cam
(
Sindarin) 'hand' (derived ultimately from a root
kab- meaning 'hollow', so the full sense is 'hollowed hand'; that is, a hand holding or receiving something). Seen in
Beren's title
Camlost ('Empty-handed'), in which it implies that
Beren's missing hand had held a
Silmaril. A variant form appears in another title of
Beren,
Erchamion, meaning '
one-handed'.
carach
(
Sindarin) 'jaws' (pronounced 'karach') only seen in this specific form in
Carach Angren ('iron jaws') the
Elvish name for the
Isenmouthe of
Mordor. The word is ultimately derived from the root
carak-, meaning 'fang', seen in various forms (for example in
Carchost, 'fang fort', which stood just a few miles to the north of
Carach Angren).
caran
(
Sindarin) 'red, ruddy' (pronounced 'karan') only seen in this specific form in
Caranthir, 'ruddy faced', the quick-tempered fourth son of
Fëanor. This was the
Sindarin form of
Caranthir's original name, Carnistir, derived from
Quenya carnë, 'red'. Though
caran doesn't appear in that precise form elsewhere, it is seen in the etymology of
Caradhras. derived from
caran rass, '
red horn'.
carl
(archaic English) 'man', but implying a servant or low-ranking individual. The name appears twice in the genealogies of the
Cotton family; one early member was simply known as '
Carl', and
Farmer Cotton's youngest son shared the name. Etymologically related was Old English
Ceorl, and that form of the name was preserved in
Rohan.
cel
(
Elvish root) 'go', 'run' (pronounced
kel); commonly associated with the flow of rivers, and common in river-names, as for example
Celduin (the River
Running),
Celon (directly from
Sindarin celon, meaning literally 'river') and
Celos (approximately 'swift stream'). Not to be confused with the very common, but unrelated, element
celeb, which means 'silver'.
certa
(
Quenya) '
rune', pronounced
kerta. Seen uniquely in
certar ('
runes') which was simply the plural form. This word only occurred in Exilic
Quenya (that is,
Quenya as it was spoken by the
Exiles in
Middle-earth); it was thought to be an adaptation of the
Sindarin word for '
rune', which was
certh (plural
cirth). All these forms probably derived ultimately from a root meaning 'cutting', as a reference to
runes being carved into wood or stone.
chubb
(archaic English) from 'chub', the name of a proverbially fat and lazy river fish; hence by association 'chubby' and related terms in modern English. This connection with fatness and laziness was deliberately implied by Tolkien in the name of the
Hobbit family of
Chubb, and that of the related
Chubb-Baggins family.
cram
(
Sindarin) a word (also spelt
cramb) derived from the
Elvish root
krab-, 'press', and describing a cake of pressed flour or meal that remained edible for long periods, used as travelling rations especially by the
Lake-men. The word
cram, used to describe a piece of dough, is found in some English dialects, though it is not known whether that term played any part in the coining of this
Elvish word.
culu
(
Quenya) 'golden-red'. Pronounced
kulu, this element is seen in
Culúrien (probably simply 'the golden', a name of the
Golden Tree Laurelin), and also in
culumalda ('red-golden tree'), the name of the trees growing at
Cormallen, which were named from the colour of their leaves.
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