loth

noun. flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers

The best known Sindarin word for “flower”, usable individually or collectively. It behaves somewhat like the English word “sheep” that is its own plural, since loth can likewise refer to a single flower or a group of flowers. It occasionally takes the form -los in compounds like Edhellos “Elven-flower” (PM/346) and mallos “golden flower” (PE17/100).

Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was G. lôs “flower” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, which Tolkien said was related to G. lass “leaf, petal” (GL/52, 55). This word also appeared in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/28). In drafts to the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, Tolkien had ᴱN. loth “flower”, also translated “lily” in the name ᴱN. Loth-a-ladwen “Lily of the Plain” (LB/149).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. lhoth “flower(s)” under the root ᴹ√LOT(H) (Ety/LOT(H); EtyAC/LOT(H)). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road the gloss was “flower” (LR/370). Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne indicated the actual gloss was “flower(s)” in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies so that lhoth could be use singly or collectively, and it was followed by a specifically singular form N. lhothod (VT45/29).

In Tolkien’s later writings it became S. loth and was mostly glossed “flower” (PE17/26, 48, 161) but the notion that it could be used collectively appeared in some notes from the late 1960s where Tolkien said:

> ... loth, meaning “inflorescence, a head of small flowers”. Loth is actually most often used collectively in Sindarin, equivalent to goloth; and a single flower denoted by elloth (er-loth) or lotheg (VT42/18).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I assume loth can be used individually or collectively and thus functinos as its own plural, though in compounds it is generally singular. If necessary, a collection of flowers may be designated goloth, and an individual flower by elloth or lotheg.

loth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

loth

noun. a flower

a flower (of defined shape). Q. lóte. >> Lothlórien, Lothlúrien, Lothlýrian

loth

noun. flower

_n._flower, a single bloom. Q. lóte, lōs.

lothíriel

feminine name. Lothíriel

Wife of Éomer (LotR/1070). Her name might be a combination of loth “flower”, hîr “lord” and the feminine suffix -iel (as suggested by David Salo, GS/354).

lothlórien

place name. Dreamflower, (lit.) Lórien of the Blossom

The full name of Lórien, loosely translated by Treebeard as “Dreamflower” (LotR/467), more accurately “Lórien of the Blossom” (RC/300). This name is a combination of loth “flower” with its shorter name Lórien (SA/loth, PE17/48). The translation “Dreamflower” alluded to the Quenya name that inspired it: Q. Lórien “✱Dream Lands” (PE17/48).

Conceptual Development: This name was already N. Lothlórien when it first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/218). In his Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien indicated that the pure Sindarin form of the name would have been Lothlwerian(d), plural Lothlwerien(d), if it were derived from the sense “gold” as its Nandorin name Lórinand and it would have been Lothlýrian, plural Lothlúrien, if it were derived from the sense “dream” as the Quenya name Lórien (PE17/48).

Lothlórien

'Dreamflower'

topon. 'Dreamflower', the land of Galadriel. Pure S. Lothlýrian/Lothlúrien. >> loth

Lothlúrien

'Dreamflower'

topon. 'Dreamflower', the land of Galadriel. Pure S. of Lothlórien. >> loth, Lothlórien, Lothlýrian

Lothlýrian

'Dreamflower'

topon. 'Dreamflower', the land of Galadriel. Pure S. of Lothlórien. >> loth, Lothlórien, Lothlúrien

lotheg

noun. single flower, single [small] flower, *floret

A word for a single flower in notes from the late 1960s, a singular form of loth (VT42/18). This word is sometimes necessary because loth can refer to either a single flower or a collection of flowers; see that entry for details.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. lhothod as a singular form of N. lhoth “flower(s)” under the root ᴹ√LOT(H) (EtyAC/LOT(H)). The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. lothli “floret”, perhaps a diminutive form of G. lôs “flower” (GL/54) with sl > thl.

Neo-Sindarin: Since -eg acts as both a singular suffix and a diminutive suffix, I would assume lotheg refers to single smaller flower or floret, as opposed to elloth for a larger individual flower.

lothlann

place name. Wide and Empty

A great plain in northeast Beleriand translated “Wide and Empty” (S/123). This name is a combination of lost “empty” and land “wide” (Ety/LAD, LUS), where the [[s|[st] became [s] before a consonant]] and then the [[s|medial [s] became [θ] before [l]]].

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as N. Lothland “Wide and Empty” in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/264), but in The Etymologies it also appeared as N. Lhothlann or Lhothlann, reflecting the Noldorin phonetic rule that [[n|initial [r-], [l-] were unvoiced]]. In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, the name Lothlann was used for the region south of Mordor along with variant N. Lostladen (TI/313, WR/426), but this use of the name was later abandoned.

lothron

noun. May, *Flower-ness

@@@ GS/363 raun

lothron

noun. the month of May

lotheg

noun. (single) flower

elloth

noun. single flower

A word for a “single flower” in note from the late 1960s, a combination of er “one” and loth “flower(s)” (VT42/18), where rl became ll as sometimes happened in (old) Sindarin compounds. This word can be necessary because loth refers to both a single flower or a group of flowers; see that entry for details.

edlothia-

verb. to blossom, flower

The sentence from WR/293 is hardly legible and is not translated, but this word is however a plausible form

elloth

noun. (single) flower

goloth

noun. inflorescence, a head of small flowers

loth

flower

loth, pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

flower

pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

blossom

loth (see

loth

blossom

(see

Lothlórien

Lothlórien

Lothlórien, said to mean "Lórien of the Blossom", is a compound of Sindarin loth + Quenya Lórien "?Dream Land"). Treebeard translates the name as "Dreamflower".

lotheg

single flower

lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”).

lotheg

single flower

lotheg, lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”). COLLECTION OF FLOWERS gwaloth (i **waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i **oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18)._ _Specific flowers, see DAISY, GLADDEN, SNOWDROP, FLOWER OF GOLD, HORNFLOWER.

lothren

waste

(adj.) lothren (wild), pl. lethrin for archaic löthrin (VT45:29)

lothron

may

Lothron

lothren

wild

(waste), pl. lethrin for archaic löthrin (VT45:29)

lothren

waste

(wild), pl. lethrin for archaic löthrin (VT45:29)

Loth i-Lonnath

noun. Flower of the Havens

lothalan

noun. raft, (lit.) floating platform

A neologism for a “raft” coined by Ellanto on 2023-05-30 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of √LUT “float” and talan “platform”, hence literally “floating platform”.

lothren

adjective. wild, waste

lothron

may

lossoth

snow-men

(a coll. pl.)

edlothia

flower

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

flower

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

blossom

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

edlothia

blossom

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (flower);

edlothiad

flowering

(blossoming), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.**

edlothiad

blossoming

(flowering), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.

goloth

flower

(i ’oloth) (collection of flowers), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. Also in the form gwaloth (i ’waloth), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth.

gwaloth

collection of flowers

(i ’waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i ’oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18). Specific flowers, see

ranoth

noun. month

loss

snow

(construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.).

loss

fallen snow

(construct los; pl. lyss if there is a pl.) (RGEO:61-62, Letters:278, VT42:18) (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”wilderness”.)

loss

wilderness

(construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”fallen snow”.)

rhovannor

wilderness

1) rhovannor (?i throvannor or ?i rovannor the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10); 2) Eriador (a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.; 3) gwaith (i **waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith). 4) loss (construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth**] and ”fallen snow”.)

rhaw

wild

1) rhaw (untamed). Lenited ?thraw or ?raw (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhoe. (VT46:10) Note: a homophone means ”flesh, body”, 2) braig (fierce), lenited vraig. No distinct pl. form. (VT45:34), 3) lothren (waste), pl. lethrin for archaic löthrin (VT45:29)

narwain

noun. the month of January

alf

noun. flower

elanor

noun. a flower, a kind of enlarged pimpernel bearing golden and silver flowers

glawar

blossom

n. (golden) blossom. Q. loar, lávar.

los

noun. snow

losgar

place name. Losgar

Place where Fëanor ordered the burning of the ships that brought his followers to Beleriand (S/90). The meaning of this name is unclear.

Conceptual Development: In this use, the name N. Losgar first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/125). In the earliest Lost Tales, however, the name G. Losgar was applied to a region in Tol Eressea, revised to G. Gar Lossion “Place of Flowers” (LT1/16, 21). It seems unlikely that this earlier name was a direct precursor of the later one.

loss

noun. snow

The usual Sindarin word for “snow” (Let/278; PE17/161; RGEO/62), especially fallen and long-lying snow (VT42/18), derived from primitive ✶lossē (PE17/161) based on the root √(G)LOS (PE17/26; RGEO/62). It sometimes appeared in a shorter form los (PE17/26, 161). See the entry on [s] for a discussion of these long vs. short variations; for purposes of Neo-Sindarin loss is probably preferable.

Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest iteration of this word was G. glui “snow” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, likely related to nearby words like G. gloss “white” (GL/40). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. gloss from the root ᴹ√GOLOS was both noun “snow” and adjective “snow-white” (Ety/GOLÓS), but in later writing Tolkien split these into S loss “snow” (see above) and S. gloss “(dazzling) white” (RGEO/62; VT42/18).

lúth

noun. blossom

_ n. Bot. _blossom, inflorescence. >> Lúthien

mallos

noun. a golden flower

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, gladden

niphredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

rhavan

noun. wild man

rhaw

adjective. wild

adj. wild. Q. hráva. Tolkien wrote this entry as "rhaw [f]" (PE17:78).

rhaw

adjective. wild, wild, [N.] untamed

rhovan

noun. wilderness

Eru

waste

(noun) eru (pl. ery). Note: Eru is also a name of God, "the One".

braig

wild

(fierce), lenited vraig. No distinct pl. form. (VT45:34)

dannen

fallen

dannen (lenited dhannen, pl. dennin); see FALL. Notice the homophone dannen ”ebb, low tide”, which however has different mutations.

dannen

fallen

(lenited dhannen, pl. dennin); see

dannen

fall

”ebb, low tide”, which however has different mutations.

eriador

wilderness

(a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.

eru

waste

(pl. ery). Note: Eru is also a name of God, "the One".

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.  

gwaith

wilderness

(i ’waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith).

lossen

snowy

(pl. lessin, for archaic lössin). Adj.

luien

lórien

(suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” Lhuien)

nínim

snowdrop

(”white tear”), no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nínimmath. – The niphredil seems to be a flower similar to the snowdrop (no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. niphrediliath)

rhaw

wild

(untamed). Lenited ?thraw or ?raw (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhoe. (VT46:10) Note: a homophone means ”flesh, body”

rhovannor

wilderness

(?i throvannor or ?i rovannor – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10)

loth

noun. inflorescence

lot(h)

root. flower

This root and ones like it were connected to flowers for all of Tolkien’s life. The earliest manifestation of this root was ᴱ√LOHO or ᴱ√LO’O from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s; the entry for ᴱ√LOHO appears immediately below ᴱ√LO’O, and Tolkien indicates they are related roots, both extended from ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/55). These roots include derivatives like ᴱQ. lōte “flower”, ᴱQ. lotōrea “flourishing” and ᴱQ. lokta- “sprout, bud, put forth leaves or flowers”. There are also derivatives of these roots in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. lost “blossom, bloom”, G. lothli “floret”, G. luitha- “to bloom” (GL/54-55), though G. lôs “flower” was said to be unrelated, connected to G. lass “leaf” instead (GL/55). ᴱQ. losse “rose” probably had a similar derivation (QL/56).

This confusion of √LOT(H) and √LOS carried forward into Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LOT(H) was given as the root for “flower” (Ety/LOT(H)), but this entry originally included a variant ᴹ√LOS (EtyAC/LOT(H)). Tolkien then said ᴹQ. losse “blossom” (< ᴹ√LOT(H)) was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H)), where ᴹQ. olosse was derived from ᴹ√GOLOS “✱snow, white” (Ety/GOLÓS). This intermingling carried forward into etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said (PE17/26):

> The stems √LŎS, √LOTH, √LOT are much entangled both for formal reasons, and because of actual associations of meaning (probably from beginning of Primitive Quendian and explaining the approach of the forms). Quenya word for “flower, a single bloom” is lóte, but S loth (< lotho/a), but Quenya also has lōs. Q. for snow is losse (S los).

These associations were also mentioned in etymological notes on roots for flowers from this same period, where Tolkien clarified that √LOT, √LOTH were the roots for “flower” and √LOS for “snow” (PE17/160-161). These roots were mentioned again in notes associated with The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from the late 1960s (VT42/18):

> S. loss is a derivative of (G)LOS “white”; but loth is from LOT. Sindarin used loss as a noun, but the strengthened form gloss as an adjective “(dazzling) white”. loth was the only derivative of LOT that it retained, probably because other forms of the stem assumed a phonetic shape that seemed inappropriate, or were confusible with other stems (such as LUT “float”), e.g. ✱lod, ✱lûd. loth is from a diminutive lotse and probably also from derivative lotta-.

In this last note, Tolkien seems to have abandoned √LOTH, explaining S. loth “flower” as derived from √LOT via ✱lotse. In any case, starting in the 1930s Tolkien was consistent that the roots for “flower” and “snow” were distinct but often confused, and that snow-words were derived from roots like √(G)LOS and flower words from roots like √LOT(H), though he waffled a bit on the exact details.

lotho/a

noun. flower

lotse

noun. flower

galab

root. flower

galmā

noun. flower

lossē

noun. snow

roban

noun. wilderness

sris

root. snow

An apparently verbal root as √SRIS “snow” appearing in etymological notes from around 1959 with derivatives like Q. hrisse “fall of snow” and Q. hríza “it is snowing”; it replaced a deleted root √SRITH “snow” (PE17/168).

srith

root. snow

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

lothlórien

place name. Lothlórien

lothren

adjective. wild, waste

lothod

noun. (single) flower

lothron

noun. May, *Flower-ness

lhothod

noun. single flower

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

gwaloth

noun. blossom, collection of flowers

This form replaced deleted goloth in the manuscript of The Etymologies, see VT/45:29. The deleted form is however also later attested in VT/42:18

lhothlann

place name. Empty and Wide

lhoss

noun. wilderness

Eru

noun. waste, desert

braig

adjective. wild, fierce

The form brerg in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/45:34

breig

adjective. wild, fierce

The form brerg in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/45:34

dannen

noun. fallen

dannen

adjective. fallen

losgar

place name. Losgar

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

rhaw

adjective. wild, untamed

Meaning rectified according to VT/46:10

rhofan

noun. wilderness

rhofan

noun. wilderness

rhofannor

place name. Wilderness

asta

month

asta (1) noun "month", a division of the year (VT42:20). Pl. astar is attested (Appendix D). According to VT48:11, the basic meaning of asta is "division, a part", especially one of other equal parts: "of the year, a month or period". According to VT48:19, asta is also used in Quenya as a group suffix (see quentasta).

lós

flower

lós (þ?) noun "flower" (PE17:26). If this is to be the cognate of Sindarin loth, as the source suggests, the older Quenya form would be *lóþ.

lótë

flower

lótë noun "flower", mostly applied to larger single flowers (LOT(H), LT1:259, VT42:18). (The shorter form -lot occurs in compounds, e.g. fúmellot, q.v.) In the names Ninquelóte *"White-flower" (= Nimloth), Vingilótë "Foam-flower", the name of Eärendil's ship (SA:loth), also in Lótessë fifth month of the year, "May" (Appendix D). See also olótë, lotsë.

Calainis

may

Calainis _("k")_noun "May" (LT1:252, 254; in Tolkien's later Quenya Lótessë)

Lórien

lórien

Lórien (from lor-, q.v.), place-name also used as the name of a Vala, properly the place where he dwells, whereas his real name is Irmo (WJ:402, LOS (ÓLOS, SPAN) ). Alternative forms Lorien (with a short o) and Lorion, MR:144.

alalbë

noun. inflorescence

alalmë

inflorescence

alalmë (1) noun "inflorescence" (PE17:153), cf. alma #2.

alalmë

noun. inflorescence

A word appearing as {alalbe >>} alalme “inflorescence” in notes from around 1959, derived from √GAL (PE17/153). Compare this to [ᴹQ./ᴱQ.] alalme “elm” from The Etymologies of the 1930s and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (Ety/ÁLAM; QL/29); in the 1959 notes Tolkien decided “elm” was albe.

Neo-Quenya: In these 1959 notes, the root √GAL had a connection to flowers seen nowhere else; see alma “flower” for discussion. As such, I think this “inflorescence” word was a transient idea, and I would use other words like lós and olos “inflorescence” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

alba

noun. flower

alma

flower

alma (2) "flower" (PE17:153), said to be the "usual Quenya word" or "general Quenya word" (i.e. for flower), but its coexistence with #1 is problematic. Compare lós, lótë, lotsë, indil.

alma

noun. flower

A word for “flower” derived from primitive ✶galmā in notes on flowers in the same bundle containing Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 (PE17/153). Initially Tolkien said alma meant both “a blessed thing and a flower”, then said that Q. almë was “a blessed thing” and alba was “flower” (< √GAL-AB), before saying that alma was “flower”. Tolkien implied that alma was a usual or general word for “flower” in Quenya. These same notes also said the word alda < ✶galadā was used mainly of flowering trees. It seems in this instance Tolkien connected the root √GAL (normally just “grow, flourish”) specifically to flowers, giving it the gloss “bloom” along with other glosses like “grow, flourish, be vigorous”.

Neo-Quenya: Elsewhere alda was the general word for a “tree” and √GAL had no special connection to flowers. I think alma as a “flower” word was a transient idea. I would use lótë “flower” instead for purposes of Neo-Quenya, since it is much better established.

fauta-

to snow

fauta- vb. *"to snow" (actually glossed fauta = "it snows") (GL:35)

hriz-

to snow

#hriz- vb. "to snow", impersonal, given in the form hríza "it is snowing". Normally z would turn to r in Exilic Quenya, but since two r's close to one another were disliked, it may be that hriz- became *hris- instead (compare razë "sticks out" becoming rasë instead of **rarë, PE19:73) Past tense hrinsë (with s from the original root SRIS) and another form which the editor tentatively reads as hrissë (the development ns > ss is regular). (PE17:168)

hráva

wild

hráva adj. "wild" (PE17:78); see ráva #1.

insil

noun. flower

TQ. flower, lily

insil

noun. flower, lily

lossë

blossom

lossë (2) noun "blossom" ("usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom") (LOT(H) )

lóte

noun. flower

merca

wild, untamed

[merca ("k")adj. "wild, untamed" (MERÉK, VT45:34)] Compare verca.

ravanda

wilderness

?ravanda noun?, a form cited by Tolkien to elucidate the Noldorin word rhofan "wilderness"; it is not clear whether ravanda is meant as a Quenya cognate or just as an etymological (Old Noldorin?) form (VT46:10)

verca

wild

verca ("k")adj. "wild" (BERÉK)

hravanda

noun. wilderness

lantanwa

adjective. fallen

lotella

noun. floret

luttalan

noun. raft, (lit.) floating platform

A neologism for a “raft” coined by Luinyelle on 2023-05-30 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of √LUT “float” and talan “platform”, hence literally “floating platform”.

inzil

noun. flower, lily

A noun meaning “flower” or more specifically “lily” (PE19/99). It appears as an element in Adûnaic names from the 1940s (Rôthinzil, SD/360) and later (Inziladûn, LotR/1035).