rem

root. entangle, snare, trap

A root appearing with forms √REB and √REM in notes from 1969 (VT42/12), first appearing as √REB alone (VT42/29 note #28). It was glossed “entangle, snare, trap (as hunters or fishers) with lines or nets” and had derivatives like Q. remi “snare”, Q. rembë/S. rem(m) “net (for catching)”, and Q. rembina/S. remmen “entangled”. The last of these appeared as an element in a couple words in The Lord of the Rings: S. galadhremmin “tree-meshed” or “tree-woven” (LotR/238, 1115; PE17/136) and S. Remmirath “Netted Stars” or “Netted Jewels” (LotR/81; PE17/24). Most of this root’s derivatives are from strengthened remb-, but the forms Q. remi and Q. remma “snare” can only be derived from √REM (VT42/12).

rembinā

adjective. meshed, netted, woven

reth

root. remain in same place

A root appearing in a list of Sindarin words placed with Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, given as √REÞ or √RES “remain in same place, hence be unmoved, patient”. It had the derivatives S. andreth “patience”, which appeared elsewhere as the name of a Bëorian woman (MR/305), and S. Arodreth “Noble Endurance”, a name appearing nowhere else. The variant √RES may have been intended to be the Quenya form.

rēnē

noun. remembrance

res

root. remain in same place

stel

root. remain firm

A root from etymological notes for the name S. Ecthelion, where it also served as the basis for words like Q. estel/S. estel “hope” and S. thel- “intend, mean, purpose, resolve, will” (WJ/318-319), possibly also connected to ᴹQ. tel- “intend” from the 1940s with meaning similar to later S. thel- (PE22/99). The root √STEL may have replaced unglossed ᴹ√STELEG from The Etymologies of the 1930s which likewise served as the basis for the name N. Ecthelion, but had derivatives like N. thela “point (of spear)” (Ety/STELEG). All of these were rather torturous attempts by Tolkien to preserve the early Gnomish name G. Ecthelion “Lord of the Fountain” (GL/31), which no longer fit Noldorin or Sindarin phonology, since G. ecthel “fountain” >> N./S. eithel.

minity

root. remind

kyaw-

verb. to taste

ezdē

noun. rest

khā

adverb. far

kiris

root. cleave, cleave, [ᴹ√] cut, [ᴱ√] split

mbar-

verb. to dwell

raika

adjective. crooked

ras

root. horn, horn; [ᴹ√] stick up

This root first appeared as ᴹ√RAS “stick up (intr.)” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. rasse and N. rhas or rhasg “horn (especially on living animal, but also applied to mountains)” (Ety/RAS; EtyAC/RAS). It reappeared as ᴹ√RASA “stick up” on an rejected page of roots in the Quenya Verbal System from the 1940s (PE22/127). Finally, √RAS “horn” appeared in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure of the early 1950s, but that was merely the last appearance of the root in Tolkien’s published writings. Q. rassë and S. rass “horn” continued to appear regularly as an element in mountain names in the 1950s and 60s.

rass

noun. horn

reb

root. entangle, snare, trap

sed

root. rest

This root first appeared as ᴹ√SED “rest” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. sére “rest, repose, peace” and N. sîdh “peace”, along with the name of the Valië ᴹQ. Este < ᴹ✶ezdē (Ety/SED). The root √SED “rest” along with the etymology of Este reappeared in both the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) from the 1930s (PE19/45) and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s (PE19/92), and again in revisions to the OP2 page annotated in green ink and thus probably from 1970 (PE19/91 and note #110).

The root √SED “rest” was mentioned a couple times in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s as the basis for the verb ᴹQ. ser- “rest, repose” (PE22/102, 125) and again (unglossed) in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 as the basis for Este (WJ/403). In the sense “peace” this root had some competition, however. In the first version of the Gloria in Excelsis Deo prayer from the mid-1960s, Tolkien used Q. sívë for “peace”, revised to Q. sérë in the second version and then Q. rainë (VT44/32). The word Q. sívë “peace” reappeared in unpublished etymological notes from 1969 derived from the root √SIB “rest, quiet” (VT44/35).

Neo-Eldarin: For purpose of Neo-Eldarin, I would use √SED for the act of resting and so Q. sérë “peace” = “restfulness (personal peace)”, and would use √SIB = “quiet, ✱stillness, absence of activity” and so Q. sívë “peace” = “absence of activity or violence (environmental peace)”. I would use Q. rainë as “good will” in connection to √RAY “smile”.

tar

root. stand

The root √TAR appeared unglossed in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 as the basis for Q. tára “tall, high” (WJ/417), a word that elsewhere was derived from √TĀ/TAƷ “high” (Ety/TĀ; PE17/186). The root √TAR was glossed “stand” along with derivative tāra “tall” in rough notes on the back of a discussion of the comparitive from around 1967 (PE17/186). The past tense for Q. tarne “stood” appears in other notes from this period, along with Q. astarindo, artarindo or astarmo “bystander” (PE17/70-71). √TAR “stand” seems to be a later iteration of ᴹ√THAR “stand” from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s; of this earlier root Tolkien said it “is only used [in describing the location of things] — except, of course, with reference to persons or animals when they are noted especially as ‘standing’ (not sitting or lying) — of mountains, high hills, towers, pillars” (PE22/126).

tollă

noun. island

swar

root. crooked