rain

noun. erratic wandering

Cognates

• Q. ranya “erratic wandering, erratic wandering; [ᴹQ.] free” ✧ VT42/12; VT42/13

Derivations

• √RAN “wander, stray, meander, go on an uncertain course, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen); err” ✧ UT/242; VT42/12; VT42/13

Element in

• S. Gilrain “*Wandering Star” ✧ UT/242; VT42/12; VT42/13

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ran- > rain	[ranja] > [rania] > [renia] > [reni] > [rein] > [rain]	✧ UT/242
√RAN > -rain	[ranja] > [rania] > [renia] > [reni] > [rein] > [rain]	✧ VT42/12
√RAN > rein > rain	[ranja] > [rania] > [renia] > [reni] > [rein] > [rain]	✧ VT42/13

Variations

• -rain ✧ VT42/12

rain

noun. erratic wandering

rain

noun. border

lain

adjective. free, freed

rein

noun. erratic wandering

edrain

noun. border

rain

adjective. free, *unconstrained

rain

free

rain (wandering, erratic). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border” (VT46:10; suggested Sindarin form of ” Noldorin” rhain)

rain

wandering

rain (erratic, free). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border”. (VT46:10)

rain

border

(noun) rain; no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rain). Note: the adj. ”erratic, wandering” is a homophone of rain.

rain

border

; no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rain). Note: the adj. ”erratic, wandering” is a homophone of rain.

rain

erratic

rain (wandering, free). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border”. (VT46:10)

rain

noun. border

Element in

• ᴺS. edrain “*(outer) border”

rain

wandering

(erratic, free). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border”. (VT46:10)

rain

erratic

(wandering, free). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border”. (VT46:10)

rain

free

(wandering, erratic). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border” *(VT46:10; suggested Sindarin form of ” Noldorin” rhain)*

ross

noun. rain

ross

noun. rain; spindrift, spray, foam, rain; spray, spindrift, foam

The best known Sindarin word for “rain” (MR/155; Ety/ROS¹), also used for “spindrift, spray” (PM/368) and “foam” (PE17/121), derived from the root √ROS (PM/368).

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor to this word may be G. {nôs >>} G. noss or noth “rain” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/60), likely derived from the early root ᴱ√NOSO or ᴱ√NOTO which had Qenya derivatives of similar meaning (QL/67). The Etymologies of the 1930s instead had N. rhoss “rain” derived from the root ᴹ√ROS “distil, drip” (Ety/ROS¹), as seen in names from this period such as N. Celebros “Silver-rain” (Ety/ROS¹; LR/140), N. Silivros “Glimmering Rain” (Ety/ROS¹; LR/210), and N. Rauros “Rush-rain, Roar-rain” (TI/285).

In later writings Tolkien began to translate S. ross as “foam”, in names like S. Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” (LotR/1115; PM/371), S. Elros “Star-foam” (PM/349; Let/448) and S. Celebros “Foam-silver” (WJ/151). This word and its root gave Tolkien considerable difficulty, and in a 1968 essay labeled The Problem of Ros (PM/367-371), Tolkien first gave their meaning as “spray, spindrift”, but then explored the possibility that they were instead loan words from Bëorian. However, he was forced to abandon this line of reasoning when he remembered that S. Andros “Long-foam” has appeared in The Lord of the Rings appendices as a Sindarin word.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use the noun ross mainly with the sense “rain”. I would use gwing for “foam, spindrift”. However, to preserve words like Cair Andros, I would also allow the use of ross for any more or less continuous “spray of water”, such as with waterfalls as indicated by the name Rauros “Roaring Spray” (RC/327).

Derivations

• ✶rossē “dew, spray (of fall or fountain)”
  • √ROS “spindrift, spray, spindrift, spray; [ᴹ√] distil, drip”
• √ROS “spindrift, spray, spindrift, spray; [ᴹ√] distil, drip” ✧ PM/368

Element in

• S. Alphros
• S. Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” ✧ PM/371; SA/ros
• S. Celebros “Silver Foam, Silver Rain” ✧ SA/ros
• S. Elros “Star-foam” ✧ PM/368; PM/371; SA/ros
• S. Rauros “Roaring Spray” ✧ SA/ros
• ᴺS. rostaur “rainforest”
• S. Silivros “Sparkling Rain” ✧ MR/155

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ROS > ross-	[rosse] > [ross]	✧ PM/368

Variations

• ross ✧ PE17/121
• ross- ✧ PM/368; PM/368

lain

free, freed

; no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”thread”.

edrain

border

edrain (no distinct pl. form)

edrain

border

(no distinct pl. form)

eilia

rain

(vb.) eilia-, impersonal 3rd singular uil "it rains". (In ”Noldorin”, the impersonal form was "oeil" = öil, later eil.)

eilia

rain

impersonal 3rd singular uil "it rains". (In ”Noldorin”, the impersonal form was "oeil" = öil, later eil.)

ross

rain

ross (construct ros) (foam, 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”.

ross

rain

(construct ros) (foam, 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”.

nítha-

verb. to snow, hail, rain

Derivations

• √NIK(W) “(also of) snow, ice, snow, ice; *white”

uil-

verb. to rain

edinor

noun. anniversary day

limp

adjective. wet

loen

adjective. soaking wet, swamped

nîn

adjective. wet, watery

nîn

wet

_ adj. _wet. Q. nenya. >> Nindalf

adleitha

free

(i adleitha, in adleithar), also †adleg- (i adleg, in edlegir), pa.t. adlenc, pp. adlengen, pl. edlengin).

glosta-

verb. to snow

A neologism for “to snow” coined by Fiona Jallings, based on the root √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness”.

Derivations

• √(G)LOS “snow, whiteness”

glân

border

glân (i **lân, construct glan) (hem), pl. glain (in glain**) (VT42:8) Note: a homophone means ”white, claer”.

glân

border

(i ’lân, construct glan) (hem), pl. glain (in glain) (VT42:8) Note: a homophone means ”white, claer”.

leitha

set free

(i leitha, i leithar)

limp

adjective. wet

limp

wet

(no distinct pl. form).

loen

soaking wet

(swamped), no distinct pl. form.

mesc

wet

1) mesc (lenited vesc, pl. misc). Also spelt mesg. 2) limp (no distinct pl. form). 3)

mesc

wet

(lenited vesc, pl. misc). Also spelt mesg.

nîd

wet

nîd (damp, tearful); no distinct pl. form. 4) nîn (watery); no distinct pl. form. Note: nîn is also used as a noun ”tear”; there is also the possessive pronoun nín ”my”.

nîd

wet

(damp, tearful); no distinct pl. form. 4) nîn (watery); no distinct pl. form. Note: nîn is also used as a noun ”tear”; there is also the possessive pronoun nín ”my”.

rîw

border

*rîw (construct riw) (hem, edge), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rîw). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” rhîf.

rîw

border

(construct riw) (hem, edge), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rîw). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” rhîf.