til

root. point, horn

The root √TIL was used for “pointy thing” for much of Tolkien’s life, most notably as the final element in the name Q. Taniquetil “High White (or Snow) Peak”. Its earliest appearance was as unglossed ᴱ√TILI⁽⁾ or ᴱ√T͡YILI (probably the true form) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it had derivatives like ᴱQ. til⁽⁾ “a hair”, ᴱQ. tilde “point”, and ᴱQ. tille “eyelash” (QL/92). It was constrasted ᴱ√TILI⁽⁾ which had derivatives like ᴱQ. tilu- “shine (blue)” and ᴱQ. Tilio “Sirius” (QL/92). There is no connection between √TIL and “shine” in Tolkien’s later writings, with roots like √SIL or √TIN being used for that purpose instead.

The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹ√TIL “point, horn” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tilde/N. till “spike, horn” and ᴹQ. neltil/N. nelthil (Ety/TIL). The root √TIL “point” was mentioned a couple times in notes from the late 1960s in connection to finger-names (VT47/26, 28).

Derivatives

• ✶tilte “peak”
  • Q. tildë “a fine sharp point, fine sharp point, [ᴹQ.] spike; (mountain) horn, [ᴱQ.] tip, ️peak”
• Q. tillë “tip, point; [within compounds] finger, toe, tip, point; [within compounds] finger, toe; [ᴱQ.] eyelash” ✧ VT47/26; VT47/28
• S. till “point, spike, (sharp) horn, tine, ending”

Element in

• Q. hristil “snow (?peak)”
• Q. nortil “cape (of land)” ✧ VT47/28
• ᴺQ. palantilla “telescope”
• Q. Taniquetil “High White Peak” ✧ SA/til
• Q. Tilion “Horned” ✧ SA/til
• S. Celebdil “Silvertine” ✧ SA/til
• ᴺS. tinthiltha- “to twinkle, *sparkle”

Variations

• til ✧ SA/til
• til- ✧ VT47/28