the root √NEK to be connected. For purposes of analysis, I’ve split √NEK “narrow” from √NEK “separate; deprive”, but conceivably the sense “narrow” could be a semantic extension of “separate” or vice-versa.

Derivatives

• ✶nektē “angle” ✧ PE17/055
  • Q. nehtë “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055
  • S. naith “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055
• Q. necel “thorn” ✧ PE17/055
• Q. nehtë “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ UT/282
• Q. nexa “sharp, angular” ✧ PE17/055
• S. naith “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ UT/282
• S. negen “sharp, angular” ✧ PE17/055

Variations

• NEK ✧ PE17/055; PE17/167
• nek ✧ UT/282

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

imlad

noun. dell, deep vale, glen

Changes

• im(b)lad → im(b)lad “ravine” ✧ PE22/127

Cognates

• ᴹQ. latimbe “glen” ✧ PE22/127

Element in

• N. Imlad Morghul “Vale of Morghul”
• N. Imlad-Ringlo “Ringlo Vale” ✧ WR/287
• N. Imladris(t) “Rivendell” ✧ PE22/127
• N. Imlad Morthond “Blackroot Vale” ✧ WR/287

Variations

• im(b)lad ✧ PE22/127 (im(b)lad); PE22/127 (im(b)lad)
• Imlad ✧ WR/287

im

noun. dell, deep vale

This word only survived in compounds (due to the clash with im.1 )

imb

noun. dell, deep vale

This word only survived in compounds (due to the clash with im.1 )

imm

noun. dell, deep vale

This word only survived in compounds (due to the clash with im.1 )

agr

adjective. narrow

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

agor

adjective. narrow

agor

adjective. narrow

Cognates

• ᴹQ. arka “narrow” ✧ Ety/AK

Derivations

• ᴹ✶akrā “narrow” ✧ Ety/AK
  • ᴹ√AK “narrow, confined” ✧ Ety/AK

Element in

• S. Aglon “Narrow Pass”
• N. Aglon “defile, pass between high walls” ✧ Ety/AK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶akrā > agr > agor	[akrā] > [akra] > [akr] > [agr] > [agor]	✧ Ety/AK

nûr

adjective. deep

nûr

adjective. deep

Cognates

• ᴹQ. núra “deep” ✧ Ety/NU

Derivations

• ᴹ✶nūrā “deep” ✧ Ety/NU
  • ᴹ√NUR “deep” ✧ Ety/NU
  • ᴹ√NU/UNU “*down, under” ✧ Ety/NU

Element in

• N. Núron “Ulmo” ✧ Ety/NU

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶nūrā > nûr	[nūrā] > [nūra] > [nūr]	✧ Ety/NU

Variations

• nûr ✧ Ety/NU