Primitive elvish
ken
root. see, perceive, note, see, perceive, note, [ᴹ√] look at, observe, direct gaze
kemen
noun. earth
keme
noun. earth
ken
root. see, perceive, note, see, perceive, note, [ᴹ√] look at, observe, direct gaze
kemen
noun. earth
keme
noun. earth
Tolkien first introduced this root in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a variant of ᴹ√KHEN “look at, see, observe, direct gaze” along with ᴹ√KYEN (EtyAC/KHEN). In The Etymologies it had no derivatives, but in the Quenya Verbal System it appeared with the gloss “see, perceive” as the basis for the verb ᴹQ. ken- of the same meaning (PE22/103). √KEN “see, perceive” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writing thereafter (PE17/156, 187; PE22/155; VT41/5).