√OM “of resonant sounds” This root was the basis for the Quenya word for “voice”: Q. óma. The earliest derivation of this word was from the root ᴱ√OHO² “cry” along with ᴱQ. ohta- “shout” (QL/69); the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon likewise has derivatives like G. ûm “voice” and G. uptha- “shout”
Elvish Roots
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: OHO-OLOS
ᴱ√OHO¹ “*egg” An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives ᴱQ. ohte “egg” and ᴱQ. oi “bird, hen”; Tolkien speculated it was in fact the same root as ᴱ√OHO² “cry” (QL/69). G. och “egg” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon is clearly related (GL/62), and probably also
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NŪ-ÑYEL
√NŪ/UNU “down, under; go down, sink” This root and ones like it were used for Elvish words for “under” and “(going) down” for much of Tolkien’s life. Probably the first appearance of this root was ᴱ√NUHU “bow, bend down, stoop, sink” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variant
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NŌ-NOWO
√NŌ/ONO “beget, give birth to; be born; [ᴱ√] become” This root was associated with Elvish words for “birth” for most of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√NŌ “become, be born” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. nosta- “give birth to; cause” and ᴱQ. nosse
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NĪ-NITH
√NĪ/INI “[ᴹ√] female” A root associated with feminity, most often used in its extended variant √NIS. The root first appeared as invertible ᴹ√NĪ¹/INI “female, woman” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. inya/N. inw “female” and ᴹQ. inimeite “*feminine” (Ety/INI, NĪ¹). Invertible √INI “female” was also mentioned
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: Ñ(G)AL-ÑGYAL(AM)
√Ñ(G)AL “gleam, sheen, shine (by reflection)” A root Tolkien introduced in a late note of unclear date to provide a new explanation for the name of Galadriel and Gil-Galad (PE17/59-60). The second element of N. Gil-galad was originally N. calad “light” (Ety/GIL, KAL), and the name of N. Galadriel was
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NE-NEY
√NE “scent” A root glossed “scent” appearing in notes on the words and phrases in The Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, serving in its extended form nes- “sweet smelling” as the basis for Q. alanessë and S. galanes > galenas “tobacco” = “*sweet smelling
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NDIL-NDUR
√N(D)IL “to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to; [ᴹ√] love, devotion; friend” This root for friendship and devotion first appeared as ᴹ√NIL or strengthened ᴹ√NDIL “friend” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a number of Quenya derivatives of similar meaning, the most significant being the suffixes
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NDAB-NDEW
√NDAB/NDEB “endeavor, try, seek opportunity” This is one of various roots that Tolkien considered for “try”. It first appeared as √NDEB in notes from around 1967, but Tolkien noted that this was “too obviously = endeavor”, and followed this with a new root √RIK “strive”, though √NDEB was not explicitly
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: NAP-NAY
√NAP “take (hold), pick up, grasp, seize quickly (with fingers)” A root appearing in notes from the late 1960s on hands and fingers variously glossed as “grasp, seize quickly (with fingers)” (VT47/20), “take hold” (VT47/28) or “take, pick up” (VT47/29). It seems Tolkien introduced this root as part of his