S. loth n. “flower, single blossom; inflorescence, head of small flowers” (Category: Flower)
The best known Sindarin word for “flower”, usable individually or collectively. It behaves somewhat like the English word “sheep” that is its own plural, since loth can likewise refer to a single flower or a group of flowers. It occasionally takes the form -los in compounds like Edhellos “Elven-flower” (PM/346) and mallos [< *malthoth] “golden flower” (PE17/100), probably due to the dissimilation of dental spirants with final -th becoming -s due to a preceding dh or th.
Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was G. lôs “flower” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, which Tolkien said was related to G. lass “leaf, petal” (GL/52, 55). This word also appeared in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/28). In drafts to the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, Tolkien had ᴱN. loth “flower”, also translated “lily” in the name ᴱN. Loth-a-ladwen “Lily of the Plain” (LB/149).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had N. lhoth “flower(s)” under the root ᴹ√LOT(H) (Ety/LOT(H); EtyAC/LOT(H)). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road the gloss was “flower” (LR/370). Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne indicated the actual gloss was “flower(s)” in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies so that lhoth could be use singly or collectively, and it was followed by a specifically singular form N. lhothod (VT45/29).
In Tolkien’s later writings it became S. loth and was mostly glossed “flower” (PE17/26, 48, 161) but the notion that it could be used collectively appeared in some notes from the late 1960s where Tolkien said:
... loth, meaning “inflorescence, a head of small flowers”. Loth is actually most often used collectively in Sindarin, equivalent to goloth; and a single flower denoted by elloth (er-loth) or lotheg (VT42/18).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I assume loth can be used individually or collectively and thus functions as its own plural, though in compounds it is generally singular. If necessary, a collection of flowers may be designated goloth, and an individual flower by elloth or lotheg.
References ✧ LB/354; PE17/26, 48, 161; PM/346; SA/loth; SI/Lórien²; UTI/Lothlórien; VT42/18
Glosses
Variations
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Inflections
| -los | suffix | “flower” | ✧ PM/346 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ✶lotho/a > loth | [lotʰo] > [loθo] > [loθ] | ✧ PE17/26 |
| √LOT > loth | [lotta] > [lottʰa] > [loθθa] > [loθθ] > [loθ] | ✧ PE17/161 |
| ✶lotse > loth | [lotse] > [loθθe] > [loθθ] > [loθ] | ✧ VT42/18 |
| ✶lotta- > loth | [lotta] > [lottʰa] > [loθθa] > [loθθ] > [loθ] | ✧ VT42/18 |
N. lhoth n. “flower(s)” (Category: Flower)
References ✧ Ety/LOT(H); EtyAC/LOT(H)
Glosses
Changes
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√LOTH > lhoth | [lotʰo] > [loθo] > [loθ] > [l̥oθ] | ✧ Ety/LOT(H) |
ᴱN. loth n. “flower, lily” (Category: Flower)
References ✧ LB/149
Glosses
Element In
G. lôs n. “flower” (Category: Flower)
References ✧ GL/40, 52, 55; LT1A/Gar Lossion, Minethlos; LT2A/Duilin, Lôs; PE13/104; PE15/28
Glosses
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Inflections
| Lossion | plural | “flowers” | ✧ LT1A/Gar Lossion |
| Lothion | plural | “flowers” | ✧ LT2A/Duilin |
Element In
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