sē

root. ‽

sere

root. SERE

sehe

root. *see

seke

root. mid

A root form indicated in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s by an element in primitive ᴱ✶sek’·ðana “midday” > G. saidhon “noon” (GL/66), with further derivatives like G. seg “point, middle point” and G. sectha- “aim at” given later in the document (GL/67). It might be a variant of ᴱ√MEKE the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon of similar meaning (QL/60). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

sele

root. *bright

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s given as a variant of ᴱ√SILI with a single derivative ᴱQ. selka “bright” (QL/83). Other than a mention of selka “bright” in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME), there are no signs of this root having this meaning elsewhere.

sek’·ðana

noun. midday

lepse

?. [unglossed]

lopse

?. [unglossed]

vṛtyṛ

root. serve

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “serve”, with derivatives like ᴱQ. vartyane “service” and ᴱQ. virti- “serve” (QL/102). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

leth

root. set free

mapa

root. seize

nap-

verb. seize

taχsođa

adjective. seated high

ele

root. drive, push, thrust, send forth

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “drive, push, thrust, send forth”, with derivatives like “spear” and “thrust” (QL/35). It was also the basis for the rootᴱ√LEHE “come, be sent, approach” (QL/52). There are indications in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon that Tolkien gradually gave up this root: he first gave the forms G. elta- “to thrust, dig, poke (inward)” and G. elt “a dig, a poke (probe)”, then apparently revised them to G. elta-/eltha- “draw, tug, lug” and G. elt “a tug, lug”, representing a semantic shift from “push” to “pull” (GL/32).

These Gnomish forms were all eventually deleted and replaced by G. eltha- “to alter, change” and G. elt “a change”. These replacements are sufficiently distinct in meaning that I think they represent the introduction of a new root ✱ᴱ√ELE connected to “wonder” and “otherness”; see that entry for details. Meanwhile, it seems the Gnomish “thrust” words were transferred to the root ᴱ√ḶTḶ, as in G. ilta- “to stick in, prod, prick” (GL/51).

mili

root. *seed

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. mile “seed” and ᴱQ. milnar(wa) “sown field” (QL/61). The root ᴱ√mil was also given as the basis for G. mail “flour” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, though this Gnomish word was marked with a “?” (GL/56). There are no signs of this root having similar meanings in Tolkien’s later writing.

neme

root. *sew

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. nelma “needle” and ᴱQ. neme- “sew” (QL/65). There are no indications that this root had such a meaning in Tolkien’s later writing.

saw̯a

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/82), which may have reemerged as √SAWA “disgusting, foul, vile” in notes from the 1950s (PE17/172, 183).

sivi

root. [unglossed]

Unglossed roots in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√SIVI and ᴱ√SIWI and a single unglossed derivative ᴱQ. sivilda (QL/84). It is difficult to guess what Tolkien intended for these forms to mean, though they conceivably reemerged as the later roots ᴹ√SIW “excite, egg on, urge” (Ety/SIW) or √SIB “rest, quiet” (VT44/35).

tołᵂo

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s illustrating a hypothetical series of ancient lateral approximants, with derived roots like ᴱ√TOLO and ᴱ√TOẆO [with ẇ = ɣʷ] (PE12/16). The former appeared in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon as the basis for island words (QL/94), but the latter appeared nowhere else in Early Qenya writings.

tun+tǝ

root. *see, notice, perceive

{ᴱ√TUNU >>} ᴱ√TUN + Tǝ or Kǝ appeared as unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tunke “bright, witty, smart” and ᴱQ. tunta- “see, notice, perceive” (QL/95). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√TUNTU to salvage some of these early words having to do with general perception.

tyasa

root. taste, try, choose, test, select

The root ᴱ√TYASA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with the gloss “taste, try, choose, test, select” and derivatives like ᴱQ. tyasa- “test, try, pick, choose” and ᴱQ. tyastava- “to taste (at)” (QL/49). In later writings “taste” words were derived from √KYAW or √KYAB, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√TYAS “test, try [out]” to salvage these early “test” words.

’o’o

root. *sea

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives having to do with the sea such as ᴱQ. oar “merchild” and ᴱQ. Ô “The Sea, Ocean” (QL/70). G. ô “the sea” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is probably related, but its Qenya cognate was given as ᴱQ. ua and its primitive form as ᴱ✶ou̯a (GL/61). In later writings Tolkien used different roots for the “sea”, such as √AY(AR) or √GAY(AR).

vḷtḷ

root. release, set free; deprive, take away

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “release, set free; deprive, take away” serving as the basis of the suffix ᴱQ. {-velte >>} -vilte or -valta “less” (QL/102). Its equivalent in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon was G. -(a)vlid where the primitive form was given as vḷt (GL/23). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing.

vara

root. *separate

þehe

root. *see

-yǝ

suffix. [unglossed]

mapa-

verb. to seize

napa

root. *seize

norokā́

noun. slave, thrall, servant

oldō

noun. cliff, seaward precipice

saka

root. *search

sōđā

noun. house

teled-

noun. [unglossed]

toẇo

root. [unglossed]

tuku

root. *search, find

ana

root. give, send towards

kereke

root. turn round and round, send to and fro; weave

tḷkḷ

root. [unglossed]

ru’u

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, probably actually ✱ᴱ√RUƷU, with derivatives like ᴱQ. rú “dwelling, village, hamlet”, ᴱQ. rue “rest, stillness, remaining, steadfastness”, and ᴱQ. ruin “peace” (QL/80). There were a number of likely-related words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. rô “enduring, long suffering; quiet, gentle, docile”, G. rû “dwelling, house”, and G. rûtha- “dwell, remain”, though Tolkien seems to have rejected the Gnomish forms beginning with rô- (GL/66). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, but I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√RUH “✱still” to preserve some of these early words.

laqa

root. catch

A root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “catch”, contrasted with ᴱ√LAPA “enfold” and ᴱ√LṆQṆ “catch, come on, light on, find, get” (QL/51, 55). There are no signs of this root in Tolkien’s later writing, and it may have been replaced by ᴹ√GAT of similar meaning (Ety/GAT).

tuðu

root. kindle

The root ᴱ√TUŘU “kindle” [TUÐU] appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variant forms ᴱ√TUSO and ᴱ√TUSU as well as derivatives like ᴱQ. tunda- “kindle”, ᴱQ. turu “wood, properly firewood”, and ᴱQ. tusturin “match” (QL/96). The contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon had a similar primitive form tudh- with derivatives like G. tund “log for the fire”, G. tusta- “inflame, kindle, set light to, burn”, and G. tuthli “match” (GL/72). However, the Gnomish Lexicon also had words like G. drui “wood, forest” and G. duru “wood; a pole, beam, or log” (GL/31). Since initial d- > t- in Early Qenya, it seems likely that ᴱ√TUŘU “kindle” may also represent a blending with an unattested root ✱ᴱ√DURU “wood”.

Many years later Tolkien gave a hypothetical root √TUD in contrasted to √TUL to illustrate certain principles of etymological variations (VT48/25). It is not clear whether this √TUD is related to earlier ᴱ√TUÐU “kindle”. Nevertheless, I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√TUD “firewood, kindling” to salvage Early Qenya and Gnomish words of similar meaning.

nulu

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s marked by Tolkien with a “?” having a single derivative ᴱQ. NÛLE “lead” (QL/68). There are no signs of this root elsewhere in Tolkien’s later writing, and even in the early period he generally used ᴱQ. kanu for “metallic lead” (LT1/100; QL/44).

oso

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. oksa “joint” and ᴱQ. oswe “hip” (QL/71). In Tolkien’s later writings “joint” words seem to be based on √LIM “link, join” as in Q. málimë/S. molif “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” (VT47/6), but ᴱQ. oswe “hip” may be salvaged as a derivative of ᴹ√OS “round, about” referring instead to a rotating joint rather than a link.

siŋi

root. ‽

The root ᴱ√SIŊI appeared unglossed in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. singe “salt” and (adjective) ᴱQ. singwa “salt” (QL/83). It had similar derivatives the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. sing and singrin “salt”, noun and adjective (GL/67). I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SIÑGI to salvage these early words.

sṣtyṣ

root. ‽

The unglossed root ᴱ√SṢT͡YṢ appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. sastya “sore, galled” and ᴱQ. sist (sisty-) “ulcer, sore” (QL/86). The latter word was also mentioned as siste in “ulcer, boil” as a derivative of ᴱ✶sṣtē (PE12/14), and the primitive form was given as sistyi, though Tolkien did say it was indicative of ancient syllabic ṣ (PE12/3). However, in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s it seems primitive ᴱ✶sṣt- = “✱hiss” (PE13/163); see the entry on ᴹ√SUS “hiss” for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is worth positing a Neo-Root ᴺ√SISTI to salvage some of these early words.

vḷkḷ

root. ‽

An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. valkane “torture” and ᴱQ. vilkin “bitter, evil”, serving as the basis for ᴱQ. Valkarauke, the Qenya name of Balrogs (QL/100). In later writings the initial element of this name was derived from √BAL “(divine) power”.

ðana

root. day

A primitive form in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives meaning “day” (GL/38). There were a variety of different roots for “day” in later writings such ᴹ√AR or √UR.

mele

root. love

kok Speculative

root. catch

A hypothetical root serving as the basis for early words like G. cog “claw, fist”, G. crog “hook” and G. croctha- “catch” (GL/27).

hama

root. ‽

maha

root. grasp

pana

root. arrange

po

root. ‽

siktā

adjective. moist, wet

ske-ndá

noun. eye

þeχiē

noun. eyesight

bē Reconstructed

root. ‽

þere Reconstructed

root. twine, tie, bind

gwori

root. ‽

lefe

root. half

lehe

root. half

m(b)ṛtṛ

root. chance

nele

root. point

ornĕ

noun. tree

pol-i

root. ‽

tum(b)u

root. ‽

vī

root. as

þχe-ndǝ

noun. eye

liŋi Reconstructed

root. snake