lamba

noun. (physical) tongue

A word for the physical tongue appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, derived from primitive ✶lab-mā = “✱lick-thing” (WJ/394, 416). It was distinct from Q. lambë “tongue” = “language” (WJ/394). ᴹQ. lamba “tongue” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAB “lick” (Ety/LAB), where it was likewise distinct from ᴹQ. lambe “language”, as in ᴹQ. parmalambe “book-language” (Ety/PAR).

Cognates

• S. lam “(physical) tongue; language, (physical) tongue; language, [G.] speech” ✧ WJ/394
• T. lamba “physical tongue” ✧ WJ/394

Derivations

• ✶lambā “physical tongue” ✧ WJ/394
  • √LAB “lick, move the tongue”
  • ✶labmā “*(physical) tongue” ✧ WJ/416
• ✶labmā “*(physical) tongue” ✧ WJ/416

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶lambā > lamba	[lambā] > [lamba]	✧ WJ/394
✶lab-mā > lamba	[labmā] > [lambā] > [lamba]	✧ WJ/416

lamba

tongue

lamba (1) noun "tongue" (physical tongue, while lambë = "language") (WJ:394, LAB; according to VT45:25, Tolkien first wrote lambe, but as noted, this alternative form is rather used for "tongue" in the sense of "language")

lambelë

language

lambelë noun "Language" (especially with reference to phonology), *"phonetics" (VT39:15)

lambë

tongue, language

lambë noun "tongue, language" (the usual word for 'language' in non-technical use) (WJ:368, 394, ÑGAL/ÑGALAM), "the language or dialect of a particular country or people...never used for 'language' in general, but only for particular forms of speech" (VT39:15); also name of tengwa #27 (Appendix E). (In early "Qenya", lambë was defined as "tongue" of body, but also of land, or even = "speech" [LT2:339]. In LotR-style Quenya lambë only means "tongue = speech", whereas the word for a physical tongue is lamba.) Lambë Valarinwa "Valarin tongue" (WJ:397), lambë Quendion "the language of the Elves" (PM:395), Lambengolmor pl. noun "Loremasters of Tongues", a school founded by Fëanor (WJ:396); sg. #Lambengolmo. Spelt Lambeñgolmor in VT48:6.

lambe

noun. tongue

nalláma

echo

nalláma, nallama noun "echo" (LAM). The initial element may be nan- "back", hence "back-sound", sound that comes back (cf. láma).

quetil

tongue, language

quetil ("q")noun "tongue, language" (KWET)

tengwelë

language

tengwelë noun "Language" (in all its aspects), a general word for the grouping and composing of tengwi (linguistic "signs", phonemes) into a linguistic system (VT39:16)

tengwestië

language

tengwestië noun "Language" as abstract or phenomenon (WJ:394)

tengwië

language

#tengwië noun "language" in the compound mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9). Compare tengwë, tengwesta.

lam

tongue

_ n. _tongue. Q. lambe. >> lammen

lam

noun. echo

Cognates

• north S. lóm “echo”

Derivations

• √LAM “(inarticulate voiced) sound”

Element in

• S. Lammoth “Great Echo” ✧ S/106
• S. Lanthir Lamath “Waterfall of Echoing Voices” ✧ PM/349

Variations

• lam ✧ S/106 (lam)

lam

noun. (physical) tongue; language, (physical) tongue; language, [G.] speech

Cognates

• Q. lambë “language, tongue, dialect” ✧ PE17/046; PE17/046; VT39/15; WJ/394
• Q. lamba “(physical) tongue” ✧ WJ/394

Derivations

• ✶lambē “tongue, language, dialect” ✧ VT39/15; WJ/394
  • √LAB “lick, move the tongue” ✧ VT39/15
  • ✶labmē “*language” ✧ WJ/416
• ✶lambā “physical tongue” ✧ WJ/394
  • √LAB “lick, move the tongue”
  • ✶labmā “*(physical) tongue” ✧ WJ/416

Element in

• S. fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen “doorway of the Dwarf-folk listen to the word of my tongue” ✧ LotR/0307; PE17/046
• S. Lammas “Account of Tongues”
• S. lammen “of tongue, spoken with tongue” ✧ PE17/046
• ᴺS. tallam “conlang”
• ᴺS. úlam “dumb, unable to speak, (lit.) untongued”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶lambē > lam(m)	[lambē] > [lambe] > [lamb] > [lamm] > [lamm] > [lam]	✧ VT39/15
✶lambē > lam	[lambē] > [lambe] > [lamb] > [lamm] > [lamm] > [lam]	✧ WJ/394
✶lambā > lam	[lambā] > [lamba] > [lamb] > [lamm] > [lamm] > [lam]	✧ WJ/394

Variations

• lam ✧ PE17/046; WJ/394; WJ/394
• lam(m) ✧ VT39/15

lam

noun. physical tongue

lam

noun. language

lam

tongue

(both body-part and = ”dialect, language”) lam (pl. laim, coll. pl. lammath). (WJ:394, 416) Not: lam is also used = ”echo, voice, echoing voice”.

lam

tongue

(pl. laim, coll. pl. lammath). (WJ:394, 416) Not: lam is also used = ”echo, voice, echoing voice”.

lam

echoing voice

lam, pl. laim, coll. pl. lammath.

lam

echoing voice)

specially ECHOING VOICE) lam, pl. laim, coll. pl. lammath

lam

echoing voice

pl. laim, coll. pl. lammath.

lammad

echo

pl. lemmad. May also be spelt with a single m.

lammas

account of tongues

lammen

my tongue

.

glam

shouting

glam (i **lam) (din, uproar, confused yelling of beasts; tumult, confused noise; a body of Orcs), pl. glaim (in glaim), coll. pl. glammath**

glamor

echo

(noun) glamor (i **lamor), banalogical pl. glemyr (in glemyr**). Archaic *glamr, glambr. ECHO (or, sound of voices) lammad, pl. lemmad. May also be spelt with a single m.

glamor

echo

(i ’lamor), banalogical pl. glemyr (in glemyr). Archaic ✱glamr, glambr.

lambë

noun. language

Cognates

• Q. lambë “language, tongue, dialect” ✧ WJ/394

Derivations

• ✶lambē “tongue, language, dialect” ✧ WJ/394
  • √LAB “lick, move the tongue” ✧ VT39/15
  • ✶labmē “*language” ✧ WJ/416

Element in

• T. Goldolambë “Quenya”
• T. Lindalambë “Telerin (Language)”

Variations

• lambe ✧ WJ/394

aglâb

noun. language

Cognates

• Q. lambë “language, tongue, dialect” ✧ WJ/394

lam

root. (inarticulate voiced) sound

This root for “sound” words appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writing, probably to a certain degree contrasted with √LAB which was the basis for Q. lamba “tongue” and Q. lambë “language”. The root √LAM was more specifically for inarticulate vocal sounds and in this sense was the basis for ✶lamā̆n(a) “animal” > Q. laman/S. lavan (WJ/416).

In fact, Tolkien’s earliest use of this root was as the basis for animal words, appearing as unglossed ᴱ√LAMA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. lama “a head of cattle or sheep; an animal, beast” and ᴱQ. lamáre “flock” (QL/50). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, animal words were instead derived from ᴱ✶labna (PE14/70).

The first clear connection of ᴹ√LAM to “sound” was in The Etymologies of the 1930s where it was the basis of words like ᴹQ. láma “ringing sound, echo”, ᴹQ. lamma “sound” and ᴹQ. lámina “echo” (Ety/LAM). In this document, the Noldorin word N. glamor for “echo” was based on the strengthened root ᴹ√GLAM along with words like N. glamm “shouting, confused noise; barbarous speech” (Ety/GLAM); the latter sense survived in words like S. Glamhoth “din-horde” (UT/39), but later Sindarin “echo” word were transferred back to √LAM, as in S. Lammoth “Great Echo” (S/106). In the 1930s and 40s the root was also still connected to animals (PE21/28; PPE22/116).

The root √LAM appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings, variously glossed “sound” (VT39/15), “inarticulate voiced sounds” (PE17/138), or “sounds, especially ... vocal sounds, but [it] was applied only to those that were confused or inarticulate” (WJ/416). It remained connected to sound-words (VT39/20), echo-words (PE17/133) and animal-words (WJ/416).

Derivatives

• ✶lam-
  • north S. lómin “echoing” ✧ PE17/133
  • S. loven “echoing” ✧ PE17/133
• ✶lamā̆n(a) “animal” ✧ WJ/416
  • Q. laman “animal, animal, [ᴹQ.] tame beast” ✧ WJ/416
  • S. lavan “animal” ✧ WJ/416
• ᴺQ. lalamma- “to chatter, babble”
• Q. láma “sound, sound; [ᴹQ.] ringing sound, echo” ✧ VT39/20
• Q. lamma- “?to echo”
• S. glam “din, uproar, the confused yelling and bellowing of beasts, din, uproar, bellowing of beasts, [N.] shouting, confused noise; barbarous speech; [ᴱN.] hatred, [G.] loathing, fierce hate” ✧ WJ/416
• S. lam “echo”
• S. lamma- “to echo”
• ᴺS. law “sound”
• ᴺS. lenia- “to sound, make a noise”
• north S. lóm “echo”

Element in

• ᴺS. golof “consonant”

Variations

• lam ✧ VT39/15; VT39/20
• LAMA ✧ WJ/416

lham

noun. physical tongue

lamben

place name. Tongue

A transient name for the Naith in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, glossed “Tongue” (TI/280). It seems to be an elaboration or variant form of N. lham(b) “tongue”.

Elements

Word	Gloss
lham(b)	“tongue”

lhamb

noun. physical tongue

glamm

noun. shouting, confused noise; barbarous speech

Cognates

• ᴹQ. indyalme “clamour” ✧ Ety/ÑGAL

Derivations

• ᴹ√GLAM “*noise, echo” ✧ Ety/GLAM
• ᴹ✶ngalambe “barbarous speech” ✧ Ety/ÑGAL
  • ᴹ√ÑGYAL(AM) “talk loud or incoherently” ✧ Ety/ÑGAL

Element in

• N. gellam “jubilation” ✧ Ety/GYEL
• N. Glamhoth “Orcs, (lit.) Barbaric Host” ✧ Ety/GLAM; Ety/ÑGAL
• N. glamren “echoing” ✧ Ety/GLAM

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√G-LAM > glamb > glamm	[glambe] > [glamb] > [glamb] > [glamm]	✧ Ety/GLAM
ᴹ✶ngalámbe > glamb > glamm	[ŋgalámbe] > [ŋglambe] > [glambe] > [glamb] > [glamb] > [glamm]	✧ Ety/ÑGAL

glamor

noun. echo

Derivations

• ᴹ√GLAM “*noise, echo” ✧ Ety/GLAM

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√G-LAM > glambr > glamr > glamor	[glambro] > [glambr] > [glambr] > [glammr] > [glamr] > [glamor]	✧ Ety/GLAM

glambr

noun. echo

glamor

noun. echo

lham(b)

noun. tongue

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lamba “tongue” ✧ Ety/LAB

Derivations

• ᴹ✶lambe
  • ᴹ√LAB “lick” ✧ Ety/ÑGAL
• ᴹ√LAB “lick” ✧ Ety/LAB

Element in

• N. Lamben “Tongue”
• N. Lhammas “Account of Tongues, Linguistic History”
• N. Lhamthanc “Forked Tongue”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√LAB > lham(b)	[lambe] > [lamb] > [l̥amb] > [l̥amb] > [l̥amm] > [l̥am]	✧ Ety/LAB

Variations

• lham ✧ PE22/035
• lhamb ✧ PE22/035 (lhamb)