Eldamo : Primitive Elvish : TIR

√TIR root. “watch (over), look at, observe, gaze at”

√TIR root. “watch (over), look at, observe, gaze at; [ᴹ√] guard”: ᴱ√DYĒ¹ “*gaze”; ᴱ√WARA “care for, guard, watch (over)”; ᴱ√WIRI “*look”

Tolkien used the root √TIR for Elvish words for watching and looking throughout his life. The earliest manifestation of this root was in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√TIRI “guard” (the gloss appeared under the entry for ᴱ√TIŘI) with derivatives like ᴱQ. tiri- “watch; keep, guard, preserve; look at, gaze at, observe” and ᴱQ. tirne “steadfast regard, stare” (QL/93). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. tir- “look for, look out for, watch for, await, expect” and G. tirin “watch-tower, turret, tower” (GL/71). The Etymologies of the 1930s has ᴹ√TIR “watch, guard” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tir-/N. tir- “watch”, ᴹQ. tirion “watch-tower, tower” and N. tirith “watch, guard” (Ety/TIR). The root √TIR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “watch, observe” (PE17/187), “to look at (towards), watch, watch over” (RGEO/65) or “look at (turn eyes to, keep eyes on, watch)” (PE22/155).

References ✧ Let/427; PE17/187; PE22/155; RGEO/65; SA/sîr, tir; VT42/11

Glosses

“look at (turn eyes to, keep eyes on, watch)” ✧ PE22/155
“to look at (towards), watch, watch over” ✧ RGEO/65
“to watch” ✧ VT42/11
“watch, gaze at” ✧ Let/427
“watch, observe” ✧ PE17/187
“watch, watch over” ✧ SA/tir

Derivatives

> ᴺQ. !tírelë “watchfulness, anxiety”
- ⇒ ᴺQ. !tírelëa “anxious”
> ᴺQ. tiris “watch, vigil, ward”
⇒ ᴺQ. !tirma “spyglass”
⇒ ᴺQ. ^tirmë “steadfast regard, stare, *gaze”
> ✶palantīrā̆ ✧ Let/427
- > Q. palantír “far-gazer, far-seer, (lit.) that which looks far away” ✧ Let/427
> *√STIR “face”
- ⇒ ᴺQ. !sirista- “to apply make-up to”
- ⇒ ᴺQ. !(sir)ritwa “make-up, (lit.) substance for adding finishing touches”
- > ᴺS. !thir- “to seem, appear, look”
- > ✶stīrē “face”
  - ⇒ ✶Karani-stīrē ✧ VT41/10
    - > Q. Carnistir “Red-face”
    - > S. Caranthir “Red-face” ✧ VT41/10
      - ⇒ S. Dor Caranthir “Land of Caranthir”
  - > Q. -stir “face”
    - ⇒ Q. Carnistir “Red-face” ✧ PM/353
  - > S. thîr “face” ✧ VT41/10
    - ⇒ S. Caranthir “Red-face” ✧ VT41/10
      - ⇒ S. Dor Caranthir “Land of Caranthir”
- > Q. *estirnë “brow”
  - ⇒ Q. Elestirnë “Star-brow” ✧ UT/184
> ✶tirlā “looking”
- ⇒ ᴺQ. !palantilla “telescope”
- ⇒ Q. cilintilla “looking-glass” ✧ PE17/37
⇒ Q. Palantir “Far-sighted” ✧ SA/tir
⇒ Q. palantír “far-gazer, far-seer, (lit.) that which looks far away” ✧ RGEO/65; SA/tir
> Q. tir- “to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe” ✧ PE22/155; SA/tir
- ⇒ 16 compounds
> Q. tírima “able to be watched, observable” ✧ PE22/155
⇒ Q. Tirion “Great Watch-tower” ✧ SA/tir
⇒ Q. tirion “watch-tower” ✧ RGEO/65
- ⇒ Q. Tirion “Great Watch-tower” ✧ RGEO/65
> Q. tirítë “watchful, vigilant” ✧ PE22/155
⇒ Q. #tirmo “watcher”
- ⇒ ᴺQ. !ortirmo “overseer”
- ⇒ Q. Elentirmo “Star-watcher” ✧ UT/213
⇒ S. Minas Tirith “Tower of Guard, Tower of Watch” ✧ SA/tir
> S. #tir- “to look (towards), watch (over), guard” ✧ Let/427; RGEO/65
- ⇒ 6 compounds
⇒ S. tiria- “to watch, gaze; to ward, guard” ✧ RGEO/65
- ⇒ 4 compounds
⇒ S. tirith “watching, guarding, watch, ward, guard” ✧ SA/sîr; VT42/11
- ⇒ S. Amon Tirith “Hill of Guard” ✧ RC/772
- ⇒ S. Minas Tirith “Tower of Guard, Tower of Watch” ✧ PE17/31
- ⇒ S. Tirith Aear “Sea-ward Tower”

ᴹ√TIR root. “watch, guard”

See √TIR for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/SKAL², TIR

Glosses

“watch, guard” ✧ Ety/TIR

Derivatives

⇒ ᴹ✶khalatirnō̆ “fish watcher” ✧ Ety/TIR
- > ᴹQ. halatir(no) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” ✧ Ety/TIR
- > N. heledir(n) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” ✧ Ety/TIR
> *ᴹ✶tirnō̆ “watcher”
- ⇒ ᴹ✶khalatirnō̆ “fish watcher”
  - ⇒ [see above]
⇒ ᴹQ. halatir(no) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” ✧ Ety/SKAL²
⇒ ᴹQ. palantir “far-seer” ✧ Ety/TIR
> ᴹQ. #tir- “to watch” ✧ Ety/TIR
- ⇒ ᴹQ. halatir(no) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher”
- ⇒ ᴹQ. tirion “watch-tower, tower”
  - ⇒ 4 compounds
- ⇒ ᴹQ. #tiriste “*watch, guard”
  - ⇒ ᴹQ. Tiristemindon “Minas Tirith” ✧ PE22/125
> ᴹQ. tirion “watch-tower, tower” ✧ Ety/TIR
- ⇒ 4 compounds
⇒ ᴹQ. Tirmindon
⇒ N. heledir(n) “kingsfisher, (lit.) fish-watcher” ✧ Ety/SKAL²
> N. tir- “to watch” ✧ Ety/TIR
- ⇒ 5 compounds
> N. tiria- “to watch” ✧ Ety/TIR

ᴱ√TIRI root. “watch; guard; observe”

See √TIR for discussion.

References ✧ LT1A/Kortirion; QL/93

Glosses

“guard” ✧ QL/93
“watch, guard, keep; look at, observe” ✧ LT1A/Kortirion

ᴱQ. tirin “a tall tower, turret, minaret” or perhaps to TIRI “guard” ✧ QL/93

Derivatives

> ᴱQ. tiri- “to watch; to keep, guard, preserve; to look at, gaze at, observe” ✧ QL/93
- ⇒ ᴱQ. tirinwa “vigilant” ✧ QL/93
- ⇒ ᴱQ. †Tiri(o)stirion
> ᴱQ. tiris “watch, vigil, ward” ✧ LT1A/Kortirion; QL/93
> ᴱQ. tirne “steadfast regard, stare” ✧ QL/93
> G. tair “look-out, watch, guard; gaze, regard”
> G. tir- “to look (out) for, watch for, await, expect” ✧ LT1A/Kortirion
- ⇒ G. tirin “watch-tower, turret, tower” ✧ GL/71
  - ⇒ [see above]
> G. tirin “watch-tower, turret, tower” ✧ LT1A/Kortirion
- ⇒ G. est(i)rin “pinnacle, tower” ✧ LT2A/Gwarestrin
  - ⇒ G. Gwarestrin “Tower of Guard, Watchtower” ✧ LT2A/Gwarestrin
  - ⇒ G. gwarestrin “watch-tower” ✧ GL/47
- ⇒ G. Tirimbrithla “Tower of Pearl” ✧ GL/71; LT1A/Kortirion
- ⇒ G. Tirin na Gilweth “*Tower of Gilweth” ✧ PE13/95