An affectionate word used by a child to address his or her mother (PE17/170), also appearing as emya (VT47/10; VT48/6, 19) along with other variants like amye or amilye (VT47/26-27, 32). It is a reduction of the possessive form: amilinya “my mother”. See amil(lë) “mother” for a discussion of the am-/em- variation.
Quenya
amya
my mother
amya
noun. mummy, (orig.) my mother
Changes
(a)milye→ emya ✧ VT47/10Elements
Word Gloss amil(lë) “mother” -nya “my” Variations
- emya ✧ VT47/10; VT47/26; VT47/26; VT48/06; VT48/19
- (a)milye ✧ VT47/26 (
(a)milye)- amilye ✧ VT47/27
- amye ✧ VT47/32
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √AM “go up, go up, [ᴹ√] up” ✧ PE17/157
Elements
Word Gloss -ya “verbal suffix” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √AM > amya [amja-] ✧ PE17/157 Variations
amya✧ PE17/157 (amya)
amal
mother
amal noun "mother"; also emel (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.
emya
mummy
emya noun "mummy", also used in children's play for "index finger" and "index toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6). Said to be a reduction of emenya *"my mother", seemingly presupposing #emë as a word for "mother" (but this word normally appears as emil or amil, incorporating a feminine ending). In VT48:19, emya is explained as deriving from em-nya "my mother". Compare emmë # 2.
emya
noun. mummy, (orig.) my mother
amilyë
mummy
amilyë or milyë (cited as (a)milyë), noun "mummy", also used as a play-name of the index finger, but Tolkien emended it to emmë, emya. (VT48:4) In its basic sense, (a)milyë would be a variant of amil, amillë "mother", q.v.
maitya
?. [unglossed]
Variations
- mahtya ✧ PE19/084 (mahtya)
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
Derivations
- √MEL “love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)”
amil
mother
amil noun "mother" (AM1), also emil (q.v.) Longer variant amillë (VT44:18-19), compounded Eruamillë "Mother of God" in Tolkien's translation of the Hail Mary (VT43:32). If amil is a shortened form of amillë, it should probably have the stem-form amill-. Also compare amilyë, amya, emya. Compounded amil- in amilessë noun "mothername" (cf. essë "name"), name given to a child by its mother, sometimes with prophetic implications (amilessi tercenyë "mother-names of insight"). (MR:217).
ammë
mother
ammë noun "mother" (AM1)
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √SRAG “awkward, awry; hard, (very) difficult” ✧ PE17/172
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √SRA-G > asra > arra [asra] > [azra] > [arra] ✧ PE17/172
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
Cognates
- S. cû “bow, bow; [N.] arch, crescent; [G.] waxing or waning moon” ✧ PE17/122
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶kūma > cúma [kūma] ✧ PE17/122
emmë
mummy
emmë (1) noun "mummy", hypocoristic form of "mother", also used in children's play for "index finger" and "index toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6, 17, 19). Also emya.
háro
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶khādo > hāzo > hāro [kʰādo] > [xādo] > [xāðo] > [hāðo] > [hāro] ✧ PE22/148 Variations
- hāro ✧ PE22/148
malsa
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
- ✶maslā ✧ PE19/101
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶maslā > malsa [maslā] > [malsā] > [malsa] ✧ PE19/101
mamil
mother, mummy
mamil noun *"mother, mummy" (UT:191)
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √TOM “of resonant sounds” ✧ PE17/138
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √TOM > tomba [tomba] ✧ PE17/138
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
Derivations
Element in
- Q. umbacarin “[unglossed]” ✧ PE17/172
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √UMU > um(ba) [umba-] ✧ PE17/172 Variations
- um(ba) ✧ PE17/172 (um(ba))
amil(lë)
noun. mother
Tolkien used a number of similar forms for “mother” for most of his life. The earliest of these are ᴱQ. amis (amits-) “mother” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s along with variants ᴱQ. ambi, âmi, amaimi under the root ᴱ√AMA (QL/30). An additional variant ammi appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/30). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱQ. ambe or mambe “mother” (PE16/135). This became ᴹQ. amil “mother” in The Etymologies under the root ᴹ√AM “mother” (Ety/AM¹).
This 1930s form amil appears to have survived for some time. It appeared in a longer form Amille in Quenya Prayers of the 1950s (VT43/26; VT44/12, 18), and as an element in the term amilessi “mother-names” in a late essay on Elvish naming (MR/217). In the initial drafts of Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien used the form amilye or amye as an affectionate word for “mother”, and amaltil as the finger name for the second finger (VT47/26-27 note #34 and #35).
However, in those documents Tolkien seems to have revised the root for “mother” from √AM to √EM and the affectionate forms from amye to emya or emme (VT47/10; VT48/6, 19). The revised word for “mother” appears to be emil based on the 1st person possessive form emil(inya) (VT47/26).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer to retain the root √AM for “mother”, since that is what Tolkien used for 50 years, and ignore the very late change to √EM. As such, I would recommend amil(le) for “mother” and affectionate forms amme “mommy” and amya. However, if you prefer to use Tolkien’s “final” forms, then emil(le), emme and emya seem to be what Tolkien adopted in the late 1960s.
Cognates
- S. emel “mother”
Derivations
Element in
- Q. amaltil “*mother finger”
- Q. amilessë “mother-name”
- Q. Amillë Eruva lissëo “Mother of divine grace” ✧ VT44/18
- Q. Amillë Hristo “Mother of Christ” ✧ VT44/18
- ᴺQ. amilosto “metropolis”
- Q. amya “mummy, (orig.) my mother”
- Q. Eruamillë “*Mother of God”
Variations
- Amille ✧ VT44/18
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
emel
mother
emel noun "mother"; also amal (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.
emil
mother
emil noun "mother", emilinya "my mother" (also reduced to emya) the terms a child would use in addressing his or her mother (VT47:26). Emil would seem to be a variant of amil. Also compare emel.
emil
noun. mother
naue
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
- ✶ndagwē ✧ PE19/094
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶ndagwē > ndau̯we > nau̯we > naue [ndagwē] > [ndaɣwē] > [ndauwē] > [nauwē] > [naue] ✧ PE19/094 Variations
- nawe ✧ PE19/094 (
nawe)
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √SAL “[unglossed], *harp(ing), lyre” ✧ PE22/133
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √SAL > azálie [asālie] > [azālie] ✧ PE22/133
éna
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶eñna > enna > éna [eŋna] > [enna] ✧ PE19/097
cairë
?. [unglossed]
Cognates
- S. caer “*flat isle on a river, [N.] flat isle on a river” ✧ PE17/101
Derivations
- √KAY “lie, lie, [ᴹ√] lie down; [ᴱ√] rest, dwell” ✧ PE17/101
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KAYA > caire [kaire] ✧ PE17/101 Variations
- caire ✧ PE17/101
felca
adjective. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √PHELEG “excavation, excavation; [ᴹ√] cave” ✧ PE17/118
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √PHELEK > felca [pʰelka] > [ɸelka] > [felka] ✧ PE17/118
finca
noun. [unglossed]
Cognates
- S. fing “lock of hair” ✧ PE17/017
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶finik/fink > finca [pʰinika] > [pʰinka] > [pʰiŋka] > [ɸiŋka] > [fiŋka] ✧ PE17/017 Variations
- finca ✧ PE17/017
sóla
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
- ✶soglā ✧ PE19/095
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶soglā > sóla [soglā] > [soɣlā] > [sōlā] > [sōla] ✧ PE19/095
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √STAR “*stiff, [ᴹ√] stiff” ✧ PE22/133
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √STAR > thar [star-] > [θar-] ✧ PE22/133 Variations
- thar ✧ PE22/133
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
Derivations
- √TOM “of resonant sounds” ✧ PE17/138
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √TOM > tompe [tompe] ✧ PE17/138 Variations
- tompe ✧ PE17/138
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √KOM “gather, collect” ✧ PE17/157
Elements
Word Gloss -ta “causative verb suffix” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KOM > conta [komta-] > [konta-] ✧ PE17/157 Variations
conta✧ PE17/157 (conta)
hendas
?. [unglossed]
Element in
- Q. calma hendas “*light in the eyes” ✧ PMCH/02; TMME/192
ontari
mother
ontari noun "mother" or etymologically "begetter, parent" (fem.); clashing with the plural ontari "parents", this was apparently an emphemeral form (see ontarë, ontaril, ontarië for other feminine forms of "begetter, parent") (VT44:7)
ontaril
mother
ontaril noun "mother", female *"begetter" (cf. onta-). Variant of ontarë. (VT43:32)
þúna
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶stuknā > thúna [stuknā] > [stugnā] > [θugnā] > [θuŋnā] > [θūnā] > [θūna] > [sūna] ✧ PE19/086 Variations
- thúna ✧ PE19/086 (thúna)
felehta-
verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine
An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.
Derivations
- √PHELEG “excavation, excavation; [ᴹ√] cave” ✧ PE17/118
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √PHELEK > felehta [pʰelektā] > [ɸelektā] > [ɸelextā] > [ɸelextā] > [felextā] ✧ PE17/118 Variations
- felehta ✧ PE17/118
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √KHIN “child” ✧ PE17/157
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KHIN > hindo [kʰindo] > [xindo] > [hindo] ✧ PE17/157
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √KHIN “child” ✧ PE17/157
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KHIN > hinde [kʰinde] > [xinde] > [hinde] ✧ PE17/157 Variations
hinde✧ PE17/157 (hinde)
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
Derivations
- √SKOL “shut, close” ✧ PE17/098
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KHOL > holde [kʰolde] > [xolde] > [holde] ✧ PE17/098 Variations
- holde ✧ PE17/098
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
Derivations
- ✶steglō ✧ PE19/095
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶steglō > thélo > þélo > sélo [steglō] > [θeglō] > [θeɣlō] > [θēlō] > [θēlo] > [sēlo] ✧ PE19/095
amya (1) noun "my mother", form used in address (PE17:170), cf. emya