ing

root. *highest, top, *highest, top; [ᴹ√] first, foremost

This primitive element appeared in The Shibboleth of Fëanor written in 1968 in connection to the name Q. Ingwë. The earliest basis for this name seems to be the root ᴱ√INI “small” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, from which the name ᴱQ. inwe “one of the royal house of the Eldar” was derived (QL/42); this Inwe was also the earliest form of the name of Ingwe. This name was given a new derivation in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√ING “first, foremost”, along with the adjective ᴹQ. inga “first” (Ety/ING). The primitive element ing- reappeared in The Shibboleth of Fëanor, again as the basis for Q. Ingwë, which in this document was glossed “Chief” (PM/340). The word Q. inga also reappeared, but with a new gloss “top, highest point”, so the meaning of the root may have shifted from “foremost” to “✱highest”.

Thus the conceptual development seems to be 1910s ᴱ√INI “tiny” >> 1930s ᴹ√ING “foremost” >> 1960s √ING “✱highest”.

sal

root. [unglossed], *harp(ing), lyre

The unglossed root ᴱ√SALA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. salma “lyre, small harp” and ᴱQ. salumbe “harping, music” (QL/81). The root √SAL appeared again Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s to illustrate the reformed perfect form of its verb Q. asálie (PE22/132), but since these later forms are unglossed it is unclear whether they have the same meaning (“✱harp(ing)”) as the earlier version of the root.

ñyel

root. ring(ing), ring(ing), [ᴹ√] sing, give out a sweet sound

This root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√NYEL “ring, sing, give out a sweet sound”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. nyelle/N. nell “bell”, ᴹQ. nyello “singer” and N. nella- “sound (of bells)” (Ety/NYEL, EtyAC/NYEL), though an earlier hint of it might be seen in the Gnomish verb G. nelu- “ring (tr. & intr.)” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/60). Tolkien also mentioned this root in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) as having a variant √NYOL, also meaning “ring” but representing a deeper sound (PE18/45).

In the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the early 1930s (TQ2), he gave the variants as √ŊYEL/√ŊYOL “ring”, in keeping with his decision to remove initial palatalized dentals from Primitive Elvish. A similar set of variants √(Ñ)GYEL/√(Ñ)GYOL “ringing” appeared in a list of sound roots from around 1959-60 (PE17/138).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to ignore Tolkien’s decision to remove initial palatalized dentals from Primitive Elvish, and I recommend retaining √NYEL as the root for “bell” words.

-iyē

suffix. gerund, -ing

-b(iy)ē

suffix. -ing

-m(iy)ē

suffix. -ing

ñyol

root. ring(ing)

spar

root. hunt, hunt, [ᴹ√] pursue

The root ᴹ√SPAR “hunt, pursue” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like N. faro “to hunt” and N. feredir “hunter” (Ety/SPAR). Tolkien first considered making this root ᴹ√PHAR⁽²⁾ (EtyAC/PHAR²). The root ᴹ√SPAR “hunt, pursue” reappeared in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 with the derived verb ᴹQ. fara- “hunt” (PE22/113). √SPAR “hunt” was mentioned a couple times in Tolkien’s later writings as well (PE17/83; PE18/94).

tig

root. [unglossed]

A root appearing in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as the basis for the verb Q. tinga- “go (for a long while)” (PE22/157). The etymology was marked with an “X” and so was probably a transient idea (PE22/157 note #70).

lemek

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s illustrating certain phonetic combinations (PE19/98), and therefore possibly not a “real” root.

phut

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) as an etymological variation of √PUT (PE18/90).

stuk

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected section of the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s, serving to illustration certain phonetic developments: ✶stuknā > Q. thúna (PE19/86).

graw Reconstructed

root. [unglossed], [ᴹ√] dark, swart

This root appeared as a primitive form grawa serving as the basis of the word Q. roa “bear” >> “dog” in notes on monosyllabic roots from 1968 (VT47/35); a Sindarin derivative S. graw “bear” appeared in other notes written around the same time (VT47/12). Patrick Wynne suggested that in the sense “bear” grawa might be connected to the root ᴹ√GRAWA “dark, swart” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/GRAWA).

am-

prefix. intensive prefix

minya

ordinal. first