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SI¹ root. “this”

SI¹ root. “this, [ᴹ√] here, now”

Tolkien used √SI as the basis for “near demonstratives” like “here” and “now” from very early in his writings on Elvish. The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had two competing roots ᴱ√HYA “this by us” with derivatives like ᴱQ. hyá “here by us” (QL/41) and ᴱ√KI “this by me” with derivative ᴱQ. tyá (< ᴱ✶kı̯-ā) “now” (QL/41, 49). Indications of the latter can be seen words in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. {“now” >>} “here” and G. cîrin “present (place or time), modern” [gloss deleted] (GL/26). However, Tolkien also introduced a new root ᴱ√si(n) “this here by me” with derivatives like G. “here” and G. sith “hither” (GL/68). Revisions of Gnomish ci- word glosses indicate Tolkien was vacillating on which forms were temporal and which were spatial.

In The Etymologies Tolkien gave the root ᴹ√SI “this, here, now” with derivatives like ᴹQ. or sin “now” and ᴹQ. sinya/N. sein “new” (Ety/SI). The root √SI was mentioned a couple times in Tolkien’s later writings, usually glossed “this” (PE17/67; VT48/25; VT49/18) and in one place with the variant √SIN (PE17/67). This root was not entirely without competition in Tolkien’s later notes, however: in one place he gave primitive ✶khĭn- as the possible basis for Q. “here” and S. “now” in 1968 notes on demonstratives, though it appeared beside primitive ✶si- forms (VT49/34 note #21).

References ✧ PE17/67, 184; VT48/25

Glosses

Variations

Derivatives


ᴹ√SI root. “this, here, now”

See √SI¹ for discussion.

Reference ✧ Ety/SI ✧ “this, here, now”

Derivatives


ᴱ√SI(N) root. “this here by me”

See √SI¹ for discussion.

Reference ✧ GL/68 ✧ si(n)- “this here by me”

Derivatives


ᴱ√HYA root. “this by us”

See √SI¹ for discussion.

Reference ✧ QL/41 ✧ “this by us”

Derivatives


ᴱ√KI root. “this by me”

See √SI¹ for discussion.

References ✧ QL/41, 46

Glosses

Related

Derivatives