(breaker), pl. felf, coll. pl. falvath
Quenya
falasta-
to foam
Sindarin
falf
foam
faltha
foam
(i faltha, i falthar)
gwing
foam
(i ’wing) (spindrift, spume, spray blown off wave-tops), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwing)
ross
foam
(construct ros) (rain, dew, spray [of fall or fountain]), pl. ryss (idh ryss) (Letters:282). Note: homophones mean ”reddish, russet, copper-coloured, red-haired” and also ”polished metal, glitter”
Primitive elvish
phal
root. foam, splash
This root was connected to Elvish words for foaming waves for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√FALA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. falas “shore, beach”, ᴱQ. falmar “wave as it breaks” and ᴱQ. falmo “foam” (QL/37). It had a similar set of derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. falm “a breaker, a wave” and G. falos “sea-marge, surf, coast, line, beach; margin, fringe, edge” (GL/33).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√PHAL “foam” with extended form ᴹ√PHÁLAS and derivatives like ᴹQ. falasse/N. falas “beach” and ᴹQ. falma/N. falf “(crested) wave, breaker” (Ety/PHAL). The root appeared a couple of times in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “foam” (PE17/62) and “splash” (PE17/73).
Derivatives
- ᴺQ. falarya- “to splash, foam”
- Q. falassë “(wave-beaten) shore, seashore, line of surf, (wave-beaten) shore, seashore, line of surf; [ᴹQ.] beach” ✧ PE17/062
- Q. falasta- “to foam, surge, to foam, surge, [ᴱQ.] make a sound like surf”
- Q. falma “(crested or foaming) wave, breaker, (crested or foaming) wave, breaker; [ᴱQ.] foam” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/073
- S. falas “beach, shore, strand, surf(line)” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/073
- ᴺS. felaich “splash”
- ᴺS. felechia- “to splash”
Element in
- Q.
Falarombar- S. faloth “large foamy wave”
Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!
Qenya
falle
noun. foam
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “foam” derived from the root ᴹ√PHAL of the same meaning (Ety/PHAL).
Derivations
- ᴹ√PHAL “foam” ✧ Ety/PHAL
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√PHAL/PHÁLAS > falle [pʰalle] > [ɸalle] > [falle] ✧ Ety/PHAL
Middle Primitive Elvish
phal
root. foam
Derivatives
- ᴹQ. falasse “beach” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- ᴹQ. falle “foam” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- ᴹQ. falma “(crested) wave” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- ᴹQ. falmar(in) “sea-spirit, nymph, sea-spirit, nymph, [ᴱQ.] sea-fay (male), spirit of the sea foam” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- N. falas “beach, shore” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- N. falf “foam, breaker, foam, breaker, [G.] wave” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- On. phalsa- “to foam” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- N. faltha- “to foam” ✧ Ety/PHAL
Element in
- ᴹQ. Falanyel “*Beach Singer” ✧ Ety/PHAL
- N. Men Falros “*Place of Splashing Foam”
- ᴹT. Fallinel “Teleri” ✧ Ety/NYEL; Ety/PHAL
Variations
- PHAL/PHÁLAS ✧ Ety/PHAL; Ety/SPAL
- PHAL/PHALAS ✧ EtyAC/SPAL
Gnomish
osp(a)
noun. foam
A noun “foam” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variants osp and ospa (GL/63), probably derived from the root ᴱ√Palas (QL/72).
Derivations
- ᴱ√PALAS “*foam, splash”
Element in
Variations
- osp ✧ GL/63
- ospa ✧ GL/63
Early Quenya
falmo
noun. foam
Derivations
- ᴱ√FALA “*foam, wave” ✧ LT1A/Falman; QL/037
Element in
- Eq. falmarin “sea-fay (male), spirit of the sea foam” ✧ LT1A/Falman
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√FALA > falmo [ɸalmō] > [ɸalmo] > [falmo] ✧ QL/037 Variations
- falma ✧ LT1A/Falman
hoiye
noun. foam
A noun in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s glossed “foam” (PE16/136). Its etymology is unclear.
uilosse
noun. foam
A (rejected) noun in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s glossed “foam” (PE16/139). Its etymology is unclear.
falasta- vb. "to foam", participle falastala "foaming, surging" in Markirya