riy

root. *scatter, [ᴱ√] scatter

This root first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√RIẎI “scatter” (gloss marked with a “?” by Tolkien) with derivatives like ᴱQ. ríma “line of seeds planted, row, series, furrow”, ᴱQ. rísima “scattered, ubiquitous, universal”, and ᴱQ. rista “shoot (sowing), plant, seedling” (QL/80). Tolkien also linked it to the root ᴱ√ORO⁽⁾, which he said could be analyzed as o- (“over”) + RIẎI; that root had derivatives like ᴱQ. ore (ori-) “seed, grain” and ᴱQ. orya- “sow” (QL/70). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien gave the root form ᴹ√RĪI̯ as the basis for ᴹQ. rí “reed, grass-stem” (PE21/38). There are no signs of this root thereafter.

Neo-Eldarin: In later writings, ᴹ√RED seems to be the basis for “scatter, sow” (PE19/91, Ety/RED), but I think it might be worth retaining the root √RIY as the basis for random scattering as opposed to intentionally scattering for purposes of planting = √RED. In theory ᴹ√RIY would conflict with ᴹ√RĪ “✱edge” (Ety/RĪ), but Tolkien revised that root to ᴹ√SRI.

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. rí “reed, grass-stem” ✧ PE21/38
• ᴺQ. ríma “line of seeds planted, row, series, furrow”
• ᴺQ. rína “scattered, sown”
• ᴺQ. rísima “scattered, ubiquitous, universal”
• ᴺQ. rísimandë “passim [Latin]; *scatteredly, here and there, at random”

Element in

• ᴺQ. ori “grain, seed”

Variations

• RĪI̯ ✧ PE21/38