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Select Elvish Words 8.51-8.52: Grass, Hay

ᴹQ. liske n. “reed, [ᴱQ.] sedge”

A word mentioned in the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) of the 1930s, with the gloss “reed” and derived from primitive ᴹ✶lisge (PE19/51).

Conceptual Development: The word/root ᴱQ. LISKE “sedge, reeds” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/55). In the contemporaneous Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin, [ᴱQ.] liske was given as a cognate to G. lisg “reed” (PE15/28).

ᴹQ. n. “reed, grass-stem”

A word appearing in the Declension of Nouns (DN) of the early 1930s glossed “grass-stem, reed” and derived from the root ᴹ√RĪI̯ as an example of a monosyllabic vocalic noun (PE21/38). In drafts of this section it was glossed only “reed” (PE21/41 note #147).

ᴹQ. salqe n. “grass, ⚠️[ᴱQ.] long mowing grass”

A noun for “grass” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶SALÁK-(WĒ) (Ety/SALÁK).

Conceptual Development: The noun ᴱQ. salki “grass” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa derived from the early root ᴱ√SḶKḶ (QL/84; PME/84), but it was -salke in ᴱQ. Andesalke “Africa, Long Grass” (QL/31; PME/31). ᴱQ. salqe appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s as a cognate to ᴱN. halb “grass, long mowing grass” (PE13/147).

ᴹQ. sara n. “stiff dry grass, bent [as a type of grass]”

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stiff dry grass, bent” under the root ᴹ√STAR “stiff” (Ety/STAR). In theory “bent” may be an adjective, but more likely it refers to the species of stiff grass often used in lawns.

S. glae n. “grass”

A word for “grass” reported by Lisa Star from notes associated with The Lord of the Rings appendices, in unpublished material from the Marquette collection (TT17/33). It may be derived from an elaboration of the root √LAY which had other-plant related derivatives.

S. lisg n. “reed, [G.] sedge”

A word appearing as an element in the name Lisgardh “Land of Reeds” (UT/34).

Conceptual Development: An earlier version of this name was G. Arlisgion or Garlisgion “Place of Reeds” (LT2/153; GL/67), which contained G. lisg or lisc “reed, sedge” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54). This became ᴱN. lhesg “sedge” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/148).

G. salc n. “green cut grass, ensilage”

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “green cut grass, encilage [sic.]” (GL/66). According to the editors, “encilage” is probably a mispelling of “ensilage”, which is undried green grass stored as animal feed, as opposed to “fodder” which is normally dried. This Gnomish word is probably derived from the early root ᴱ√SḶKḶ¹ and is related to ᴱQ. salki “grass” (QL/84).

Neo-Sindarin: The root ᴹ√SALAK remains the basis of “grass” words in Tolkien’s later writings (Ety/SALÁK), so I think this word can be salvaged for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, but should be modified to ᴺS. salch “green cut grass, ensilage” to better fit Sindarin phonology.

N. thâr n. “stiff grass”

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stiff grass” under the root ᴹ√STAR “stiff” (Ety/STAR).

8.52 Hay

G. thaf n. “hay”

A word appearing as G. thaf “hay” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/72).

Neo-Sindarin: This Gnomish word conflicts with no later words, so I would retain it as ᴺS. thaf “hay” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, perhaps derived from a root *√THAM or *√THAB.

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