cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

anducal

masculine name. *Light of the West

The name assumed by Herucalmo, husband of queen Tar-Vanimeldë, when he withheld the throne of Númenor from his son Alcarin (UT/222). This name seems to be a combination of the prefix andú- “West” (as in Andúril) and cala “light”, so perhaps it means “✱Light of the West”.

calacirya

place name. Pass of Light

The “Pass of Light” through the Pelóri mountains into the heart of Valinor (S/59). It is a compound of cala “light” and cirya “cleft, pass” (RGEO/62).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it was called ᴹQ. Kalakilya (LR/173), using an earlier word for “pass”: ᴹQ. kilya (Ety/KIL).

calambar

adjective. *light-fated

A noun in the phrase Nai kalambar onnalda ter coivierya from the late 1960s (VT49/41). Carl Hostetter suggested the word may mean “✱light-fate(d)”, a combination of cala “light” and ambar “fate”, which he compared with Turambar “Master of Fate” (VT49/42). In a post on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on 2023-06-01, Röandil suggested it might instead mean “✱light-dwelling” or “✱light-dweller”, as with words like Hröambari “Incarnates; (lit.) ✱Body-dwelling” (NM/14) or ombari “company, dwellers together” (NM/117).

calaquendi

collective name. Elves of the Light, (lit.) Light Elves

This term was used for Elves who saw the light of the Two Trees in Valinor (S/53). Later the meaning was extended to include the Elves of Beleriand (the Sindar) who also opposed Morgoth (WJ/373). It is a compound of cala “light” and the plural form Quendi of the term Quendë “Elf” (WJ/361).

Conceptual Development: An early term ᴱQ. kalmar “child of day or light” form the 1910s (QL/44) seems to be the first precursor to this name, apparently replaced by ᴱQ. Kalmaliondo and ᴹQ. Kalion “Son of Light” from the 1920s and early 1930s (PE14/75, PE21/33). A similar term ᴹQ. Kalamor “Light-elves” appeared in a discussion of the branches of the Elves in the mid-1930s, along with ᴹQ. Kalaqendi (LR/197). Both these terms appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/KAL), though Christopher Tolkien incorrectly indicated that Kalamor was Noldorin rather than Quenya (EtyAC/KAL). Thereafter, only the term Calaquendi appeared, though it was sometimes spelled with a K.

calion

masculine name. *Son of Light

Tar-Calion was the Quenya name of Ad. Ar-Pharazôn, the last king of Númenor. This name seems to be a compound of cala “light” and the patronymic suffix -ion “-son” (S/270).

Conceptual Development: This character’s name was first given as ᴹQ. Angor, but the name was quickly changed to ᴹQ. Tar-Kalion (LR/27). In the Addenda and Corrigenda to The Etymologies, there is a name ᴹQ. Tar-kulu that the editors suggested could be an otherwise unattested variant of Tar-Calion (EtyAC/KUL).

A primitive form of this name, ✶Kalajondo, appeared in some linguistic notes from the 1950s (PE21/76).

calma

noun. lamp, (device for shining) light, lamp, (device for shining) light, [ᴱQ.] candle; (day)light

A noun for “lamp” appearing in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1121) as the name of tengwa #3 [a] (LotR/1122). In notes from the 1960s, Tolkien clarified that it was “a lamp or other device for shining light” (PE17/180).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kalma was glossed “(day)light” under the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44) but was simply “light” in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/44). It was glossed “light” again in the Early Qenya Grammar and English-Qenya Dictionary from the 1920s (PE14/43, 73; PE15/74). In the Earendel poem written around 1930 it was glossed “light” as in “light of the sun” (MC/216), but in the Oilima Markirya poem it was glossed “candle” (MC/214).

The word ᴹQ. kalma appeared unglossed in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/52), but was glossed “a light, lamp” in The Etymologies from around 1937 under the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL), which is the first time it was used for “lamp”. It was glossed “light” in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet and Qenya Spelling from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/22, 51, 61), but became “lamp” in the discussion of tengwar in The Lord of the Rings itself, as noted above.

Meanwhile, the earliest “lamp” word was ᴱQ. kalumet (kalumett-) from the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s (QL/44; PME/44), and this word was mentioned again in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s as a cognate to ᴱN. glavaith “a blaze, burning, blazing light” (PE13/162). ᴹQ. kalumet “lamp” appeared a final time in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, but there it was deleted (PE21/37 note #134).

In summary, it seems that in the 1910s and 20s kalma was “light” while kalumet was “lamp”, but sometime in the 1930s kalumet was abandoned and kalma became “lamp, a [device for] light”, while in after the 1930s the ordinary word for “light” became cala (RGEO/62; Ety/KAL) which in the 1910s had instead been used for “daytime” as a time period (QL/44).

calmindon

place name. Light-tower

A tower on the island of Tol Uinen off the coast of Númenor (UT/182). This name is a compound of cala “light” and mindon “tower”.

cálë fifírula

the light fading

The thirteenth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is cálë “light” followed by the active-participle (“-ing”) of the verb fifíru- “to fade”.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> cálë fifíru-la = “✱light fad-ing”

laurë

noun. gold (light or colour)

A very well-attested noun for “gold (light or colour)”, an element in many names, derived from √(G)LAWAR of the same meaning. This word only refers to “those things which we often call ‘golden’ though they do not much resemble metallic gold: golden light, especially sunlight” (RGEO/62), as opposed to gold as a metal which is malta (PE17/51, 159).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. laure was the “(magic name of) gold”, derived from the early root ᴱ√LOURI (LT1/100; QL/42, 51), as opposed to ᴱQ. kulu which was ordinary gold (QL/49). The shift towards laure being only light or color seems to have begun in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹQ. malda was “gold (as metal)” (Ety/SMAL), later Q. malta (as noted above). This use of laurë only for color and light was reaffirmed frequently in Tolkien’s later writings (RGEO/62; Let/308; PE17/159).

linquë

noun/adjective. light-substance; liquid light, *photons

A word appearing in notes from the late 1960s described as “light-substance” (NM/280), “light as an ethereal substance” (NM/283), or “liquid light” (NM/285), derived from the root √LIK “glide, slip, slide, drip” (NM/285). As Tolkien described it:

> Q. linque (n., adj.) “(bright/clear/gleaming) liquid”. This was applied (in Quenya) to dew (or to fine rain in sunshine); in Sindarin to pools or rills of clear clean water. It was probably in origin a “mythological” word - referring to the primitive Elvish conception of “light” as an actual substance (emitted by light-givers, but then independent), though ethereally fine and delicate (NM/285).

As such, it could apply to light itself envisioned as an insubstantial liquid or ethereal substance flowing through the air (photons), or other liquids glistening in the light such as dew or fine rain. This rippling, liquid-like nature of light is surprising compatible with the modern quantum physics behavior of photons as both a particle and a wave, but whether Tolkien intended this is unclear.

pirindë

noun. flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light

A word in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 for a “flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light” based on √PIRI “blink” and with variant forms pirinde and pirne (PE17/146). These flower names were part of an attempt by Tolkien to come up with a new etymology for S. alfirin after he decided that √LA was not a negative element, so that alfirin could no longer mean “immortelle”.

silmë

noun. starlight, starlight; [ᴹQ.] silver [light], moonlight, light of Silpion

A word for “starlight” and also the name of tengwa #29 [i] (LotR/1123), clearly derived from the root √SIL.

Conceptual Development: The earliest hint of this word was in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. silmea seems to be an adjective meaning “✱lunar” (QL/56). ᴱQ. silme also seems to be an adjectival element “gleaming, silver” in ᴱQ. silmerána “gleaming moon, silver moon” from the Oilima Markirya poem and its drafts from around 1930 (MC/220; PE16/75). In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. silme was derived from primitive ᴹ✶silimē “light of Silpion, †silver” under the root ᴹ√SIL “shine silver” (Ety/SIL) and thus seems to mean “moonlight”. Indeed, silme had the gloss “moonlight” in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/22, 51), where it was already the name of tengwa #29. It became “starlight” in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings, however (LotR/1123), and elsewhere “moonlight” was isilmë (MC/223).

Calacilya

pass of light

Calacilya ("k") place-name "Pass of Light", in which Kôr was built (KIL, KAL). Evidently a variant of Calacirya.

Calacirya

light-cleft

Calacirya place-name "Light-cleft", Calacirya, the great ravine in the mountains of Valinor, the passage leading from Valmar to the region where the Teleri lived. Genitive Calaciryo in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67)

Calaciryan

the cleft of light

Calaciryan ("k") place-name "the Cleft of Light", the pass in the Pelóri, apparently a variant of Calacirya (WJ:403, SA:kal-, kir-). Calaciryan, Calaciryandë, "the region of Eldamar (Elvenhome) in and near the entrance to the ravine, where the Light was brighter and the land more beautiful" (RGEO:70)

Calamando

light mando

Calamando ("k") masc. name "Light Mando" = Manwë (MBAD, (KAL, MANAD), VT45:18, 33)

Calamor

light-ones

Calamor ("k") (Q? - not Sindarin!) pl. noun *"Light-Ones" = Light-Elves? Sg. *Calamo (KAL)

Calaquendi

noun. Elves of the Light

Elves of the Light

Calaquendi

elves of the light, light-elves

Calaquendi pl. noun "Elves of the Light, Light-elves" (SA:kal-, SA:quen-/quet-, WJ:361, WJ:373); spelt Kalaqendi in Etym (KAL). Sg. *Calaquendë.

Calmacil

light-sword

Calmacil masc. name, *"Light-sword" or possibly (if haplology of *Calmamacil*) "Lamp-sword" (Appendix A). Cf. cálë, cala, calma, macil**.

Silmaril

radiance of pure light

Silmaril (Silmarill-, as in pl. Silmarilli), noun, name of the shining jewels made by Fëanor; full sg. form Silmarillë (SA:sil, SIL, RIL, MIR).Translated "radiance of pure light" in Letters:148. Gen. pl. Silmarillion, as in (Quenta) Silmarillion "(the Story) of the Silmarils".

alca

ray of light

alca ("k")noun "ray of light" (AKLA-R)

alcarissen

in light-rays

alcarissen _("k")_noun "in light-rays" (a "Qenya" form from MC:221; alcar means "glory" in Tolkien's later Quenya)

caivo-calma

corpse-light

caivo-calma _("k")_noun "corpse-light" = corpsecandle (MC:214; this is "Qenya": Tolkien's later Quenya has loicolícuma)

calambar

light-fated

calambar ("k") adj.? *"light-fated" (VT49:41, 42)

calma

noun. a light

a light

calma

lamp, a light, device for shining light

calma noun "lamp, a light, device for shining light" (Appendix E, KAL, PE17:123, 180), also name of tengwa #3 (cf. calmatéma), which was also already its name in the mostly pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies(VT45:18, there spelt "kalma"). In early "Qenya", calma ("k") meant"daylight" _(LT1:254; in MC:213, the word is translated "light").Plural instrumental calmainen ("k") "lights-by", by lights (MC:216)_

calta-

verb. to kindle, to kindle, [ᴹQ.] (cause to) shine, light up, [ᴱQ.] set light to

This causative verb meaning “kindle, cause to shine” was based on the root √KAL “light; shine” and had a lengthy history in Tolkien’s Elvish languages. ᴱQ. kalta- “kindle, set light to” first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. kalta- was only glossed “shine” (Ety/KAL). However in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 kaltā́ was given as an example of causative verbs and glossed “cause to shine, light up, or kindle (lamp etc.)” (PE22/114). In Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s (primitive) kalta- was glossed “cause to shine, kindle” (PE22/156). This verb also appeared in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as an element in the adjective Q. lacaltaima “not possible to be kindled”.

cólima

adjective. bearable, light (of burdens and things comparable, troubles, labors, afflications)

A word whose base meaning is “bearable”, a verbal adjective that is a combination of col- “bear” with the suffix -ima “-able” (PE22/155). By extension, the adjective also means “light [easy to bear]”, applicable both physically to things like burdens and metaphorically to things like troubles, labors, afflications, etc.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I assume that things that are difficult to bear would require an additional prefix such as hraicólima “hard to bear”; compare hraicénima “hard to see”.

faina-

verb. emit light

faina- vb. "emit light" (PHAY)

fá Archaic

noun. *ray of light, flame

An (archaic) Parmaquesta (PQ) noun in the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the 1950s derived from primitive ✶phāy as an example of how ancient final *y* vanished after long vowels in monosyllables (PE19/104). A few pages earlier, primitive ✶phāy was glossed “flame, ray of light” (PE17/102), so perhaps this was the intended meaning of fá also. But Tolkien said it was given up in favor of the longer form fëa (PE19/104), which elsewhere was usually translated as “spirit”.

Neo-Quenya: Given that this word is archaic and is of uncertain meaning, I would avoid its use for purposes of Neo-Quenya, using words like ᴹQ. alka for “ray of light” and Q. fëa for “spirit”.

halya-

verb. veil, conceal, screen from light

halya- vb. "veil, conceal, screen from light" (SKAL1, VT46:13) Tolkien noted that "√SKAL applied to more opaque things that cut off light and cast shadows over other things" (PE17:184), contrasting it with √SPAN, the rejected stem of fanta-, q.v.

is

light snow

is noun "light snow" (LT1:256)

pirindë

flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light at [?some ?not] even a pansy closed

pirindë noun "a flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light at [?some ?not] even a pansy closed" (PE17:146; reading uncertain and meaning obscure; read perhaps "…at [which] not even a pansy closed") Also pirnë.

rilma

glittering light

rilma noun "glittering light" (RIL)

élë

flashing of [?starry] light

élë noun "flashing of [?starry] light" (VT45:12; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)

calina

adjective. light, bright, sunny, (lit.) illumined

mísë

adjective. (light) grey

ú calmo

without the light

ú calo

without the light

linda

adjective. beautiful (of sound), sweet, melodious; soft, gentle, light, beautiful (of sound), sweet, melodious; soft, gentle, light, [ᴱQ.] kind; [ᴹQ.] fair

cim-

verb. light on, find, come by

cólima

adjective. bearable, light (of burdens, troubles etc)

nai calambar onnalda ter coivierya

*may your (pl.) child be light-fated throughout his/her life

nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto

may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading

pirnë

noun. flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light

arma

noun. ray of sunlight

A word for “a ray of sunlight” in Quenya Notes from 1957 (QN) derived from √AS “warmth” (PE17/148). I think it is a ray of light that is also warm, as opposed to alca which is merely bright but not warm.

aurë

sunlight, day

aurë noun "sunlight, day" (SA:ur), "day (of light), a day of special meaning or festival" (VT49:45). locative auressë "in (the) morning" in Markirya, allative aurenna *"on the day" (VT49:43-45). Also compare amaurëa.

silmë

starlight

silmë noun "starlight", also name of tengwa #29 (Appendix E), though in the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, the name silmë instead applied to tengwa #3 (VT46:13). Silmë nuquerna "_s reversed", name of tengwa #30, similar to normal silmë but turned upside down (Appendix E)_. In the Etymologies, stem SIL, silmë is defined as the "light of Silpion" (Telperion), and also a poetic word for "silver".

isilmë

noun. moonlight

A word loosely translated as “moon” in the Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222), but more accurately “moonlight” according to the glossary following the poem (MC/223), perhaps an elaboration of Q. silmë “starlight” under the influence of Q. Isil “moon”.

Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴱQ. silma “a ray of moonlight” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√SILI which was also the basis for ᴱQ. Sil “moon” (QL/83).

árë

noun. sunlight, warmth (especially of the sun); day, sunlight, warmth (especially of the sun); *noontide; day

A word for “sunlight” and “warmth (especially of the sun)” as well as the older name of tengwa #31 [k], which was originally used for the sound [z] matching the archaic pronunciation of this name: †áze (LotR/1123). When this sound fell out of use in Quenya (becoming *r*) the tengwa was repurposed for [ss] and given a new name: Q. essë. The word árë was derived from the root √AS “warmth” (PE17/18, 148; VT43/18).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. are has the sense “day” as a derivative of the root ᴹ√AR of the same meaning (Ety/AR¹), and it appears with this gloss in some later writings as well (PE17/148, PM/127). By the time Tolkien was writing The Lord of the Rings appendices, though, he had changed the sense of this word to “sunlight” as described above. The sense “day” was transferred to the words aurë and ré.

Neo-Quenya: Luinyelle suggested this word might also mean “✱noontide”, patterned after G. auth “sunshine, warmth; noontide”, to serve as a basis for ᴺQ. apárilë “afternoon”.

Ilma

starlight

Ilma noun "starlight" (GIL)

Ilmarë

starlight

Ilmarë noun "starlight", also fem. name, referring to a Maia (GIL, SA:ilm-)

arma

ray of sunlight

arma (1) noun "a ray of sunlight" (PE17:148)

isilmë

moonlight

isilmë (þ) noun "moonlight", occurring in Markirya; free translation "the moon" in MC:215 (isilmë ilcalassë, literally "moonlight gleaming-in" = "in the moon gleaming"). Isilmë also appears as the name of a Númenorean woman (UT:210).

calatengwë

noun. photograph, (lit.) light-writing

A neologism for “photograph”, more literally “(lit.) light-writing”, appearing in ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000s. It is a combination of cala “light” and tengwë “writing”, a translation of the original greek meaning of “photograph”.

caldomya-

verb. to dazzle, (lit.) to light-blind

A neologism for “dazzle” coined by Echuidor posted on 2024-12-09 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of √KAL “light” with lomya- “to blind”.

alalunga

adjective. light, unheavy

vilina

adjective. airy, breezy; light [weight?]

ilma Reconstructed

proper name. Starlight

An (archaic?) name for “Starlight”, it is not directly attested in Tolkien’s later writing, but appears as an element in several names (SA/ilm). It is a derivative of the root √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white)”. Elsewhere, the usual Quenya word for “starlight” is given as silmë (LotR/1123).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. ilma “air” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/142). The name ᴹQ. Ilma “Starlight” is directly attested in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/205), where it first appeared as Silma (SM/240). Ilma also appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of ᴹ√GIL (Ety/GIL), which is the source of the etymology noted above.

ruical(a)

noun. firelight

@@@ from Discord 2022-03-05

éle

noun. star-ray, beam

narolva

5#7YjyE noun. torch

neologism

narrundo

noun. torch

A neologism for “torch” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT) as a combination of nár “fire” and [ᴹQ.] runda “piece of word”.

calad

noun. light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> galad

galad

light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> calad, Caras Galadon

calad

gerund noun. light

calad

noun. light, fire, brightness, shining, light, brightness, shining, fire

A noun for “light” derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (PE17/50, 84), and appearing in the phrase Lacho __calad__! Drego morn! “Flame light! Flee night!” (UT/65). In one place it was glossed “light, fire, brightness, shining” (PE17/84), so it seems it could refer to any shining thing or source of light. For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would only use it in reference to “fire” as a source of illumination, not as a flame.

Conceptual Development: N. calad “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/KAL). In this document it was the basis for the final element of the name N. Gil-galad, and this was true in some later writings as well (PE17/50), but Tolkien eventually decided the second element of Gil-galad was (ñ)galad “radiance”, an element also seen in the name of Galadriel (PM/347).

calben

proper name. *Light One

Sindarin equivalent of Q. Calaquende, a translation of that name rather than an ancient word, otherwise it would have been ✱✱Calbend (WJ/362). It was also applied differently than the Quenya name, used for all Elves except the Avari, rather than only those Elves who had seen Valinor (WJ/376), and later expanded to include all “peoples in alliance in the War against Morgoth” (WJ/377), both Elves and Men. This name is a combination of shortened form of calad “light” and the suffixal form -ben of pen “one, somebody”, hence: “✱Light One”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the equivalent of ᴹQ. Kalaqendi was Caleledh or Celion (EtyAC/KAL). S. Caleðel appeared in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 (PE17/140), as well as Calemben (PE17/141) as a possible precursor of Calben.

glaur

noun/adjective. gold [light or colour]

A noun for “gold (light or colour)”, appearing as either glaur or glawar, derivatives of the root √(G)LAWAR of the same meaning (NM/351; PE17/17, 159; VT41/10). As Tolkien described it:

> The application to gold of this stem was poetic and referred to colour primarily (as especially of laburnum) not to material ([which was instead Q.] malta) (PE17/159).

The distinction between the two forms glaur and glawar is not entirely clear. In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. glaur “gold” and N. glawar “sunlight, radiance of Laurelin” as derivatives of distinct forms of the root: ᴹ√GLAW(-R) and ᴹ√(G)LAWAR, with the first of these being rejected (Ety/GLAW(-R); LÁWAR). In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien said:

> [Q.] Makalaure was converted simply phonetically to S. maglaur > maglor. Its pure Sindarin [development] would have been {maka-glawar >>} maka-glaur-. [In] S. glaware > glawar = Q. laure but as second element in compound glaware > glaur (VT41/10).

This note seems to imply that glawar is the normal form, and glaur is just a reduced form in compounds. However, glaur does appear as independent word in Tolkien’s later writings, for example in its mutated form ’laur in Nan Laur “Valley of Gold(en Light)” (UT/253). Conversely, longer glawar appears in a few compounds, such as Glewellin “Song of Gold” (MR/155) and Lothlewerian(d), the “pure Sindarin” form of Lothlórien (PE17/48). These glawar forms in compounds seem to have resisted reduction because they first underwent *i*-affection to glewer.

The vast majority of compounds with this word show a further reduction to either glór or glor, where *au* became *o* in polysyllables as was usually the case in Sindarin. The reduced form is always -glor as the second element of a compound (Maglor), but is glór- as an initial element if followed by a vowel (Glóredhel), or glor- if followed by a consonant cluster (Glorfindel).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would treat glaur and glawar as variants of the same word, both functioning as a noun meaning “gold (light or colour)”. However when “golden light, sunlight” is the intended meaning, I would tend to use glawar. Furthermore, I think glaur can also be used adjectivally = “golden [colour]”, as in Nan Laur where the mutation of the second element indicates an adjective rather than a noun.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. glôr “gold” as a cognate to ᴱQ. laure (GL/40), and hence probably derived from the early root ᴱ√LOU̯RI (QL/51) since *ou* became *ō* in Gnomish of the 1910s. ᴱN. glór “gold” appeared Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/144). Its most notable use in the early period was in the name G. Glorfindel which meant “Golden Hair” throughout Tolkien’s life.

The Etymologies of the 1930s had {ᴹ√GLAW(-R) > N. glaur “gold”} revised to ᴹ√(G)LAWAR > N. glawar “sunlight, radiance of Laurelin” as noted above (Ety/GLAW(-R); LÁWAR). Possible precursors to N. glawar “sunlight, radiance” include G. galwen “brilliance” from the 1910s (PE13/114) and ᴱN. gladwen “radiance, sunshine” (PE13/123, 144). From the 1930s forward Tolkien had both glaur and glawar, as discussed above.

pirin

noun. flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light

A word in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 for a “flower that opened and shut quickly with any change of light” based on √PIRI “blink” (PE17/146). This flower name was part of an attempt by Tolkien to come up with a new etymology for S. alfirin after he decided that √LA was not a negative element, so that alfirin could no longer mean “immortelle”.

galad

noun. radiance, glittering reflection; light, fire, brightness, shining; bliss, radiance, glittering reflection; light, fire, brightness, shining; bliss; [ᴱN.] dawn

A word for “radiance, glittering reflection” derived from primitive ✶ñ(g)alatā and the root √Ñ(G)AL “shine by reflection” (PM/347). Most notably it was an element in the names Galadriel and Gil-galad. In the latter name, since the ancient form began with ñg-, its mutated form was -galad rather than the more usual ’alad.

Conceptual Development: This word had a long and intricate history, and was intertwined with the shifting conceptions of various roots and names. It’s earliest iteration was G. {gâl(a) >>} gala “light, daylight” (GL/37), cognate to ᴱQ. kala of similar meaning, derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44). Since ancient initial *g-* became *k-* in Early Qenya, is very likely the early root was actually ✱ᴱ√GALA. In early notes, Tolkien experimented with various alternate forms for this word such as gâl or gaul (GL/37; PE13/114), and in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had the word ᴱN. galad with the gloss “dawn” (PE13/144).

By the 1930s, Tolkien had revised the phonology of Quenya so that primitive initial *g* became *ʒ* and then vanished, but he wished to retain the kal-/gal- variation in “light” words, and so introduced a Noldorin-only variant ᴹ√GAL of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/GAL). In The Etymologies, Tolkien had both N. calad (Ety/KAL) and N. galad (EtyAC/GAL) for “light”, the former appearing in its mutated form as an element in the name N. Gil-galad “Starlight” (Ety/GIL).

S. calad continued to be the basis for the second element of S. Gil-galad in some later writings (PE17/50), but Tolkien began to have problems with another name from The Lord of the Rings, that is Galadriel. When Tolkien first introduced her name, it basically meant “Tree-lady” (TI/249), but this was no longer suitable for her more elevated role in the legendarium, and in any case the proper Sindarin word for “tree” was galadh. In 1955 notes Tolkien considered making the initial element of her name mean “blessed” or “bliss” instead (NM/346).

In notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien connected the names Gil-galad and Galadriel as sharing a common element meaning “light” and experimented with various derivatives of the roots √KAL and √GAL (PE17/50), but couldn’t contrive a satisfactory solution since the shared word would be mutated in Gil-Galad but unmutated in Galadriel. Eventually Tolkien resolved this quandary by introducing a new root √Ñ(G)AL in various notes from the late 1960s (PE17/59-60; NM/353) whose primitive form in Sindarin was strengthened ✶ñgalatā that would produce the correct result for both names. Tolkien discussed this new word at length in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968:

> The name [Galadriel] was derived from the Common Eldarin stem ÑAL “shine by reflection”; ✱ñalatā “radiance, glittering reflection” (from jewels, glass or polished metals, or water) > Quenya ñalta, Telerin alata, Sindarin galad ... The whole = “maiden crowned with a garland of bright radiance” was given in reference to Galadriel’s hair. Galad occurs also in the epesse of Ereinion (“scion of kings”) by which he was chiefly remembered in legend, Gil-galad “star of radiance” (PM/347).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume (ñ)galad refers to radiant, glittering and reflected light, as opposed to S. calad (lit. = “shining”) which refers to direct light and the sources of such light, such as lamps and flames.

Caledhel

probably 'Light-Elf'

{ð} _n. _probably #'Light-Elf'. Caleðel << Hareðel << gwenieðel (or gweineðel).

Calemben

noun. probably 'Light-elf'

_n. _probably #'Light-elf'.

Gil-galad

noun. 'Star of light'

prop. n. 'Star of (clear) light'. >> gal-

calben

noun. a light person

cal (from PQ *kala- “light”) + pen (“someone, anyone”) Said to be “formally” related to Q Kalaquend.

glae(gal)

noun. light (as an ethereal substance), light (as an ethereal substance), *photons

A word for light as an ethereal substance (“✱photons”), the equivalent of Q. linquë though of different origin (NM/283); see the Quenya entry for further discussion. It appeared in the forms glae and glaegal, the former derived from the root √GLAY (perhaps a variant of √GAL “light”), and the latter probably √GLAY + √KAL.

Conceptual Development: A similar form ᴱN. glaiw “light” appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/144).

pirin

noun. a flower that opened ans shut quickly with any change of light at [some? not?] even a pansy closed

n. Bot. a flower that opened ans shut quickly with any change of light at [some? not?] even a pansy closed. Q. pirinde, pirne.

ast

noun. light or heat of sun

_n. _light or heat of sun. >> Asfaloth

caledhel

proper name. *Light Elf

glawar

noun. gold (light or colour), gold (light or colour); [N.] sunlight, radiance (of Laurelin)

glornan

place name. Valley of Gold(en Light)

Sindarin equivalent of the original Nandorin name of Lórien: Lórinand (UT/253), a combination of glaur “gold” and nan(d) “valley”.

ast

noun. light or heat of the sun

calan

noun. day(light)

calben

noun. Elf of the Great Journey (lit. "light person")

galad

noun. light, radiance, glittering, reflection (from jewels, glass or polished metal, or water)

glîn

noun. gleam, glint (usually of fine slender but bright shafts of light, particularly applied to light of eyes)

glînn

noun. gleam, glint (usually of fine slender but bright shafts of light, particularly applied to light of eyes)

lacho calad! drego morn!

Flame light! Flee night!

lim

adjective. clear, sparkling, light

morchant

noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape

nan laur

place name. Valley of Gold(en Light)

Sindarin equivalent of the original Nandorin name of Lórien: Lórinand (UT/253), a combination of nan(d) “valley” and the lenited form of glaur “gold”.

silivren penna míriel

from glittering crystal slanting falls with light like jewels

gilgalad

noun. 'Starlight'

prop. n. 'Starlight'. >> gil-

calad

light

_(noun) _1) calad (i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i **aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i **âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calad

light

(i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i ’aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means &quot;wolf-howl&quot;, but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i ’âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

gail

light

(adjective) 1) gail (bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18), 2) lim (clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

gail

light

(bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18)

lim

light

(clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

rill

light

(construct ril) (brilliance, flame), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rill).

aglan

noun. ray of light

celias

noun. (artificial) light, illumination

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, an abstraction based on ᴺS. celia- “to illuminate”.

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**)

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**).

glóren

shining with golden light

(adj.) glóren (glórin-) (golden), lenited lóren; pl. glórin

glóren

shining with golden light

(adj.) glóren (glórin-) (golden), lenited lóren; pl. glórin.

gwâth

dim light

gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith**) (UT:261);

gwâth

dim light

gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith**) (UT:261).

rill

glittering (reflected) light

rill (construct ril) (brilliance, flame), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rill).

rill

glittering (reflected) light

rill (construct ril) (brilliance, flame), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rill).

rill

glittering (reflected) light

_ rill (construct ril) (brilliance, flame), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rill).

silith

silver light

silith (i hilith, o silith), no distinct pl. form except with article (i silith), if there is a pl. form. The word silif is of similar meaning and would have the same mutations.

athal (athchal)

adjective. easy to lift, light (in weight)

A neo-compound, from ath- + KHAL (cp. athgar, athgen, PE17/148). The contact assimilation -th+kh- > -th- is according to Salo, "A Gateway to Sindarin" §§ 4.136, 15.17.

colui

adjective. light (to carry), not heavy, (lit.) carryable

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer)

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer).

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin.

gwâth

dim light

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261);

ithilgalad

3Gな%xな#2# noun. light of the moon, moonlight

ithilgalad

3Gな%xな#2# noun. light of the moon, moonlight

galad

sunlight

1. galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (bright light, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 2) glawar (i **lawar) (gold; radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10)

galad

sunlight

(i ngalad = i ñalad), (bright light, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid).

gilgalad

starlight

1. gilgalad (i ngilgalad = i ñilgalad, o n**gilgalad, pl. gilgelaid (in gilgelaid = i ñgilgelaid) if there is a plural form. 2) gilith (also used = Quenya Ilmen, the region of stars) (i ngilith = i ñilith, o n**gilith) _These mutations presupposed that the root is Ñ, as in MR:388, rather than _ as in the Etymologies (LR:358).

glawar

sunlight

glawar (i **lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

gilgalad

starlight

(i ngilgalad = i ñilgalad, o n’gilgalad, pl. gilgelaid (in gilgelaid = i ñgilgelaid) if there is a plural form.

gilith

starlight

(also used = Quenya Ilmen, the region of stars) (i ngilith = i ñilith, o n’gilith) These mutations presupposed that the root is

glawar

sunlight

(i ’lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

glaw

noun. sunshine, sunshine; [N.] radiance

A word (or word element) appearing in linguistic notes from the late 1950s as glaw- “sunshine”, a derivative of the root √LAW (PE17/159). A similar word N. glaw “radiance” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but this word was derived from primitive ᴹ✶g’lā based on the root ᴹ√GAL, a Noldorin-only variant of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL).

Conceptual Development: Possible earlier precursors to this word include ᴱN. glarw “ray, radiance” from Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/144) and G. glaros “glare, blaze, splendour” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/39), the latter probably related to the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44); see that entry for discussion.

glaw-

prefix. sunshine

_ pref. _sunshine.

calad

noun. light

calad

gerund noun. light

gal-

prefix. light

galad

noun. light

caleledh

proper name. *Light Elf

Noldorin form that appeared in a marginal note in The Etymologies from the 1930s alongside a variant Celion and an unclear form Celelidh, possibly its plural (EtyAC/KAL). It appears to be a singular Noldorin equivalent to ᴹQ. Kalaqendi “✱Light Elves”, a combination of ᴹ√KAL “shine” and Eledh “Elf”.

cilgalad

place name. Pass of Light

Noldorin equivalent of ᴹQ. Kalakilya appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s glossed “Pass of Light”, a combination of cîl “pass” and the lenited form of calad “light” (Ety/KIL).

silif Archaic

noun. light of Silpion, †silver, light of Silpion, †silver, *moonlight

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶silimē glossed “light of Silpion, †silver” (Ety/SIL). Since Silpion was the silver tree of Valinor whose flower was used to create the moon, perhaps this can also mean “✱moonlight”; its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. silme was glossed “moonlight” in the 1930s and 40s as a tengwar name (PE22/22, 51), though in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E, Q. silmë was “starlight” (LotR/1123). The Noldorin form silif was marked with a “✱” and so perhaps may be archaic; Tolkien said “For ✱silif N has silith, by assimilation to or from influence of †Ithil” (Ety/SIL).

silith

noun. light of Silpion, †silver, light of Silpion, *moonlight

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s, for which Tolkien said “For ✱silif N has silith, by assimilation to or from influence of †Ithil” (Ety/SIL). Since N. silif was derived from primitive ᴹ✶silimē for the “light of Silpion” (Ety/SIL), it seems silith was a more modern replacement of it, probably with the same meaning. As it was influenced by Ithil “Moon”, it probably had the sense “✱moonlight” after Silpion was lost.

celion

proper name. *Light Elf

Noldorin form that appeared in a marginal note in The Etymologies from the 1930s alongside a variant Caleledh, replacing a deleted form Calion (EtyAC/KAL). It appears to be a singular Noldorin equivalent ᴹQ. Kalaqendi “✱Light Elves”, a combination of ᴹ√KAL “shine” and the masculine suffix -on (though why the i was added is unclear). This might be a precursor to later S. Calben.

gail

adjective. bright, light

gail

noun. bright light

glaur

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

glor-

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

gwath

noun. shade, shadow, dim light

gilith

noun. starlight, *region of the stars

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “starlight” under the root ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” with variant forms Gilith and {?Gilwen &gt;&gt;} Gilfen (Ety/GIL; EtyAC/GIL). Elsewhere in The Etymologies, Tolkien compared gilith to N. gwilith “air as a region” and equated it to ᴹQ. Ilmen (Ety/WIL), so it seems Tolkien also intended it to mean “region of the stars”, though Gilfen is more likely as the direct cognate of ᴹQ. Ilmen.

gil-galad

masculine name. Starlight

gilgalad

noun. starlight

glawar

noun. sunlight, radiance (of the golden tree Laurelin)

glawar

noun. sunlight, radiance of Laurelin

kalat

noun. light

k’la

noun. *light

gal

root. light; shine, be bright

A Sindarin-only root for “light; shine”, a variant of √KAL of the same meaning. Its most notable derivative is S. galad “radiance, light”, an element in the names Galadriel and Gil-galad. This root did not explicitly appear in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the base for Qenya light words was given as ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but nearly all the Gnomish derivations of this root begin with g-, as in G. gal- “to shine” and G. glarw(ed) “bright, light” (GL/39). Given that [[eq|initial [g] &gt; [k]]] in early Quenya, this makes it very likely the actual early root was ✱ᴱ√GALA, or at the very least a blending of ᴱ√KALA and ᴱ√GALA.

The first explicit appearance of the root ᴹ√GAL “shine” was in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/GAL), where it was given along with an extended root ᴹ√GALAN “bright” (EtyAC/GAL¹). Tolkien considered but rejected having some Quenya derivatives of these roots: ᴹQ. ala “day” and ᴹQ. alan “daytime” (EtyAC/GAL¹), but he seems to have decided that ᴹ√GAL was a Noldorin-only root, as described in the ᴹ√KAL entry from the same set of documents (Ety/KAL).

The root √GAL reappeared in various etymological notes from the 1950s and 60s, where Tolkien again iterated it was not used in Quenya, and was a root specific to Sindarin (PE17/59) and possibly also Nandorin (PE17/50). The root was potentially problematic in the name Gil-galad, however, in that it was not mutated to Gil-’alad. It seems likely that when Tolkien first coined this name, the second element was from N. calad “light” from the root ᴹ√KAL. This root and word survived into Sindarin (UT/65), and Tolkien sometimes still considered it the basis for Gil-galad (PE17/50).

However, at one point he decided the elements in the names Galadriel and Gil-galad were the same; to explain the lack of mutation in Gil-galad, he posited that the root was actually strengthened to √ÑGAL (PE17/59). Galadriel’s name in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 was based on the root √ÑAL “shine by reflection” (PM/347), so it seems this was the path Tolkien eventually followed. This makes the ultimate status of √GAL “shine” rather unclear, especially since some of its other derivatives like S. uial twilight (PE17/153) were sometimes derived from √ÑAL (PE17/169).

kal

root. light; shine, be bright, light; shine, be bright, [ᴱ√] shine golden

This root was the basis for words having to do with “light” for most of Tolkien’s life. Its derivatives include Q. cala “light” and S. aglar “glory” which likewise retained the same basic form and meaning throughout Tolkien’s life. The root ᴱ√KALA first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “shine golden” (QL/44) along with a rejected variant ᴱ√ALA “light” (QL/29). In this early iteration, the root ᴱ√KALA included a number of derivatives having to do with daytime, such as ᴱQ. kala “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and G. gala “daylight” (QL/44; GL/38). Also of interest is that most of the Gnomish derivatives from this period began with g-, indicating that the true form of the root may have been ✱ᴱ√GALA (or at least a blending with it), since [[eq|initial [g-] became [k-]]] in Early Qenya.

This G/K variation became explicit in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹ√KAL “shine” had a Noldorin-only variant ᴹ√GAL (Ety/GAL, KAL). Tolkien did consider having a few Quenya derivatives of ᴹ√GAL, but they were all rejected (EtyAC/GAL¹). In the 1930s, it also seems the “daytime” derivatives were transferred to ᴹ√AR “day” (Ety/AR¹). The root √KAL continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings, variously glossed “shine”, “light” and “be bright”, with such frequency that it is impractical to list all the references. Likewise Tolkien continued to refer to the Sindarin-only variant √GAL on a regular basis; see that entry for details.

The root √KAL had a couple of extended forms of note, in particular √KALAR glossed “be radiant” in the 1930s (PE18/62), also appearing in the vowel-suppressed variant ᴹ√AKLA(R) “radiance, splendour” which served as the basis for Q. alcar/S. aglar “glory, brilliance, splendour, radiance” (PE17/105, 124; PE18/36, 87; VT47/13; Ety/AKLA-R, KALAR); in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s this variant root was given as ᴱ√ḶKḶ instead (QL/30). Tolkien frequently used the extension √KALAT as the representation of triconsontal roots (PE18/33, 86; WJ/392), though the only derivative he ever gave for it was ✶kalatta “a light, lamp” (PE21/80).

(g)lawar

root. golden light

Tolkien’s Elvish words for “gold” were fairly stable in his conception of the languages, resembling Q. laurë and S. glaur for most of his life. The main exception was the Early Noldorin and Gnomish forms of the 1910s and 20s, which were ᴱN./G. glôr (PE13/144; GL/40). These early forms survived to some degree in Tolkien’s later conceptions, because in Sindarin compounds au often reduced to o, and thus the name Glorfindel “Golden-hair” retained the same form and meaning for Tolkien’s entire life despite the revision of G. glôr &gt;&gt; S. glaur.

Tolkien’s first primitive root for these words was ᴱ√LOU̯RI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/51). This reflected the Early Qenya sound change whereby [[eq|[ei], [ou] became [ai], [au]]]; later on these ancient diphthongs usually became [ī], [ū]. In this earliest conception, the root and its derivatives referred to the physical substance of “gold”, though not quite its mundane nature: Tolkien said that ᴱQ. laure was the “mystical” or “magic” name of gold as opposed to its more mundane name ᴱQ. kulu (QL/42; LT1/100).

Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√GLAWAR or ᴹ√LAWAR for these words in The Etymologies of the 1930s, along with the modified form for its Noldorin derivative N. glaur (Ety/GLAW(-R), LÁWAR). Tolkien said that ᴹ✶laurē referred to the “light of the golden tree Laurelin” (Ety/LÁWAR), indicating a conceptual shift in the meaning of the root to “golden light or colour” rather than “mystical gold”. Indeed, in etymological notes Tolkien wrote sometime around 1960, Tolkien said of √LAWAR: “The application to gold of this stem was poetic and referred to colour primarily ... not to material (malta)” (PE17/159).

Tolkien’s representation of this root as both √GLAWAR and √LAWAR indicates some uncertainty on whether the initial gl- was from Common Eldarin or was only a later Ancient Telerin innovation. However, in later writings Tolkien typically represented the primitive word as ✶glawar(e) (PE17/17; PE21/80; VT41/10), and in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s Tolkien gave the Ancient Quenya word AQ. alaurē “sheen of gold” whose vowel augment arose from an abnormal vocalization of the ancient spirantalized initial g-: ✱glawarē &gt; glaurē &gt; ʒlaurē &gt; alaurē (PE19/79). This strongly indicates the primitive root was √GLAWAR.

glay

root. light [substance]

A (Sindarin-only?) root for “light as a substance” in notes from the late 1960s (NM/283), probably an elaboration on √GAL “light”.

than

root. kindle, set light to, fire, light

Tolkien used this root primarily to explain the name S. Gilthoniel “Star-kindler”. In a 1955 letter to David Masson, Tolkien gave √THAN “kindle” as the basis for the perfect participle S. thoniel “kindler”, in contrast to S. thôn &lt; ✶stŏna (PE17/82). In Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien gave {√TON &gt;&gt; √TÁN &gt;&gt;} √THĂN/THĀN as the basis for the same name, but with the suffix S. -iel being a feminine suffix (PE17/23; MR/388).

The root √THAN from the 1950s might be a restoration of the unglossed root ᴱ√tan- from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like G. tan “firewood” and G. tantha- “set light to, kindle” (GL/69), along with other forms like G. tôn “fire (on a hearth)” and G. tortha- “scorch” (GL/71). This may be reflected in the deleted forms in the aforementioned note: {√TON &gt;&gt; √TÁN &gt;&gt;} √THĂN/THĀN.

kala-kwendī

noun. Light-folk

kalas-

verb. begin to shine, get light

kalas-

verb. begin to shine, get light

kalatta

noun. a light, lamp

kalma

noun. a light

linkwē

noun. light-substance

phāy

noun. flame, ray of light

áse

noun. sunlight

gaili

noun. ray

ithīr

noun. light

cala

noun. light

calapendi

collective name. Light-elves

glavarë

noun. golden light

lórinand

place name. Valley of Gold(en Light)