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.

cendë

point

cendë noun "point" (PE16:96)

cendë

noun. point

Element in

• Q. pirucendëa “on the point of her toes” ✧ PE16/096

Variations

• cende ✧ PE16/096

mentë

point, end

mentë noun "point, end" (MET)

nehta

spearhead

nehta (1) noun "spearhead", isolated from nernehta, q.v.

nehtë

angle

nehtë (1) noun "angle" (PE17:55), any formation or projection tapering to a point: a spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow promontory (UT:282). Variant neccë.

nehtë

noun. spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle

Cognates

• S. naith “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055; UT/282

Derivations

• ✶nektē “angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055
  • √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ PE17/055
• √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ UT/282

Element in

• Q. nernehta “man-spearhead” ✧ UT/282

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nek-tē > nehte	[nektē] > [nextē] > [nexte]	✧ PE17/055
✶nekte > nehte	[nekte] > [nexte]	✧ PE17/055
√nek > nehte	[nekte] > [nexte]	✧ UT/282

Variations

• nehte ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055; UT/282
• nekke ✧ PE17/055

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)

tilma

noun. point

ehtë

spear

ehtë (stem *ehti-, given the primitive form ekti) noun "spear" (EK/EKTE). Another word for "spear" is hatal.

mëar

gore

mëar noun "gore" (LT1:260)

hatal

noun. spear, spear, *javelin

Derivations

• ᴹ√KHAT “hurl, cast, send through air, loose from hand”

Element in

• Q. antanen hatal sena “I cast a spear at him” ✧ VT49/14

hatal

spear

hatal noun "spear" (VT49:14, 33). Another word for "spear" is ehtë.

neccë

angle

neccë ("k")noun "angle" (PE17:45). Variant of nehtë #1, q.v.

neccë

noun. angle

vennassë

noun. angle

Cognates

• N. bennas “angle”

mehar

noun. gore

Cognates

• ᴺS. mechor “gore”

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. MEKH “*gore”

naith

angle

_ n. _angle. Q. nehte. >> neith

naith

noun. any formation or projection tapering to a point: a spearhead, triangle gore, wedge, narrow promontory

naith

Naith

topon.

naith

place name. Gore, Triangle

Wedge of land in Lórien between the rivers Celebrant and Anduin, translated “Gore” (LotR/347) or “Triangle” (RC/307). It is simply naith “angle” used as a name (PE17/55). The part of this region where Elves dwelled was called Egladil of similar meaning (LotR/347).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Narthas “The Gore” (TI/288), a form that also appeared in a deleted entry in The Etymologies (EtyAC/NARTA). It was soon revised to N. Naith (TI/244), though at this stage the name was generally translated as “Angle” (TI/268, 280).

Elements

Word	Gloss
naith	“spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle”

naith

noun. spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle

Cognates

• Q. nehtë “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055; UT/282

Derivations

• ✶nektē “angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055
  • √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ PE17/055
• √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ UT/282

Element in

• S. dírnaith “wedge-shaped battle-formation, (lit.) man-spearhead” ✧ UT/282
• S. Naith “Gore, Triangle”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶nek-tē > naith	[nektē] > [nekte] > [nektʰe] > [nexθe] > [neiθe] > [neiθ] > [naiθ]	✧ PE17/055

neith

angle

_ n. _angle. Q. nehte. >> naith

-il

point

suff. point, ending. >> niphredil, til

aeg

noun. point

The adjective oeg "sharp, pointed, piercing" from Ety/349 is perhaps rejected: Tolkien later decided that no cognate of Quenya aica "fell, terrible, dire" was used in Sindarin, "though aeg would have been its form if it had occurred" (PM/347). On the other hand, we have words such as aeglos and aeglir , so there must be a noun aeg "point"

carch

noun. tooth, fang

til

point

n. point, ending. >> -il, niphredil

naith

spearhead

(gore, wedge, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form;

naith

point

(spearhead, gore, wedge, promontory); no distinct pl. form.

naith

gore

1) naith (spearhead, wedge, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form; 2) cên (i gên, o chên, construct cen) (wedge), pl. cîn (i chîn). Alternative sg. form cîn (i gîn, o chîn, construct cin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîn) (VT45:20)

naith

gore

(spearhead, wedge, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form

naith

spearhead

naith (gore, wedge, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form;

naith

wedge

1) naith (spearhead, gore, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form; 2) cên (i gên) (gore), pl. cîn (i chîn). Alternative form cîn (i gîn, o chîn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîn) (VT45:20) WEDGE-FORMATION, see MAN-SPEARHEAD: No general word for ”weed” is known, but cf.

naith

wedge

(spearhead, gore, point, promontory); no distinct pl. form

naith

Naith

The Sindarin word naith is glossed as "angle". The literal meaning was "spear-point", but over time it came to be used by the Elves for all manner of sharp or spear-like objects.[source?] Tolkien translates naith into English using the word gore (meaning "sharp point"), a very close equivalent. Just like naith, gore can describe any of a wide range of narrow or pointed items, though it is now so rarely used that many readers find it almost as obscure as its Elvish equivalent. Its etymology goes back in time to Old English gára (a word for a narrow triangular piece of land) so Haldir's translation is a very precise one.[source?]

naith

promontory

naith (spearhead, gore, wedge, point); no distinct pl. form.

naith

promontory

(spearhead, gore, wedge, point); no distinct pl. form.

aith

point of spear, spear point

(no distinct pl. form)

nasta

point

(verb) nasta- (i nasta, in nastar) (prick, stick, thrust)

nasta

point

(i nasta, in nastar) (prick, stick, thrust)

ment

point

(at the end of a thing) ment (i vent), pl. mint (i mint), coll. pl. mennath.

ment

point

(i vent), pl. mint (i mint), coll. pl. mennath**. **

naes

tooth

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

nass

point

(sharp end, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais.

nass

angle

(sharp end, point, corner), construct nas, pl. nais

aeg

point

1) aeg (peak, thorn). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing". 2) naith (spearhead, gore, wedge, promontory); no distinct pl. form. 3) nass (sharp end, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais. 4)

aeg

point

(peak, thorn). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as adj. "sharp, pointed, piercing".

carch

tooth

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

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**).

nagol

tooth

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

nêl

tooth

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

thela

point of spear, spear point

(-thel), pl. ?thili

thela

spear point

(-thel), pl. ?thili, 3) aith; no distinct pl. form.

till

point

till (i dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (spike, tine, sharp horn, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thill). Archaic †tild. 5)

till

point

(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds) (spike, tine, sharp horn, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild. 5)

ecthel

point of spear, spear point

(pl. ecthil), literally "thorn point&quot

ecthel

spear point

(pl. ecthil), literally "thorn point”

bennas

angle

1) bennas (i vennas), pl. bennais (i mennais), coll. pl. bennassath, 2) nass (sharp end, point, corner), construct nas, pl. nais

bennas

angle

(i vennas), pl. bennais (i mennais), coll. pl. bennassath

rafn

extended point at the side

(wing, horn), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

cên

gore

(i gên, o chên, construct cen) (wedge), pl. cîn (i chîn). Alternative sg. form cîn (i gîn, o chîn, construct cin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîn)  (VT45:20)

cên

wedge

(i gên) (gore), pl. cîn (i chîn). Alternative form cîn (i gîn, o chîn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîn) (VT45:20)

hadron

hurler of spears or darts

(i chadron, o chadron), pl. hedryn (i chedryn), coll. pl. hadronnath

mechor

noun. gore

Cognates

• ᴺQ. mehar “gore”

Derivations

• ᴺ✶. MEKH “*gore”

snǣs

noun. spear-head, point, gore, triangle

Original form not entirely clear; the stem is SNAS/SNAT (LR:387), not defined but evidently to be understood as a strengthened form of NAS "point, sharp end" (LR:374). A primitive plural form natsai is mentioned under SNAS/SNAT; snǣs may derive from something like snatsâ via snats, *snas. The shift of original a to long ǣ (presumably the same vowel as in English cat, but longer) is found in this word only, but there are several examples of e from a, see spenna, scella. Perhaps a became ǣ in stressed monosyllables where there was no following consonant cluster (as in nand).

nektē

noun. angle

Derivations

• √NEK “narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp” ✧ PE17/055

Derivatives

• Q. nehtë “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055
• S. naith “spearhead, gore, wedge, narrow prominitory; angle” ✧ PE17/055; PE17/055

Variations

• nek-tē ✧ PE17/055
• nekte ✧ PE17/055

nelek

root. tooth

Derivatives

• At. nele “tooth” ✧ PE21/71

Variations

• nelek ✧ PE21/71

naith

noun. gore

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nasta “spear-head, spear-point, gore, triangle” ✧ Ety/SNAS

Derivations

• ᴹ✶natsai ✧ Ety/SNAS
  • ᴹ√SNAS “*gore, triangle” ✧ Ety/SNAS

Element in

• N. Naith “Angle”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶natsai > naith	[snatsai] > [snatsī] > [snatsi] > [n̥atsi] > [n̥aθθi] > [n̥eθθi] > [n̥eiθθ] > [n̥aiθθ] > [naiθθ] > [naiθ]	✧ Ety/SNAS

naith

place name. Angle

Elements

Word	Gloss
naith	“gore”

naith

noun. any formation or projection tapering to a point: a spearhead, triangle gore, wedge, narrow promontory

naglath

noun. the teeth

ment

noun. point

ment

noun. point

Cognates

• ᴹQ. mente “point, end, point, end; [ᴱQ.] peak, tip” ✧ Ety/MET

Derivations

• ᴹ√MET “end” ✧ Ety/MET

Element in

• N. Mornvenniath “Black Mountains”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MET > ment	[mente] > [mentʰe] > [menθe] > [menθ] > [ment]	✧ Ety/MET

naes

noun. tooth

Derivations

• ᴹ✶nakse “tooth” ✧ EtyAC/NAK
  • ᴹ√NAK “bite” ✧ EtyAC/NAK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶nakse > naes	[nakse] > [naksa] > [naxsa] > [naisa] > [nais] > [naes]	✧ EtyAC/NAK

nass

noun. point, (sharp) end

nass

noun. angle or corner

carch

noun. tooth, fang

egnas

noun. sharp point

egnas

noun. peak

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.

Derivations

• ᴹ√NAK “bite”

Element in

• N. Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” ✧ WR/137
• N. Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/122 (Naglath Morn)

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.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

• On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

• N. Neleglos “White Tooth” ✧ WR/106
• N. Neleg Thilim “Gleaming Tooth” ✧ WR/106
• N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/113

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. neleki > neleg	[nelek] > [neleg]	✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Variations

• Neleg ✧ WR/106

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.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. nelet “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

Derivations

• On. nele “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK
  • ᴹ√NELEK “tooth” ✧ Ety/NÉL-EK; PE21/56

Element in

• ᴺS. molnel “molar”
• ᴺS. nagnel “incisor (tooth)”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. nele > nêl	[nele] > [nel] > [nēl]	✧ Ety/NÉL-EK

thela

noun. point (of spear)

bennas

noun. angle, corner

bennas

noun. angle

Cognates

• ᴺQ. vennassë “angle”

Variations

• Bennas ✧ TI/238; TII/Bennas

ecthel

noun. point (of spear)

egthel

noun. point (of spear)