√YOD “fence, enclose” This root appears in a discussion of the possible origin of Sindarin -ion² “-land”, blended with the root √YON² “wide, extensive” (PE17/43). A more common variation of the latter root was √YAN¹, making the status of √YOD uncertain. The derivatives of √YOD are similar to those of
Elvish Roots
The ancient roots of Tolkien’s languages analyzed by Paul Strack.
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: YEL-YṆTṆ
√YE(L) “daughter” The root √YEL was one of several competing Elvish roots for “daughter”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√YEL “daughter” was first used as the basis for ᴹQ. yelde/N. iell “daughter”, but it was deleted (Ety/YEL). N. iell was given a new derivation from ᴹ√SEL-D “child”, by analogy
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: YAN-YAY
√YAN¹ “wide, extensive, large, vast, huge; extend” A root Tolkien introduced in the late 1950s to serve as the basis for various “land” suffixes in Sindarin. The most detailed explanation appeared in a set of documents labeled “Changes affecting Silmarillion nomenclature”: The endings -ion, -ien, -ian(d) in place names. These
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: YA-YAL
√YA “[ᴹ√] there, over there; (of time) back, ago” √YA was demonstrative and relative pronominal root with particular reference to the past for much of Tolkien’s life. Its first appearance was as ᴱ√YA “demonstrative pointing back” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variants ᴱ√DYA, ᴱ√YE, ᴱ√DYE, appearing above
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: WIG-WOR
ᴹ√WIG “*foam” The Elvish words for “foam” were establish very early, retaining forms similar to Q. wingë and S. gwing throughout Tolkien’s life. The earliest basis for these words were the (unglossed) roots ᴱ√GWIŊI and ᴱ√GWIGI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. winge (QL/104) and G.
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: WE-WEN(ED)
ᴱ√WE “dual” A primitive “dual” element mentioned in notes on numbers from the late 1960s, contributing to the forms of primitive ✶enekwe “six” and ✶yun(e)kwe “twelve” in the Quenya branch of Elvish, as well as the ancient 1st person inclusive pronoun ✶ñwe (VT48/10). It was probably related to the ancient
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: WĀ-WAY
ᴱ√WĀ “blow; noise of wind, echoic representation of sound of wind” This and similar roots were the basis for “wind” words for much of Tolkien’s life, especially in Sindarin and its precursors. Its first appearance was unglossed ᴱ√GWĀ in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. ’wā
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: UÑG-UY
√UÑG “spider” This root and ones like it were tied to spider words for much of Tolkien’s life, most notably in the name S. Ungoliant and its precursors. The earliest iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√GUŊU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. ungwe/G. gung
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: Ū-UMU
√Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not” A negative root first mentioned as ᴱ√Ū² “not” in Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with various derivatives in Qenya and Gnomish (QL/96, 98; GL/73). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it became {ᴹ√ƷŪ >>} ᴹ√GŪ or ᴹ√MŪ “no, not”, and in
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: TUN-TYUL
ᴹ√TUN “*tall; mound” An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the mid-1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. tunda/N. tonn “tall” and ᴹQ. tundo/N. tunn “hill, mound”; its most notable use was as the basis for the name ᴹQ. Túna (Ety/TUN), which continued to appear in later writings as the name of