N. tithen adj. “little, tiny” (Category: Small, Little)
An adjective appearing as tithen “little, tiny” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√TIT (Ety/PIK). In notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 1940s, Tolkien had mutated dithen in awae-dithen “little awae” (PE22/31; PE23/52). In drafts of The Lord of the Rings from the 1940s, Tolkien had the name S. Caradras dilthen “Little Redway” (RS/462 note #4).
Conceptual Development: In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, Tolkien had ᴱN. ligen “small” as well as ᴱN. tidig “little (of amount)” (PE13/125). Early Noldorin word-lists of this same period has ᴱN. lhigin “small” and ᴱN. lhigen “few, little” (PE13/149).
References ✧ Ety/TIT; PE22/31; PE23/52; RS/462; RSI/Caradras dilthen
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| tithin | plural | ✧ Ety/TIT | |
| dilthen | soft-mutation; t-mutation | “little” | ✧ RS/462 |
| dilthen | soft-mutation; t-mutation | “little” | ✧ RSI/Caradras dilthen |
| dithen | soft-mutation; t-mutation | “little” | ✧ PE22/31 |
| dithen | soft-mutation; t-mutation | ✧ PE23/52 |
Elements
| #-en | “adjective suffix” |
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√TIT > tithen | [tittina] > [tittʰina] > [tiθθina] > [tiθθena] > [tiθθen] > [tiθen] | ✧ Ety/TIT |
| ᴹ√TIT > tithin | [tittini] > [tittʰini] > [tiθθini] > [tiθθin] > [tiθin] | ✧ Ety/TIT |