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Select Elvish Words 9.635: Metal

9.635 Metal

⚠️ᴹQ. rauta n. “metal”

A noun for “metal” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√RAUTĀ of the same meaning (Ety/RAUTĀ). In that document, its Noldorin cognate was the basis for the second element of the names Finrod, Angrod and Damrod. In Tolkien’s later writings the second element of these names were based on S. raud “noble”. For purposes of Neo-Quenya I think it’s better to stick to Q. tinco “metal” from Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings.

ᴱQ. sinqina adj. “metallic”

A word appearing as ᴱQ. sinqina “metallic” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjectival form of ᴱQ. sink (sinq-) “mineral, gem, metal” under the early root ᴱ√SINI “pale blue” (QL/83).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would update this word to ᴺQ. tincina “metallic” based on the later word tinco “metal”.

Q. tinco n. “metal”

A word for “metal” in Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings as the name of tengwa #1 and the tincotéma series of tengwar. ᴹQ. tinko “metal” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√TINKŌ of the same meaning (Ety/TINKŌ). It also appeared in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/22, 50, 61), already the name of tengwa #1 and its corresponding series.

Conceptual Development: A possible precursor is ᴱQ. sink (sinq-) “mineral, gem, metal” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SINI “pale blue” (QL/83). Hints of this earlier word can be seen in ✶sinkitamo >> sintamo “[metal] smith” in notes from the late 1960s.

S. galvorn n. “type of dark metal devised by Eöl, *(lit.) shining-black”

Name of the black metal devised by Eöl from The Silmarillion (S/133), apparently a combination of √GAL “shine” and morn “black”.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1950s Tolkien first gave this name as Rodëol “metal of Eöl” (WJ/322), where the initial element seems to be a later iteration of N. rhaud “metal” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/RAUTĀ). Tolkien then considered a number of alternate names for the metal, all various forms of the name of Eöl’s son Maeglin, since at this stage he intended the son to be named after the metal (WJ/48, 322). Later Tolkien decided that “the metal must not have same name as Maeglin”, and he settled on galvorn for the metal, as discussed above.

G. gerin n. “metallic”

A word appearing as G. gerin “metallic” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjectival form of G. ger “ore, metal” (GL/38).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin I would update this word to ᴺS. tingen “metallic” based on the later word [N.] tinc “metal”.

S. ⚠️raud n. “metal”

A noun appearing as N. rhaud “metal” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√RAUTĀ of the same meaning (Ety/RAUTĀ). In that document, it was the basis for the second element of the names Finrod, Angrod and Damrod. In Tolkien’s later writings the second element of these names were based on S. raud “noble” instead. This 1930s “metal” word might reappear in Rodëol “metal of Eöl” in drafts of the Silmarillion from the 1950s, since in Sindarin initial r did not become rh as it did in Noldorin. For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I think it best to stick to [N.] tinc “metal”

N. †rhoss n. “polished metal”

An archaic noun for “polished metal” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√RUS “flash, glitter of metal” that was “chiefly found in names” like N. Maidhros “Pale-glitter” (Ety/RUS). In Tolkien’s later writings the second element of Maedhros or Maedros was S. ross “red-haired”, so this 1930s word was probably abandoned. However there is a hint Tolkien may have still been considering it in the gloss “Star-glitter” for the name Elros from the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/414); elsewhere Elros was usually translated “Star-foam” (Let/448; PM/349).

Neo-Sindarin: If you do decide to use this word, it should be adapted as ᴺS. ross “polished metal” since in Noldorin of the 1930s initial r unvoiced to rh, but this was not the case for Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s.

N. tinc n. “metal”

A word for “metal” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√TINKŌ of the same meaning (Ety/TINKŌ).

Conceptual Development: A possible precursor is G. sinc “metal” from the Gnomish Lexicon (GL/67), a cognate of ᴱQ. sink “mineral, gem, metal” under the early root ᴱ√SINI “pale blue” in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/83). For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer to use ᴺS. sinc for “*mineral”.

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