riss

noun. cleft; cleft, cloven, separate, cleft, [N.] ravine; cleft, cloven, separate

A noun for “cleft” appearing as the final element of the name Imladris “Rivendell” = “Deep Dale of the Cleft” (RC/774) or “Canyon of the Cleft” (VT47/14).

Conceptual Development: This noun first appeared as N. rhis or rhess “a ravine” derived from primitive ᴹ✶risse- under the root ᴹ√RIS (Ety/RIS²). The variant form rhess indicates some kind a-affection, perhaps because final e became a after s, though usually a double ss preserved e. In the 1940s and later Tolkien sometimes gave the name of Rivendell as Imladris(t), indicating a final element rist (TI/120; RC/774), but normally an -st does not reduce at the end of Sindarin words: compare Angrenost and Eglarest. In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien gave the form as riss < ✶rinsa, an adjective meaning “cleft, cloven, separate” (PE17/87), but here the expected a-affection is absent.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin I would assume the noun form is riss “cleft”, and the adjective form is ᴺS. ress “cleft, cloven, separate” with the usual a-affection.

riss

adjective. cleft

_ adj. _cleft, cloven, separate. Q. rista, risse, rinse. >> Imladris

riss

noun. ravine

criss

noun. cleft, cleft, [N.] cut, slash, [G.] gash; [N.] pass, [G.] gully, ravine

A word for a “cleft, cut, slash” (PE21/81; Ety/KIRIS) derived from √KIRIS, a blend of the roots √KIR and √RIS (PE17/87).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it was probably already a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KIRISI as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/27; LT2A/Cris Ilbranteloth). In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien gave cris with the definition “a cleft, ravine, or narrow way of waters with high walls” (PE15/21), and in this period it typically appeared in this shorter form within names like G. Cris Ilbranteloth or G. Cris Thorn.

N. criss appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cleft, cut, slash” under the root ᴹ√KIRIS “cut” (Ety/KIRIS). It also appeared under the root ᴹ√KIR with the gloss “cleft, pass”, but this instance was deleted (EtyAC/KIR). S. criss “cleft” was mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure (EVS2) from the early 1950s as derived from primitive ✶kirissi (PE21/80-81), and it was mentioned as a blending of roots in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s as described above (PE17/87). Its use in names diminished over time, however, the only remnant in the final version of The Silmarillion being S. Crissaegrim (S/121).

Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems this word was principally used as for a “cleft, cut, slash” independent of geography. I would assume the same is true for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since criss is used only in a single geographic name in Tolkien’s later writings; S. cirith was use more broadly in geographic features. I would also assume it was a larger and more violent cut (a “gash” or “slash”) compared to S. rest for simple cuts.

riss

ravine

(construct ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh riss)****

ress

ravine

(construct res), pl. riss (idh riss)

rist

cleft

(noun) 1) rist (-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”, 2) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 3) cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”. 4) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”, 5) rest (ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 6) (deep cleft) falch (ravine[?]), pl. felch

rist

cleft

(-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”

criss

cleft

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”

criss

cut

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

iaw

ravine

1) iaw (cleft, gulf), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”. 2) ress (construct res), pl. riss (idh riss), 3) rest (cleft, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 4) riss (construct ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh riss)

Rest

cut

(noun) 1) rest (ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist), 2) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cleft, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss)

rîs

queen

1) rîs, no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath; 2) rían (”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain); 3) bereth (i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith), 4) ríen (crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.

rîs

queen

no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath

Rest

noun. cut

bereth

noun. queen, spouse

cirith

noun. cleft, high climbing pass, narrow passage cut through earth or rock, ravine, defile

falch

noun. deep cleft, ravine

lisg

noun. reed, reed, [G.] sedge

A word appearing as an element in the name Lisgardh “Land of Reeds” (UT/34).

Conceptual Development: An earlier version of this name was G. Arlisgion or Garlisgion “Place of Reeds” (LT2/153; GL/67), which contained G. lisg or lisc “reed, sedge” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54). This became ᴱN. lhesg “sedge” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/148).

rista-

verb. to cut

rista-

verb. to rend, rip

rían

noun. queen, queen, *(lit.) crowned-lady

rîs

noun. queen

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

bereth

queen

(i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith)

cirith

cleft

(i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cîl

cleft

(i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”.

falch

cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch

falch

ravine

(deep cleft), pl. felch

iaw

ravine

(cleft, gulf), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”.

lisc

reed

lisc, no distinct pl. form.

lisc

reed

no distinct pl. form.****

rest

cleft

(ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)

rest

ravine

(cleft, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)

rest

cut

(ravine, cleft), pl. rist (idh rist)

rían

queen

(”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain)

ríen

queen

(crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” =  ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.

rîs

noun. queen

thanc

cleft

(adj.) thanc (forked, split), pl. thainc

thanc

cleft

(forked, split), pl. thainc

rissë

cut

rissë noun? The word is not clearly glossed but apparently means "cut" or "cleft" (ravine), the cognate of the final element of Imladris, Sindarin name of Rivendell. (PE17:87)

tári

queen

tári noun "queen", used especially of Varda (TĀ/TA3, LT1:264), etymologically "she that is high" (SA:tar). Dative tárin in the Elaine inscription (VT49:40), genitive tário in Namárië. Elentári "Starqueen", a title of Varda. (Nam, RGEO:67). Tarinya "my queen" (UT:179; sic, not *tárinya). Táris or tárissë "queenship" (PE17:155)

ciris

cleft, crack

ciris _("k")_noun "cleft, crack" (LT2:337 - obsoleted by cirissë?)

rista-

verb. *to cut, [ᴹQ.] to cut

A verb appearing as ᴹQ. rista- “cut” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√RIS “slash, rip” (Ety/RIS).

A similar set of forms “rista & risse, rinse” appeared in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s derived from √RIS “cut” as part of a discussion of the etymology of S. Imladris (PE17/87). These could be various noun or adjective forms, equivalent to the final element of Imladris, but in that note Tolkien said that Sindarin element was derived from primitive ✶rinsa “cleft, cloven, separate”. Therefore, I think these Quenya forms might instead be a formative or causative verb rista- “✱to cut” with strong pasts risse or rinse.

Neo-Quenya: Given the uncertain nature of the forms from WP, I would assume rista- is (or became) an ordinary weak verb for purposes of Neo-Quenya, with a past form ✱ristane. Given the meaning of its 1930s root (“slash, rip”), I would further assume its connotation is “cut [into]” as opposed to Q. cir- “cut completely, cut apart”.

falqua

cleft, mountain pass, ravine

falqua ("q") noun "cleft, mountain pass, ravine" (LT2:341)

fen

reed

fen (feng-) noun "reed" (QL:38, stem feng- also in GL:34).

hyatsë

cleft, gash

hyatsë noun "cleft, gash" (SYAD), apparently changed by Tolkien from hyassë (VT46:16)

liscë

reed, sedge

liscë _("k")_noun "reed, sedge" (LT2:335)

rista

cut

rista (2) noun "cut" (RIS), cf. #1 above.

sanca

cleft, split

sanca (þ) ("k") noun? (or adj, or both?) "cleft, split" (STAK)

turinqui

queen

turinqui ("q") noun "queen" (LT1:260; apparently the fem. of tur. In Tolkien's later Quenya, "queen" is tári.)

tári

noun. queen, queen, [ᴱQ.] mistress, lady

varni

queen

varni noun "queen" (LT1:273; rather tári in Tolkien's later Quenya)

yáwë

ravine, cleft, gulf

yáwë noun "ravine, cleft, gulf" (YAG; according to VT46:22, the last gloss should perhaps be read as "gully" instead)

rianna

noun. queen

rhis

noun. ravine

rhis

noun. ravine

criss

noun. cleft, cut, slash

rhest

noun. cut

bereth

noun. queen, spouse

bereth

noun. queen

cîl

noun. cleft, pass between hills, gorge

iau

noun. ravine, cleft, gulf

osgar-

verb. to cut round, to amputate

rhess

noun. ravine

rhess

noun. ravine

rhest

noun. cut

rhista-

verb. to cut

rhista-

verb. to rend, rip

rhîs

noun. queen

rhîs

noun. queen

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

kirissi

noun. cleft

barathī

noun. queen