8.55 Branch
- Q. olba n. “branch”
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A noun for “branch” in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 derived from primitive √OLOB (PM/341). It may be a variant of olva “plant”, since lv was sometimes pronounced lb (LotR/1121; PE17/129).
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. olwa “branch” derived from primitive ᴹ✶golbā under the root ᴹ√GOLOB (Ety/GÓLOB). The lw in this word seems to be a remnant of Early Qenya phonetic developments, where sometimes lb became lw, the best example being early ᴱQ. elwen vs. Elben “heart” (QL/35; LT2/202). There was a similar word ᴱQ. olwe(n) that was cognate to G. olf(in) “branch, wand, stick” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/62), possibly also an example of lb > lw.
- ᴱQ. sirpe n. “stalk, slender tube, ⚠️stem”
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A noun appearing as ᴱQ. sirpe “stem, stalk (slender tube, etc.)” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SIRIP (QL/84).
Neo-Quenya: As this early root does not conflict with any later forms, I would retain this word as ᴺQ. sirpë “stalk, slender tube”. However, I adapt the early root as ᴺ√THIRIP “stalk” to preserve more Gnomish forms, so I would assume the s in ᴺQ. sirpë is from older þ. Furthermore, for “stem” I would use the later word Q. telco (LotR/1118).
- ᴱQ. tuista n. “twig, shoot, ⚠️sprout, spray”
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A noun appearing as ᴱQ. tuista “spray, twig, sprout, shoot” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√TUẎU (QL/96).
Neo-Quenya: Since √TUY “sprout, bud” survives Tolkien’s later writings, I would retain ᴺQ. tuista, but only for the senses “twig, shoot” referring to small offshoots from a tree or similar plant. For “sprout” I would use [ᴹQ.] tuima (Ety/TUY).
- ⚠️ᴱN. alt n. “bough, branch”
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A noun appearing as ᴱN. alt “bough, branch” in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s, a cognate of ᴱQ. alda, and representative of the sound change whereby final ld [lð] became lt in Early Noldorin (PE13/159). In the 1920s, ᴱQ. alda was also glossed “branch” (PE16/139).
Conceptual Development: There was a similar word G. altha “shoot, sprig, scion, sapling” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/19), probably also related to ᴱQ. alda “tree” (QL/29). Meanwhile, the word for “branch” in the Gnomish Lexicon was unrelated G. clann from ᴱ√cala- “*grow” (GL/26). Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying this document had G. {eilan >>} eilian “branch” from primitive ᴱ✶alyan- (PE13/113). In the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s this became ᴱN. alt “bough, branch” cognate to ᴱQ. alda as noted above.
In Tolkien’s later writings, Q. alda was “tree” and its Sindarin/Noldorin cognate was S. galadh, whereas “branch” became [N.] golf; see that entry for further discussion.
- N. golf n. “branch”
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A noun for “branch” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶golbā under the root ᴹ√GOLOB (Ety/GÓLOB). It was an element in the name N. Gurutholf “Wand of Death” (Ety/ÑGUR).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. olf or olfin(g) “branch, wand, stick” (GL/62), an element in the earlier name G. Gurtholfin “Wand of Death” (GL/41; LT2/83). The Gnomish Lexicon originally had two words: olf “branch” and olfin “wand”, but these were deleted and merged into one word with two variants (GL/41). See ᴱN. alt for other “branch” words from the 1910s and 20s.
In Tolkien’s later writings, N. Gur(u)tholf became S. Gurthang “Iron of Death” (S/210; WJ/83). However, there was a word Q. olba “branch” in notes from 1968, derived from √OLOB (PM/341).
Neo-Sindarin: The 1968 Quenya word might mean Noldorin golf should be updated to [ᴺS.] *olf, but I prefer to assume there was a variant root √(G)OLOB which would allow us to retain golf “branch” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
- N. telch n. “stem”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “stem” under the root ᴹ√TELEK “stalk, stem, leg” (Ety/TÉLEK). Its Quenya cognate Q. telco “stem, leg” continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/122; LotR/1118).
Neo-Sindarin: Conceivably this word might also mean “leg” like its Quenya cognate. However, I recommend using this word only for its attested gloss “stem” and suggest ᴺS. teleg for “leg”; see that entry for details.
- G. thrimp n. “stalk”
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A noun appearing as G. thrimp “a stalk” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/73), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√SIRIP (QL/84).
Neo-Sindarin: I retain ᴺS. thrimp “stalk” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, based on an updated Neo-Root ᴺ√THIRIP to better fit Sindarin phonology.