kar

root. do, make, build, do, make, build, [ᴹ√] construct

Tolkien introduced the root √KAR with the sense “do, make” very early, and it retained this form and meaning for his entire life. It appeared as ᴱ√KARA “do, make” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), as ᴹ√KAR “make, build, construct” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAR), and in numerous other places in various notes, including a last known appearance in verbal notes from 1969 as √KAR “do” (PE22/155). Though its exact set of derivatives varied over time, the root itself was extremely stable in Tolkien’s mind.

karani-stīrē

masculine name. Karani-stīrē

kar-

verb. do, make

karani

adjective. red

kariyendi

noun. a process of manufacture

karandi

noun. making

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).

kārimā

adjective. able to be done, feasible

kasraya

noun. a tressure

kas

noun. head

kat

root. shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make

The root ᴹ√KAT “shape” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. kanta- “to shape”, ᴹQ. kanta “shaped”, and N. echad- “fashion, shape” (Ety/KAT). All these derivatives reappeared in Tolkien’s later writings, though Q. canta was more typically used as the noun “shape” (PE17/175; PE18/84, 90). The root appeared frequently in both the first and second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa as an example of a biconsonantal root (TQ1: PE18/34, 46, 62; TQ2: PE18/84-85, 87, 89-90, 95).

kawāk

noun. crow

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.

nelek

root. tooth

phut

root. [unglossed]

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

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.

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).

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).

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).

karab

noun. horse

A noun translated “horse”, given by Tolkien as an example of how common-nouns can be altered into masculine and feminine forms using the suffixes -û and -î: karbî “mare” and karbû “stallion” (SD/434).

asdi

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation (pronounced [azdi]) without giving its meaning (SD/421).

khô

noun. crow

A noun translated “crow” (SD/426). Tolkien listed this noun in two forms, khâu and khô, both as examples of seemingly uniconsonantal nouns that prehistorically were biconsonantal (from prehistoric ✶khaw). Most authors have suggested these are simply variations on the same noun illustrating different paths of phonetic development (AAD/18, AL/Adûnaic). Another interesting possibility is that khâu is an (archaic?) subjective form of khô, produced from the usual a-fortification of primitive ✶khaw → ✶khāw, which would develop phonetically in Classical Adûnaic to khâu and khô. As support for this idea, the plural form of khâu is given as khāwī(m), which appears to include the subjective plural suffix -im.

This line of reasoning is quite speculative. Nevertheless, it is probably easier to use the form khô over khâu, since the inflections of khô would be more regular: plural khôi, dual ✱khôwat, objective ✱khôwu, etc.

sapda

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation without giving its meaning (SD/421).

Carmë

art

Carmë("k")noun "art" (UT:459); used = "structure" in sundocarmë ("k") "Base-structure", q.v. under sundo.

carda

noun. deed

Quenya noun for a “deed”, a combination of the verb car- “to do” and the verbal suffix -da used for the product of an action (PE17/51; PE22/152), thus literally “✱a thing done”.

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor of this word is ᴱQ. karma “shape, fashion; act, deed” in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s of similar derivation (QL/45). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the word appeared as ᴹQ. kar (kard-), but this gloss was rejected and replaced by ᴹQ. kar “building” (Ety/KAR). The form karma “deed” also appeared in some later writings, but was rejected (PE22/138).

car

deed

car (card-) (3) ("k")noun "deed" (rewritten >) "building, house" (KAR). Cf. carda.

car-

make, do, build, form

car- (1) vb. "make, do, build, form" (1st pers. aorist carin "I make, build"; the aorist is listed with all pronominal endings in VT49:16, also in pl. and dual forms carir, carit). Regarding the form carize- (PE17:128), see -s #1. Pa.t. carnë (KAR, PE17:74, 144). The infinitival aorist stem carë ("k") (by Patrick Wynne called a "general aorist infinitive" in VT49:34) occurs in ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (VT49:34), also in áva carë "don't do it" (WJ:371) and uin carë (PE17:68); in the last example Tolkien calls carë an example of the "simplest aorist infinitive", the same source referring to carië as the "general infinitive" of the same verb. Pl. aorist carir "form" in the phrase i carir quettar ("k") "those who form words" (WJ:391, cf. VT49:16), continuative cára, future caruva (PE17:144), carita ("k"), infinitive/gerund "to do" or "doing" (VT42:33), with suffixes caritas "to do it" or "doing it", caritalya(s) "your doing (it)" in VT41:13,17, VT42:33. Past participle #carna, q.v.; VT43:15 also gives the long form carina ("k"), read perhaps *cárina. (Carima as a passive participle may be a mistake, VT43:15.) PE17:68 refers to a "simple past passive participle" of the form carinwa ("kari-nwa"). "Rare" past participle active (?) cárienwa* ("k") "having done" (PE17:68), unless this is also a kind of passive participle (the wording of the source is unclear). Some alternative forms in Fíriel's Song: past tense cárë ("káre") "made"; this may still be an alternative to the better-attested form carnë (LR:362) even in LotR-style Quenya. Cf. ohtacárë "war-made", made war (see #ohtacar-). Also cárië with various suffixes: cárier ("kárier") is translated "they made"; in LotR-style Quenya this could be seen as an augmentless perfect, hence "they have made", "they" being simply the plural ending -r. The literal meaning of cárielto* ("k") must also be "they made" (cf. -lto). Derived adjectives urcárima and urcarnë "hard to make / do", urucarin "made with difficulty" (PE17:154), saucarya "evil-doing" (PE17:68).

carnë

red

carnë adj. "red", "scarlet, red" (SA:caran, PE17:154, MC:214, KARÁN - spelt with a k in the two latter sources), not to be confused with the past tense of car- "do, make". Stem carni- as in Carnimírië, Carnistir.

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.

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).

cáro

doer, actor, agent

[cáro] ("k")noun "doer, actor, agent" (KAR; replaced by tyaro). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the accent of the word cáro was omitted (VT45:19).

tyaro

doer, actor, agent

tyaro noun "doer, actor, agent" (KAR)

caraxë

jagged hedge of spikes

caraxë ("k, ks")noun "jagged hedge of spikes"; compare Helcaraxë (KARAK)

carca

tooth

carca noun "tooth" (KARAK) or "fang" (SA:carak-). In a deleted version of the entry in question, the glosses were "tooth, spike, peak" (VT45:19). When referring to a normal tooth, not necessarily sharp, the word nelet is probably to be preferred. Cf. also pl. carcar _("karkar") _in Markirya, there translated "rocks", evidently referring to sharp rocks. Already the early "Qenya Lexicon" has carca ("k")"fang, tooth, tusk" (LT2:344). Collective carcanë, q.v.

carcanë

row of teeth

carcanë ("k")noun "row of teeth" (KARAK; this may be a misreading for *carcarë). In early "Qenya", carcanë meant "snarling", adj. (MC:213)

carco

crow

[carco ("k")noun "crow" (KARKA)] (Changed by Tolkien to corco.)

corco

crow

corco ("k")noun "crow" (KORKA, see KARKA)

car-

verb. to do, make, to do, make, [ᴹQ.] build

carma

noun. helm

russambos

noun. robin

A neologism for “robin” coined by Tamas Ferencz in the VQP (VQP), a combination of russa “red-haired” and [ᴱQ.] ambos “breast”. I prefer adapting ᴱQ. karneambar “robin” as ᴺQ. carniambos.

carma-cundo

proper name. Helm-guardian

A title of Minalcar as the regent of Gondor (PM/260). This name is a compound of carma “helm” and cundo “guardian”. Elsewhere cundo means “prince” or “lord” (Ety/KUN, PE17/117). This might still apply here, since Minalcar was heir to the throne. Furthermore, the crown of Gondor was originally a helmet (LotR/1043 note #1), so perhaps: Carma-cundo = “Crown Prince”.

-carya

suffix. doing

carina

adjective. done, done, [ᴱQ.] finished

carma

noun. tool, implement, means, weapon

carmë

noun. art; making, production; structure

carpa

noun. (entire) mouth; phonetic system

carpa-

verb. to talk, speak, use tongue

perhaps a TALAT-stem verb

carrëa

noun. tressure, tressure, *headdress

A noun for “tressure” in notes from the late 1960s derived from ✶cas-raya = √KAS “head” + √RAY “net, lace” (VT42/12). Given this word’s etymology, Tolkien was probably using “tressure” with its Middle English sense = “headdress”.

carë

noun. action, doing, making

aira

red, copper-coloured, ruddy

aira (1) adj. "red, copper-coloured, ruddy" (GAY)

ampano

building

ampano noun "building" (especially of wood), "wooden hall" (PAN; alternative form umpano, VT45:36, which Tolkien in one case altered to ampano, VT46:8). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, ampano was also the name of tengwa #6 (VT46:8), which letter Tolkien would later call umbar instead (changing its value from mp to mb).

ampano

noun. building, construction, edifice

amya-

verb. [unglossed]

arra

adjective. [unglossed]

cairë

?. [unglossed]

canta

shape

canta (2) _("k") noun"shape" (PE17:175), also used as adj._ "shaped", also as quasi-suffix -canta ("k") "-shaped" (KAT)

car(am)aite

adjective. able to make,handy,craftsmanlike,skilled

car-

verb. do, make

caraite

adjective. active, busy

caraitie

noun. activity, business

carcaras

row of spikes or teeth

carcaras, carcassë _("k")_noun "row of spikes or teeth" (LT2:344 - Tolkien's later Quenya has carcanë [read ?carcarë], but these words, especially carcassë, may still be valid)

carda

deed

carda noun "deed" (PE17:51). Cf. car #3. The word may contain the ending -da (q.v.) denoting the result of the corresponding verbal action.

carda

noun. deed

carie

making, doing

carila

participle. doing

carma

noun. deed

carma

tool, weapon

carma (1) noun "tool, weapon" (PE17:114)

carma

noun. tool, implement, means

carma

helm

carma (2) noun "helm" (helmet) in Carma-cundo ("k") "Helm-guardian" (PM:260). Notice that in PE17:114, Tolkien indicated that he rather wanted carma to mean "tool" or "weapon", leaving the status of carma "helmet" uncertain. Possibly shortened to -car in the names Eldacar (Elfhelm?), Hallacar (Tall-helm?) Cf. also cassa in Etym.

carne (carni-)

adjective. red

carpassë

mouth-system

carpassë ("k") noun "mouth-system", i.e. "full organized language, including system, vocabulary, metre etc." (PE17:126); probably replaced by pahta (2), q.v.

carrëa

tressure

carrëa (for cas-raya) noun "tressure" (net for confining the hair). (VT42:12)

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.

cat-

verb. shape

shape, fashion

collo

noun. cloak

A word for “cloak” appearing in Sindacollo “Grey Cloak” cognate to S. Thingol (PE17/72; SA/thin(d)), clearly a derivative of √KOL “bear, carry, wear”.

conta-

verb. [unglossed]

cára

noun. head

cúma

noun. [unglossed]

felca

adjective. [unglossed]

felehta-

verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine

An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.

finca

noun. [unglossed]

finta-

to make, finish off, or decorate a thing with delicate work

finta- (1) vb. "to make, finish off, or decorate a thing with delicate work" (PE17:17)

hendas

?. [unglossed]

hindo

noun. [unglossed]

hindë

noun. [unglossed]

holdë

noun. [unglossed]

háro

?. [unglossed]

lingi-

verb. [unglossed]

loxë

bunch, cluster

loxë (2) noun "bunch, cluster" (QL:55). Perhaps compare #1.

mairo

horse

mairo noun "horse" (GL:56; later sources have rocco, olombo)

maitya

?. [unglossed]

malsa

?. [unglossed]

melya-

verb. [unglossed], *to be in love

narwa

ruddy, red of hair

*narwa adj. "ruddy, red of hair" (PE17:154), also "fiery red" in general _(NAR1; only the archaic form narwā is given in the Etymologies)_

nasar

red

nasar adj. "red" (in Vanyarin Quenya only). Adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399)

naue

?. [unglossed]

nelcë

tooth

nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", also nelet (VT46:3)

nelet

tooth

nelet, also nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", pl. nelci ("k") suggesting a stem-form nelc- (NÉL-EK)

olombo

horse

olombo noun "horse" (derived from a base LOB which Tolkien later changed to LOP; hence read *olompo for olombo?)

quáco

crow

quáco ("q")noun "crow" _(WJ:395; _Etym also has corco, q.v.)

quáco

noun. crow

A word in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 for “crow”, derived from primitive ✶k(a)wāk (WJ/395). In notes from the late 1960s Tolkien instead had Q. {koake >>} quácë “frog” < ✶kāwāk, with primitive ✶kā for “crow” (VT47/36).

See ᴹQ. korko for a discussion of earlier forms.

rocco

horse

rocco ("k")noun "horse" (ROK, SA:roch; Letters:382; cf. 282 where the spelling really is rocco, not rokko_). _In Letters:382 the word is defined as "swift horse for riding". VT46:12 refers to an alternative form of the entry ROK that was inserted into the Etymologies; here rocco, which Tolkien revised from ronco ("k"), was similarly glossed "swift horse". Nésë nórima rocco ("k") "he was a horse strong/swift at running" (VT49:29)

rocco

noun. horse

rocco

noun. horse

The usual word for “horse” in Quenya, a derivative of ✶rokkō (Let/282, 382; WJ/407) and very well attested. There are indications that this word was more specifically a “swift horse” (Let/382; EtyAC/ROK), but in most cases Tolkien used it generically.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. rokko “horse” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√ROK “run on foot”, already with the derivation given above (Ety/ROK). The relevant entry appeared twice; in one rokko was first written as rokka “wheel”, and in the other the form was first written ronko, but in both cases Tolkien revised the word to rokko “horse”.

roina

ruddy

roina adj. "ruddy" (ROY2)

ruc-

verb. pluck

sal-

verb. [unglossed]

sélo

?. [unglossed]

sóla

?. [unglossed]

tamma

tool

tamma noun "tool" (PE17:108)

tamma

noun. tool

thar-

verb. [unglossed]

tomba

noun. [unglossed]

tompë

noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat

@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20

um(ba)-

prefix. [unglossed]

umbacarin

noun. [unglossed]

vecca

active

[vecca adj. "active", ancient form (PE17:190)]

vecca

adjective. active

venië

shape, cut

venië noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

venwë

shape, cut

venwë noun? "shape, cut" (LT1:254)

éna

?. [unglossed]

úpa-

verb. [unglossed]

þúna

?. [unglossed]

carcara

adjective. toothed

carcasarma

noun. large saw

carniambos

noun. robin, (lit.) red-breast

carth

noun. deed

Sindarin noun for a “deed”, attested only in its lenited plural form gerth within the word úgarth “trespass” (VT44/28), which probably more literally means “✱misdeed”. This word is not completely compatible with its Quenya cognate Q. carda “deed” from primitive ✶kardā, which in Sindarin should produce ✱cardh. Perhaps the Sindarin word had a slightly different primitive form ✱✶kartā. The expect form cardh might appear as an element in the variant form athragardh of S. athragared “interaction”.

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor of this word is G. carm “act, deed, exploit” in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/25; PE13/111), cognate of contemporaneous ᴱQ. karma “shape, fashion; act, deed” (QL/45). In the Early Noldorin word lists from the 1920s, this word was revised to ᴱN. carbh “deed” (PE13/140), reflecting Tolkien’s changing conception of the phonetic development of final -m in Noldorin. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the word appeared as N. carth or carð “deed” (cardh), but these forms were rejected and replaced by N. car(ð) “building” (Ety/KAR).

maenas

art

maenas (i vaenas) (craft, handicraft), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.

maenas

art

(i vaenas) (craft, handicraft), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.

carch

noun. fang, fang, [N.] tooth

The Sindarin word for “fang” (SA/carak), most notably appearing as an element in the names like S. Carchost “Fang Fort” (RC/601) and S. Carcharoth “Red Maw” (S/180), perhaps more literally “✱Great Red Fang”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. carch was glossed “tooth, fang” under the root ᴹ√KARAK “sharp fang, spike, tooth” (Ety/KARAK). For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use the word carch exclusively for the sharp teeth of animals (“fang”) and for “tooth” I’d use [N.] nêl or neleg.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had the word G. carc “jag, point, fang” (GL/25), likely based on the earlier form of the root: ᴱ√KṚKṚ (QL/48). This early word reflects the different phonetic developments of Gnomish versus Sindarin/Noldorin: compare G. orc (GL/63) vs. S./N. orch.

car-

verb. to do, make

carfa-

verb. to talk, speak, use tongue

caran

adjective. red

adab

building

1) adab (house), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb_. _2)

anc

row of teeth

anc (jaw), pl. ainc, coll. pl. angath.

anc

row of teeth

anc (jaw), pl. ainc, coll. pl. angath. GNASHING OF TEETH (in grief) naeth (biting, woe); no distinct pl. form.

cant

shape

(noun) cant (i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i **chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint**; see SHADOW.

car

make

1) car- (i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (do, build) (WJ:415), 2) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, shape), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

car

do

car- (i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (make, build) (WJ:415),

car

building

car or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (house), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car (or adab) may be preferred for clarity.

caran

red

1) caran (lenited garan, pl. cerain). Also carn (lenited garn, pl. cern), 2) coll (scarlet), lenited goll, pl. cyll (VT45:15, 24). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "cloak". 3) born (hot), lenited vorn, pl. byrn, 4) (fiery red) naru (analogical pl. nery). The archaic fom narw is also listed (LR:374 s.v. _NAR_1). 5) rhosc (russet, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhysc. Cf. also

carch

fang

carch (i garch, o charch) (tooth), pl. cerch (i cherch)

cardh

deed

cardh (i gardh, o chardh), pl. cerdh (i cherdh). Note: cardh may also mean "house, building".

cared

doing

#cared (i gared, o chared) (making), pl. cerid (i cherid). Isolated from ceredir "doer, maker", where the word appears in umlauted form (cared + dîr).

cared

making

#cared (i gared, o chared) (doing), pl. cerid (i cherid). Isolated from ceredir "doer, maker", where the word appears in umlauted form (cared + dîr).

cathrae

tressure

cathrae (i gathrae, o chathrae) (hairnet). No distinct pl. form except with article (i chathrae). (VT42:12))

ceredir

doer

ceredir (i geredir, o cheredir) (maker), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

coll

cloak

coll (i goll, o choll), pl. cyll (i chyll). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "red, scarlet".

corch

crow

corch (i gorch, o chorch), pl. cyrch (i chyrch). Also *craban (i graban, o chraban), pl. crebain (i chrebain). Only the pl. crebain* is attested. The sg. could be either craban, creban or croban**, but the first of these seems the most likely.

crann

ruddy

(of face) crann (lenited grann, pl. crain).

crann

ruddy

1) (of face) crann (lenited grann, pl. crain), 2) gruin (lenited ruin, no distinct pl. form), 3) gaer (copper-coloured, red, reddish); lenited aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

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).

echad

shape

(verb) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

lobor

horse

lobor, analogical pl. lebyr (VT45:28)

nagol

tooth

1) *nagol (analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath*; possibly the analogical form nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested. 2) naes (no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36). 3) nêl (note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig). 4) (fang) carch (i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch**).

rhosc

russet

rhosc (red, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhysc

roch

horse

(swift horse for riding) roch, pl. rych (idh rych) (Letters:282)

thôl

helm

thôl (construct thol, pl. thŷl, coll. pl. ?tholath)

-dhol

head

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

auth

noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition

cant

noun. shape, shape; [N.] outline

car-

verb. to do

caran

adjective. red

caran

red

_ adj. _red, ruddy. >> Caradhras

carch

noun. tooth, fang

cared

noun. action

carn

noun. deed

A Sindarin noun for a “deed”, attested only in its lenited form garn within the word othgarn “misdeed” (PE17/151). The alternate form carth “deed” is perhaps better attested.

caro

verb. do! make!

cathrae

noun. tressure, net for combining the hair

cidinn

?. [unglossed]

cinnog

?. [unglossed]

coll

noun. cloak, mantle

craban

noun. kind of crow of large size, raven

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

fân

shape

_n._shape, with the added notion of light and whiteness. It was thus often used where we might use 'a vision' (of something beautiful and sublime). Q. fana-. Tolkien notes that "Yet being elvish, though it may be used of things remote, it has no implication either of uncertainty or unreality" (PE17:26). In the name Fanuilos of Elbereth, the Fân was the vision of majesty of Elbereth upon the mountain where she dwelt.

gaer

adjective. red, copper-coloured, ruddy

madu

?. [unglossed]

maud

?. [unglossed]

rhosc

adjective. russet, russet, [N.] brown

roch

noun. horse, swift horse for riding

roch

noun. horse

The usual word for “horse” in Sindarin, a derivative of ✶rokkō (Let/282, 382) and very well attested. There are indications that this word was more specifically a “swift horse” (Let/382; EtyAC/ROK), but in most cases Tolkien used it generically.

Conceptual Development: The first precursor to this word seems to be G. brog “horse” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/24), though at the time it had no Qenya cognates. ᴱN. brog “horse” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/139), but by The Etymologies of the 1930s it had become N. roch “horse”, already with the derivation given above (Ety/ROK; EtyAC/ROK). Tolkien seems to have mainly stuck with this form thereafter.

ruin

adjective. (fiery) red

thôl

noun. helm

adab

building

(house), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb. 2)

amosgarn

noun. robin, (lit.) red-breast

born

red

(hot), lenited vorn, pl. byrn

cad-

z2# verb. to shape; mold

Derived from the primitive root '√KAT' found in compound of 'etkat-': Out-Shape (later becoming Sindarin Echad: To Fashion). Cognate of Quenya Cat-.

cant

shape

(i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint; see SHADOW.

car

make

(i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (do, build) (WJ:415)

car

do

(i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (make, build) (WJ:415)

car

building

or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (house), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car (or adab) may be preferred for clarity.

caran

red

(lenited garan, pl. cerain). Also carn (lenited garn, pl. cern)

carch

tooth

(i garch, o charch), pl. cerch (i cherch).

carch

fang

(i garch, o charch) (tooth), pl. cerch (i cherch)

cardh

deed

(i gardh, o chardh), pl. cerdh (i cherdh). Note: cardh may also mean "house, building".

cared

doing

(i gared, o chared) (making), pl. cerid (i cherid). Isolated from ceredir "doer, maker", where the word appears in umlauted form (cared + dîr).

cared

making

(i gared, o chared) (doing), pl. cerid (i cherid). Isolated from ceredir "doer, maker", where the word appears in umlauted form (cared + dîr).**

carthas

noun. activity

cathrae

tressure

(i gathrae, o chathrae) (hairnet). No distinct pl. form except with article (i chathrae). (VT42:12))

ceredir

doer

(i geredir, o cheredir) (maker), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

coll

cloak

(i goll, o choll), pl. cyll (i chyll). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "red, scarlet".

coll

red

(scarlet), lenited goll, pl. cyll (VT45:15, 24). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "cloak".

corch

crow

(i gorch, o chorch), pl. cyrch (i chyrch). Also ✱craban (i graban, o chraban), pl. crebain (i chrebain). Only the pl. crebain is attested. The sg. could be either ✱craban, ✱creban or ✱croban, but the first of these seems the most likely.

crann

ruddy

(lenited grann, pl. crain).

dadbenn

do

(downhill, sloping down, inclined), lenited dhadbenn, pl. dedbinn. Verb

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).****

echad

shape

(i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

echad

make

(i echad, in echedir) (fashion, shape), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)

gaer

red, reddish

(copper-coloured, ruddy); lenited ’aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

gaer

ruddy

(copper-coloured, red, reddish); lenited ’aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

golwen

learned in deep arts

(wise), lenited ngolwen, pl. gelwin (archaic pl. ✱gölwin)

gruin

ruddy

(lenited ’ruin, no distinct pl. form)

heria

set vigorously out to do

(i cheria, i cheriar) (have an impulse, be compelled to do something, begin suddenly and vigorously) (VT45:22)

hûr

action, readiness for

(i chûr, o chûr, construct hur) (vigour, fiery spirit), pl. huir (i chuir) if there is a pl.

lobor

horse

analogical pl. **lebyr **(VT45:28)

naes

tooth

(no distinct pl. form) (VT45:36).

nagol

tooth

(analogical pl. negyl, coll. pl. naglath; possibly the analogical form ✱nagolath would also be acceptable). Only the coll. pl. naglath is attested.

naru

red

(analogical pl. nery). The archaic fom narw is also listed (LR:374 s.v. NAR1).

nêl

tooth

(note: a homophone means ”three”), stem neleg-, whence pl. nelig. Also simply neleg (pl. nelig).

rhosc

red

(russet, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc *(the lenition product of rh is uncertain)*, pl. rhysc. Cf. also

rhosc

russet

(red, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc *(the lenition product of rh is uncertain)*, pl. rhysc

roch

horse

pl. rych (idh rych) (Letters:282)

thôl

helm

(construct thol, pl. th**ŷ**l, coll. pl. ?tholath)

úgarth

ill deed

(sin), pl. úgerth (VT44:23)

corch

noun. crow

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “crow” derived from the root ᴹ√KORKA of the same meaning, replacing rejected N. carach derived from ᴹ√KARKA (Ety/KARKA).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. crunc “crow”, probably related to G. crug “beak” (GL/27) and possibly also to ᴱQ. karon “crow” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/45). The forms crunc and crwnc “crow” appeared in Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document (PE13/111), and ᴱN. crunc “crow” appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/141). The word ᴱN. corch also appeared in the same Early Noldorin Word-lists, but was unglossed, so it is not clear whether it was connected to 1930s N. corch “crow”.

caran

adjective. red

carth

noun. deed

car-

verb. to do, make

naru

adjective. red, [fiery] red

adab

noun. building, house

borth

?. [unglossed]

caran

adjective. red

carch

noun. tooth, fang

cardh

noun. deed, feat

cared

gerund noun. making, doing

caron

adjective. red

carth

noun. deed, feat

ceredir

noun. doer, maker

clei

?. [unglossed]

coen

?. [unglossed]

coll

adjective. (golden) red

corch

noun. crow

crann

adjective. ruddy (of face)

câs

noun. top, summit

diragas

?. [unglossed]

dôl

noun. head

dôl

noun. hill or mountain

goer

adjective. red, copper-coloured, ruddy

gruin

adjective. ruddy

gruin

adjective. ruddy

imladris(t)

place name. Rivendell

lobor

noun. horse

lobor

noun. horse, [heavy riding] horse

A word for “horse” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, derived from the root ᴹ√LOP (EtyAC/LOP). It did not appear in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne reported it in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/28).

Conceptual Development: The similar word G. lobros “steed, horse” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOPO that was the basis for “horse” words in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/56). In The Etymologies, Tolkien first gave the root as ᴹ√LOB and the Noldorin form as {lum >>} lhuv, perhaps from ✱lōbo, but these were deleted and replaced by ᴹ√LOP and lobor.

Neo-Sindarin: Since Tolkien sometimes described S. roch as a “swift horse”, I’d assume lobor was a heavy riding horse or war horse.

mauth

?. [unglossed]

menwed

?. [unglossed]

naes

noun. tooth

naglath

noun. the teeth

nagol

noun. tooth

nagol

noun. tooth

Tolkien used various “teeth” words related to the root √NAK “bite” throughout his life. The earliest of these was G. naith “a tooth” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where its connection to the early root ᴱ√NAKA “bite” was made more clear by its archaic plural form nacthin (GL/59). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. naes derived from primitive ᴹ✶nakse under the root ᴹ√NAK “bite” (EtyAC/NAK). As suggested by David Salo (GL/275), another variant ✱nagol “tooth” is suggested by the class plural naglath in the names from Lord of the Rings drafts of 1940s: Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/122) and Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” (WR/137), neither of which made it into the published version.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d recommend using N. nêl or N. neleg for “tooth” words. Primitive ᴹ✶nakse would likely produce ✱nach rather than naes under Sindarin’s phonetic rules; compare S. ach “neck” < ✶aks[e] (PE17/92). As for N. nagol, it was also likely abandoned.

naru

adjective. red

narw

adjective. red

neleg

noun. tooth

neleg

noun. tooth

The most common word for “tooth”, appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). See variant N. nêl “tooth” for further discussion.

nith

?. [unglossed]

nithrad

?. [unglossed]

nêl

noun. tooth

nêl

noun. tooth

A word appearing as N. nêl “tooth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√NELEK of the same meaning (Ety/NÉL-EK). It was one of a rare set of primitive words with final k, which was lost in very early stages of the language, to produce ON. nele (PE21/56). Its ON. plural was neleki, which produced nelig in the modern form of the language. Since the plural preserved the stop lost in the simplex, an alternate form N. neleg was restored from the plural.

This longer form neleg appeared as an element in a number of names from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s: {N. Neleg Thilim “Gleaming Tooth” >>} N. Neleglos “White Tooth” (WR/106) and N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” (WR/113). None of these names made it into the published version. However, primitive √nelek “tooth” was mentioned as the basis for Ancient Telerin nele “tooth” in notes from the early 1950s, again with loss of final k and plural neleki (PE21/71-72).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use neleg as the ordinary word for “tooth”, and limit nêl to the final element of compounds.

níth

?. [unglossed]

porennin

?. [unglossed]

roch

noun. horse, swift horse for riding

telwen

?. [unglossed]

car-

verb. to do

nasar

adjective. red

bund

noun. head