ril

root. brilliant (light), brilliance, brilliant (light), brilliance, [ᴹ√] glitter

This root first appeared as ᴹ√RIL “glitter” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. rilma “glittering light” and ᴹQ. rilya “glittering” (Ety/RIL), along with an extended form ᴹ√MBIRIL “✱crystal” (Ety/MBIRIL). Its most notable derivative was ᴹQ. Silmaril = ᴹQ. silma + ᴹ√RIL, an etymology Tolkien more or less retained thereafter (with ᴹQ. silma >> Q. silima); in the period of the Lost Tales from the 1910s ᴱQ. Silmaril was connected instead to ᴱQ. marilla “pearl” (LT1A/Silmarilli; QL/59). The root √RIL was mentioned several times in Tolkien’s later writtings, mostly in connection to Q. Silmaril, but also Q. Andúril, S. Idril, and S. mithril, and the root was variously glossed “brilliance” (PE17/47), “brilliant” (PE17/112), and “brilliant light” (PM/363).

Element in

• Q. Andúril “Flame of the West” ✧ PE17/047; SA/ril
• Q. Itarillë “*Sparkling Brilliance” ✧ PE17/112; PE17/112; PM/363; SA/ril
• Q. Irildë “?Beloved Brilliance” ✧ PE17/112; PE17/112
• ᴺQ. laiquaril “emerald”
• ᴺQ. serciril “ruby, (lit.) blood-glitter”
• Q. Silmaril “Great Jewel” ✧ PE17/047; PE17/112; PM/363; SA/ril
• S. Idril ✧ PE17/112; PE17/112; PE17/112; SA/ril
• S. mithril “Moria-silver, true-silver” ✧ PE17/047; SA/ril

Variations

• ril ✧ PE17/047; SA/ril
• ril- ✧ PM/363