14.21 Fast, Swift, Quick
- N. alag adj. “rushing, impetuous”
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An adjective for “rushing, impetuous” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, derived from ᴹ✶álākō “rush, rushing flight, wild wind” under the root ᴹ√ÁLAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. arog “swift, rushing, torrential” based on G. raug “rushing, swift” (GL/20, 65). Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱN. arog “swift” (PE13/137, 160).
- N. asgar adj. “violent, rushing, impetuous”
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A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “violent, rushing, impetuous” under the root ᴹ√SKAR “tear, rend” (Ety/SKAR).
- N. breged n. “violence, suddenness”
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A word for “violence, suddenness” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√BERÉK “tear, rend” (Ety/BERÉK). This word first appeared under a root ᴹ√MERÉK, where it was glossed {“violent, sudden” >>} “violence, suddenness” and Tolkien said breged could also be used as an adverb meaning “suddenly”, but this entry was deleted (EtyAC/MERÉK).
- S. bregol adj. “quick, sudden, [N.] violent, *fierce”
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The word N. bregol “violent, sudden” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s based on ᴹ✶berékā “wild” under the root ᴹ√BERÉK (Ety/BERÉK). Some form of it might be an element in the later name Bregalad “Quickbeam” (LotR/482). In the 1930s and 40s bregol was related to the name N. Dagor Vregedúr “Battle of Sudden Fire” from Silmarillion drafts of this period (LR/280). But in The Silmarillion as published this became S. Dagor Bragollach “Battle of Sudden Flame” (S/151), and Christopher Tolkien indicated the form bragol “sudden” was an element in this name (SA/bragol).
Conceptual Development: Going back to The Etymologies, bregol was originally glossed “fierce” and derived from a different (but eventually deleted) root ᴹ√MERÉK along with an alternate form breig “wild, fierce” (EtyAC/MERÉK). A possible precursor is ᴱN. brann “fierce” from Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/139). This same document had ᴱN. graim near ᴱN. gorch “bear; fierce fighter” (PE13/145), so possibly also meaning “fierce”. If so, then G. grum “fierce” from Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s is another likely precursor (GL/42).
Assuming the above is correct, the possible conceptual developments were G. grum “fierce” >> ᴱN. graim and ᴱN. brann “fierce” >> N. breig and bregol “fierce” >> N. bregol “violent, sudden” > S. breg[ol] “quick” and bragol “sudden”.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use the form bregol with the meanings “quick, sudden“, but having the connotations “violent, *fierce” for sudden, unexpected, and aggressive speed. For more general ferocity I would use balch “fierce, ferocious”.
- S. celeg adj. “hasty; [N.] agile, swift; ⚠️[ᴱN.] lambent”
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An element in the name Celegorm, translated as “hasty” and derived from ✶k[y]elekā in notes from the late 1960s, cognate to Q. tyelca (VT41/10). N. celeg also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with cognate ᴹQ. tyelka, both derived from the root ᴹ√KYELEK “swift, agile” and so presumably with the same meaning (Ety/KYELEK).
Conceptual Development: The word ᴱN. celeg appeared previously in the name ᴱN. Celeg Aithorn from the Lays of Beleriand of the 1920s which might mean “Lambent Lightning” (LB/45).
- S. fair adj. “quick, ready, prompt”
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A word for “quick, ready, prompt” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 based on primitive ✶pheryā and the root √PHERE (PE17/181). It had a prefixal variant fer-, presumably based directly on the root.
- N. gorf adj. “impetus, vigour”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing as N. {goromh, gormh >>} gorf “impetus, vigour” under the root ᴹ√GOR “violence, impetus, haste” (Ety/GOR; EtyAC/GOR).
Conceptual Development: Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱN. oroth “impetus, speed, haste, rash courage” from primitive ᴱ✶orotse (PE13/151).
- N. gorn adj. “impetuous”
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A word for “impetuous” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, an adjective form of N. gorf “impetus, vigour” (Ety/GOR).
- N. lhagr adj. “swift, rapid”
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A word appearing as N. lhagr “swift, rapid” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶lakra under the root ᴹ√LAK² “swift” (Ety/LAK²). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road it had a second form lhegin (LR/367), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne clarified that the form might be lhegrin in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/25), possibly a plural.
Neo-Sindarin: This word is often adapted as ᴺS. lagor “swift, rapid” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin as suggested in Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary (HSD), since the unvoicing of initial l is not a feature of later Sindarin and final r usually became syllabic -or after another consonant.
- S. lim adj. “quick, swift”
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A Sindarin word for “quick, swift” derived from primitive ✶lĭmbĭ, best known for its use in the phrase noro lim, noro lim Asfaloth “run swift, run swift, Asfaloth” (LotR/213; PE17/18). The word was also N. lim in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (RS/196). In one place Tolkien said its Quenya equivalent was Q. limbë (PE17/18), but elsewhere he equated it to Q. linta which is the more usual Quenya word for “swift” (PE17/147).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s instead had G. lint “quick, agile, nimble, light” related to G. lith (GL/54).