ritha-

verb. to try, strive

A verb for “to strive, ✱try” based on the root √RIK in notes from the 1960s (PE17/167). As suggested by Christopher Gilson, this appears to be a draft of Tolkien’s attempt to define the phrase “try harder” in Quenya (ultimately á ricë amrícië). This Sindarin verb has a number of difficult-to-interpret forms. The base verb was given as {reitha >>} raitha, cognate to Q. rihta and thus probably derived from ✶riktā-. However the expected result of primitive ✶riktā- would be S. rítha- or ritha- because of how spirants vocalized and became vowels, so that [ikt] > [ixθ] > [īθ] > [iθ]; compare [N.] critha- “reap” < ᴹ✶k’rikta- (Ety/KIRIK).

Indeed, Tolkien gave several inflicted forms of this verb, all showing ritha-: rithant, rithas, rithessin, rithanen, apparently various transitive and intransitive past forms. Perhaps the uninflected verb form {reitha >>} raitha indicates some kind of a-affection occurring only in the uninflected verb form: [-ikta] > [-ixθa] > [-exθa] > [-eiθa], but if so the expected result would be the deleted {reitha} and not raitha, since [[s|[ei] > [ai] only in final syllables]] in Sindarin.

Neo-Sindarin: Given the rather tenuous nature of this verb, various Neo-Sindarin alternatives have been proposed, including ᴺS. rítha- by Elaran and ᴺS. rig- by myself [Paul Strack] as a direct cognate of Q. ric- “try”. However, I have gradually become more comfortable using S. ritha- as given by Tolkien, since I retain the use of some similarly derived Noldorin verbs such as [N.] critha- “reap” and ᴺS. ritha- “jerk, twitch, snatch” [from N. rhitha-].

ritha-

verb. to jerk, twitch, snatch

raitha-

verb. to try, strive

reitha-

verb. to try, strive

ritha-

verb. to jerk, twitch, snatch

rítha-

verb. to try, strive

ritha

jerk

(verb) ritha- (twitch, snatch) (i ritha, idh rithar)

ritha

twitch

(verb) ritha- (jerk, snatch) (i ritha, idh rithar)

ritha

snatch

ritha- (twitch, jerk) (i ritha, idh rithar)

ritha

jerk

(twitch, snatch) (i ritha, idh rithar)

ritha

twitch

(jerk, snatch) (i ritha, idh rithar)

ritha

snatch

(twitch, jerk) (i ritha, idh rithar)

rinc

jerk

(noun) rinc (twitch, trick, sudden move), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rinc); coll. pl. ringath.

rinc

twitch

(noun) rinc (jerk, trick, sudden move), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rinc), coll. pl. ringath.

rinc

noun. twitch, jerk, trick, sudden move

rig-

verb. to try, strive

rinc

jerk

(twitch, trick, sudden move), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rinc); coll. pl. ringath.

rinc

twitch

(jerk, trick, sudden move), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rinc), coll. pl. ringath.