ta

root. that

ta

pronoun. impersonal 3rd pl.; pronominal stem

tarkā

noun. tarkā

taikā

adjective. steep, tall, deep

tarak

root. horn (of animals)

The earliest manifestation of this root was unglossed ᴱ√TARA⁽⁾ in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. taru “horn” and ᴱQ. tarukko “bull” (QL/89). It was originally given as ᴱ√TAŘA “chevaux de frise [fortifications of wooden spikes]”, but that sense and associated derivatives (“hedge” words) were transferred to ᴱ√TAÐA; see that entry for details. As for ᴱ√TARA² “✱horn”, it also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. târ “a horn” and G. tarog “ox” (GL/69).

The root ᴹ√TARAK “horn (of animals)” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. tarka/N. tarag of the same meaning, but the Noldorin word was also used of mountains, as seen in the name N. Taragaer “Ruddihorn” (Ety/TARÁK). The latter was an early precursor to the name S. Caradhras “Redhorn” in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s; Taragaer was eventually abandoned (RS/419, 433).

tap

root. stop

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stop” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tampa “stopper” and ᴹQ. tape “he stops, blocks” (Ety/TAP; EtyAC/TAP). The word Q. tapta “impeded” from notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 was probably related (VT39/17), indicating the root’s ongoing validity.

taras

root. *trouble

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ON. tarsa “trouble” > N. tass “labour, task” and N. trasta- “harass, trouble” (Ety/TARAS).

stā

root. [unglossed]

A deleted root reference in The Etymologies apparently serving as the basis for the verbal action suffix ᴹ✶-stā “-ing” in ᴹ✶khau̯-stā “rest-ing” (Ety/KHAW; EtyAC/KHAW). See the entry on ✶-stā for further discussion.

tal

root. appraise, esteem, value

A root Tolkien mentioned in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s with a single derivative ᴹQ. tatalla- “admire, wonder at” (PE22/110). There are no signs elsewhere of this root being used with this meaning: typically √TAL = “foot”.

tarag

root. *tough, stiff

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. tarya/N. tara “tough, stiff” and N. tarlanc “stiff-necked, obstinate” (Ety/TÁRAG). As pointed out by Christopher Tolkien, this last word is undoubtedly connected to S. tarlang in Tarlang’s Neck (LotR/790), which elsewhere was glossed “stiff-neck(ed)” (PE17/92, 98). In rough notes for Tolkien’s 1967 discussion of the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien indicated the initial element of this name was S. tarch, perhaps representing a shift of this root to ✱√TARAK (RC/536).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d stick with the better-known earlier form of this root: ᴹ√TARAG.

tad

adverb. thither

talat

root. to slip or slide down, incline, slope, lean, tip, topple over

tankla

noun. brooch, clasp, pin

taʒna

adjective. *high

tainā

adjective. long

tanka

adjective. firm

tankāta-

verb. to make firm

tak

root. fix, make fast, make

takmā

noun. thing for fixing

taksē

noun. nail, pin

tal

root. foot

talam

root. base, root, foundation; floor, ground

talrunya

noun. sole of foot

tam

root. knock

tambā-

verb. to knock

tamrō

noun. woodpecker, knocker

tan

root. make, fashion

tanō

noun. craftsman, smith

tata

root. two

tathar

root. *willow

tatharē

noun. willow-tree

tay

root. extend, make long(er), stretch

talam

noun. floor, ground; ‘flet’, platform

talat-

verb. slip down

talgarta

noun. high boot

talkō

noun. craftsmen, wright

talmā

noun. foundation, basis, root

talt

adverb. downwards

tan

root. *show

targā

adjective. tough, stiff

tas

root. *fringe

tatalat-

verb. totter, keep on slipping

taurā

adjective. masterful, mighty

taurē

noun. great wood, forest

tawar

root. wood, forest

tawar

noun. wood (material)

tawārē̆

noun. dryad, spirit of woods (f.)

tawārō̆

noun. dryad, spirit of woods (m.)

tāl

noun. foot

tang

root. ting (onomatopoeic)

stalga

adjective. stalwart, steady, firm

narta

root. kindle

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “kindle”, with derivatives ᴹQ. narta- and N. nartha- of the same meaning (EtyAC/NARTA). There is a mark above the final A that might be a partially formed macron (NARTĀ), so this “root” may just be an ordinary causative verb “✱make fire” = ᴹ√NAR + ᴹ✶-tā. The root was originally glossed “spear point, gore, triangle” with a derivative [N.] Narthas “gore”, a name that appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts but was eventually replaced by N./S. Naith “angle” (TI/244 note #50).

stal

root. steep

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “steep” with derivatives like Ilk. thall “steep, falling steeply (of river)” and Ilk. thalos “torrent”, the latter used for the river name Ilk. Thalos (Ety/STAL). Tolkien continued to use the name S. Thalos in later versions of The Silmarillion, but the name was translated nowhere else, making its continued connection to the 1930s root uncertain.

tā/taʒ

root. high, lofty; noble

ata

root. father

atar

noun. father

atta

root. two

star

root. stiff

atta

cardinal. two

auluta-

verb. [unglossed]

danta-

verb. fall

metta

noun. end

ñgyal(am)

root. talk loud or incoherently

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “talk loud or incoherently”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. indyalme “clamour” and N. glamm “barbarous; shouting, confused noise”, the latter serving as the basis for the collective name for Orcs: N. Glamhoth “Barbaric Host” (Ety/GLAM, ÑGAL); this root replace ᴹ√ÑGAL(AM) or ᴹ√ÑYAL(AM) of similar meaning (Ety/ÑGAL; EtyAC/GLAM). In earlier writings, G. Glamhoth was based on glâm “hatred” (GL/39), but in later writings it continued to be translated as “din-horde” or “host of tumult” (UT/39; MR/109; PE17/39), though in the Quendi and Eldar essay S. glam “din, uproar” was derived directly from √(G)LAM “(vocal) sounds that were confused or inarticulate” (WJ/416).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is worth retaining this root as a (Quenya only?) elaboration of √(G)LAM to salvage ᴹQ. indyalme “clamour”.

aikwā

adjective. tall, steep

kwentā

noun. tale

kyab

root. taste

ton

root. tap, knock

tundā

adjective. tall

tungā

adjective. taut, tight; resonant (of strings)

lem

root. stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry”, with variants ᴹ√LEB and ᴹ√LEM (Ety/LEM), but some of its derivatives can only plausibly be derived from ᴹ√LEM: ᴹQ. lemya- “to remain, tarry” (EtyAC/LEB). Its most notable derivative was Q. Lembi “Lingerers”, but Tolkien’s seems to have abandoned this word and the root may have been abandoned with it. It nevertheless remains useful for the purposes of Neo-Eldarin.

phas

root. *tangle, shag, fringe

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. fasta- “tangle”, ᴹQ. fasse “tangled hair, shaggy lock” and N. fast “shaggy hair” (Ety/PHAS). Possible precursors include ᴱQ. fas/G. fath “tassel” and other related words from the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons of the 1910s (QL/37; GL/34). No root was given in these early documents, but it may have been ✱ᴱ√FAÞA.

tun

root. *tall; mound

An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the mid-1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. tunda/N. tonn “tall” and ᴹQ. tundo/N. tunn “hill, mound”; its most notable use was as the basis for the name ᴹQ. Túna (Ety/TUN), which continued to appear in later writings as the name of a hill (S/59). The word ᴹQ. lopotundo “rabbithole” from the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s indicates the root may have had a difference sense (“hole”?) in earlier writings (PE21/10, 31).

teles

root. hindmost, tarrier

thar

root. stand

leb

root. stay, stick, adhere, remain, tarry

ting

root. ting (onomatopoeic)

An onomatopoeic root with variants ᴹ√TING and ᴹ√TANG appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. tinge or tango “twang”, ᴹQ. tinga- “to twang”, and N. tang “bowstring” (Ety/TING). The entry had a reference to a deleted variant ᴹ√THING (EtyAC/TING) and another variant ᴹ√TUNG was listed in the entry ᴹ√DING (EtyAC/DING). In the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s Tolkien gave the root ᴹ√TAÑ as the basis for the verb ᴹQ. tanga- “twang”, which is probably another instance of this root (PE22/103).

snar

root. tie

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “tie” with derivatives ᴹQ. narda/N. nardh “knot” (Ety/SNAR).

galad

root. tree

The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.

khyel(es)

root. glass

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “glass” with derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin with the same meaning: ᴹQ. hyelle and N. hele (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). After Tolkien changed Noldorin to Sindarin, he decided that “There was no common Eldarin word for glass”, and that the Sindarin word S. heledh was derived from Khuzdul kheled (PE17/37). Thus the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) was abandoned.

lilt

root. dance

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dance” with derivative ᴹQ. lilta- of the same meaning (Ety/LILT). It is a later iteration of ᴱ√LḶTḶ “dance” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with both Qenya and Gnomish derivatives like ᴱQ. lilt and G. lalt “dance” (QL/55; GL/52).

ndar

root. sign

A rejected root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a single derivative: ᴹQ. narwe “sign, token”, along with an unglossed (and probably incomplete) form nar... (EtyAC/NDAR).

nur

root. deep

A root mentioned in The Etymologies as an extension of ᴹ√NU with the gloss “deep” and derivatives ᴹQ. núra and N. nûr of the same meaning (Ety/NU). Possibly related is the later word Q. nurtalë “hiding” as in Q. Nurtalë Valinóreva “Hiding of Valinor” (S/102).

yab

root. fruit

The first appearance of this root was as unglossed ᴱ√Ẏ̯AVA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with a Gnomish form gav- and derivatives like ᴱQ. yausta “crop” and ᴱQ. yáva “fruit, produce” (QL/105). The Gnomish form appeared as the verb G. gav- “produce, yield, bear fruit” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon along with other derivatives like G. gaust “corn, crop (espec. of cereal)” and G. gôf “fruit” (GL/38). In the Gnomish Lexicon Tolkien specified the primitive form as √ı̯aƀa and said “note not gı̯aƀ, for cp. Ivon < ı̯ǝƀánna, Q Yavanna” (GL/38).

The root appeared as ᴹ√YAB “fruit” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. yáve “fruit” and N. iau “corn” (Ety/YAB). Tolkien’s continued use of Q. yávë for “fruit” (VT43/31) and the names Q. Yavanna/S. Ivann “Fruit-giver” (S/27; LotR/1110) indicate the ongoing validity of this root.

ʒel

root. sky

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “sky”, with derivatives like ᴹQ. helle/N. ell “sky” and ᴹQ. helwa/N. elw “(pale) blue” (Ety/ƷEL). It was the basis for the initial elements of the names N. Elrond, N. Elwing and ᴹQ. Elwe, but elsewhere Tolkien connected these names to √EL “star”. It was also an element in the word N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge”, later given as S. ninniach. On the basis of these changes, I think it is likely Tolkien abandoned ᴹ√ƷEL, but some of its derived words are still popular in Neo-Eldarin.

maiga

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1930s (TQ1) to illustrate certain patterns of root formation (PE18/66). It may have serving as the basis for ᴹQ. Maia, though this word was given different derivations later.

skil

root. [unglossed]

A root mentioned in passing in as a variant of ᴹ√KIL “divide” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but it had no derivatives and appeared nowhere else (Ety/KIL).

tāna

adjective. *high

tār(ō)

noun. king

tārā

adjective. lofty

tārī

noun. queen

atū

noun. father

lab

root. lick

adnō

noun. gate

lāda

adjective. flat

parkā

adjective. dry

andā

adjective. long

dal

root. flat

ezdē

noun. rest

galadā

noun. tree

kab-

verb. can, I can

kaltwa

?. [unglossed]

khyelesē

noun. glass

kiryā

noun. ship

kur

root. craft

kōmā

noun. [unglossed]

lassē

noun. leaf

lopō

noun. rabbit

lungā

adjective. heavy

lī

noun. number

met

root. end

morókō

noun. bear

ndeuna

adjective. second

ninkwitil(di) tára

place name. High White Horn

not-

verb. to count

nūrā

adjective. deep

pal

root. beat

sed

root. rest

tekna

noun. a letter

torōmā

noun. [unglossed]

tubnā

adjective. deep

tupsē

noun. thatch

tussā

noun. bush

tāra-khil

proper name. tāra-khil

yāba

noun. fruit

yē

preposition. at

ñgolda

adjective. wise

iw

root. [unglossed], [ᴱ√] *fish

us

root. [unglossed]

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/US).

bay

root. [unglossed]

khe

pronoun. they

khlip

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected paragraph from the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s (PE22/112 note #78).

phan

root. [unglossed]

A deleted root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/PHAN).

stin

root. [unglossed]

tul-

verb. come, am coming, have come, am arrived, am here

tung

root. ting (onomatopoeic)

tānniq

noun. tānniq

uruk

root. [unglossed]

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with no glosses or derivatives and no clear function (EtyAC/URUK).