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S. orn n. “(tall straight) tree” (Category: Tree (generic))

S. orn, n. “(tall straight) tree” (Category: Tree (generic))

A “tree” word in Sindarin, derived from primitive ✶ornē (Let/426; NM/349; UT/266). This word can be compared to the more general galadh “tree”. Of these Tolkien said:

There was not in Sindarin much distinction in size between galað and orn. But oak (norð, Q nordo) and beech were galað for instance and birch and ash orn. A galað was more thick, dense & branching (PE17/25).

And:

... *ornē “tree” originally and usually applied to the taller, straighter, and more slender trees, such as birches [as opposed to] ... stouter and more spreading trees, such as oaks and beeches, were called in C.E. galadā “great growth” (NM/349 and note #1).

In this second set of notes Tolkien also said “In S. orn < *ornē fell out of common use and was used only in verse and songs, though it survived in many names, of trees and persons. All trees were called galað < *galadā” (NM/349 note #1). I can find no evidence that S. orn was archaic this outside of this note. As such, I would use orn in Sindarin for tall straight trees, and galadh either for trees in generally, or where applicable for broad and spreading trees.

Conceptual Development: This word was very well established in Tolkien’s mind. In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. orn was the ordinary word for “tree”, as opposed to archaic/poetic G. †alwen (GL/19, 62). ᴱN. orn “tree” appeared in Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s where it was derived from ᴱ✶orne- (PE13/151, 164), and N. orn “tree” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶ÓR-NI “high tree”, though in this document Tolkien said this Noldorin word was “used of any large tree” (Ety/ÓR-NI).

References ✧ Let/426; NM/349; PE17/25, 50, 84, 112, 153; RC/425; SA/neldor, orn; UT/267; UTI/Huorns; VT42/27; WJI/Taur-i-Melegyrn

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

yrn plural “trees” ✧ WJI/Taur-i-Melegyrn

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ornē > orn [ornē] > [orne] > [orn] ✧ Let/426
ornē > orn [ornē] > [orne] > [orn] ✧ NM/349
ornē > †orn [ornē] > [orne] > [orn] ✧ UT/267

N. orn n. “tree” (Category: Tree (generic))

See S. orn for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/ÓR-NI, SMAL; EtyAC/NEL, ORO; LR/41; SD/302

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

ern plural ✧ EtyAC/ORO
yrn plural ✧ Ety/ÓR-NI; SD/302

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ✶ÓR-NI > orn [orni] > [orne] > [orn] ✧ Ety/ÓR-NI
ᴹ✶ÓR-NI > yrn [ornī] > [orni] > [urni] > [yrni] > [yrn] ✧ Ety/ÓR-NI
ᴹ✶ornē > orn [ornē] > [orne] > [orn] ✧ SD/302

ᴱN. orn n. “tree” (Category: Tree (generic))

See S. orn for discussion.

References ✧ PE13/151, 164

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

yrn plural ✧ PE13/151; PE13/164

Cognates

Derivations


G. orn n. “tree” (Category: Tree (generic))

See S. orn for discussion.

References ✧ GL/19, 42, 62; LT2A/Galdor, Hirilorn; PE13/109, 115-116

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

yrn plural   ✧ PE13/115
yrn plural “trees” ✧ PE13/116

Element In

Cognates

Derivations