√RAN root. “wander, stray, meander, go on an uncertain course, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen); err”
This root first appeared as ᴹ√RAN “wander, stray” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. ranya-/N. rhenia- “to stray”, ᴹQ. ránen/N. rhaun “errant”, and ᴹQ. Rana/N. Rhân as names for the Moon (Ety/RAN). These Moon-names also appeared in earlier writings but without clear etymologies (LT1/192; GL/64). Such Moon names continued to appear in later writings, for example: Q. Rána “Wayward” (S/99). The root √RAN itself was mentioned quite frequently in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “wander, stray” (PE17/182), “wander, stray, go on uncertain course” (VT42/12) and “err, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen)” (PE17/78).
References ✧ PE17/60, 78, 182; SA/ran; UT/242; VT42/12-13
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ᴹ√RAN root. “wander, stray”
References ✧ Ety/KUƷ, RAM, RAN
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