Sindarin 

lung

adjective. heavy, heavy; [G.] grave, serious

Sindarin adjective meaning “heavy” attested only in the name Mablung “Heavy Hand” (S/185). Given this name’s Quenya cognate Q. Lungumá (VT47/19), S. lung probably developed from primitive ✱✶lungŭ, where the [[s|[u] was prevented from become [o] by the presence of the nasal [ŋ]]].

The Gnomish glosses for this word from the 1910s included the more metaphorical senses of “grave, serious” (GL/55). It’s possible the Sindarin word could be used in this way as well.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, the word for “heavy” was also G. lung (GL/55), an element in the name G. Mablung as well (LT2A/Mablung). Its primitive form was not given, but judging by the related word G. luntha- “to balance, weigh”, it might have been ✱ᴱ√LUŊU. The form ᴱN. lung “heavy” reappeared in the Early Noldorin Grammar from the 1920s (PE13/122), but became ᴱN. lhung in the (Early) Noldorin Dictionary (PE13/163), after Tolkien decided that [[en|initial [r-], [l-] were unvoiced]].

In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the Noldorin form of this word was N. lhong derived from primitive ᴹ✶lungā (Ety/LUG¹), where [[n|the [u] became [o] due to a-affection]]. At this point in time, Mablung was Doriathrin/Ilkorin rather than a Noldorin name (Ety/MAP), so there was no conflict.

After Tolkien abandoned the Ilkorin language, Mablung would have become a Sindarin name, and Tolkien needed a new etymology for it. Judging by its later Quenya cognate Lungumá (VT47/19), it seems that Tolkien revised the primitive form of this word from ✶lungā to ✶lungŭ, as described above, possibly a restoration of its etymology from the 1920s. This meant there was no a-affection in the Sindarin development, making S. lung the Sindarin form of the word.

Neo-Sindarin: I personally prefer S. lung for the Sindarin word for “heavy”, but some Neo-Sindarin authors use the reformed word ᴺS. ^long, based on the Noldorin word lhong in The Etymologies, switching to a voiced [l] because the unvoicing of initial [l], [r] does not happen in Sindarin phonology. This is not entirely consistent with my prefered Neo-Quenya word for “heavy”: lunga; I assume there was some divergent evolution in Sindarin and Quenya for this word.

long

adjective. heavy

Sindarin [Ety/370, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mablung

masculine name. Heavy Hand

An Elf of Doriath whose name is translated “Heavy Hand” (S/185), a combination of mâb “hand” (VT47/7) and lung “heavy”. In some late notes it was also translated “with Weighted Hand” (VT47/8).

Conceptual Development: When he first appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, this character’s name was already G. Mablung “Heavy-hand(ed)” (LT2/38, 231), and so it remained throughout Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the name Ilk. Mablung was designated Ilkorin, with the same derivation as given above (Ety/LUG¹, MAP). At this time, the Noldorin word for “heavy” was given as N. lhong, which would Sindarize as (ᴺS.) ✱long. This means that the name Mablung might be dialectical Sindarin; see S. lung for further discussion.

Sindarin [LotRI/Mablung; S/185; SI/Mablung; UTI/Mablung; VT47/08; VT47/19; WJI/Mablung] Group: Eldamo. Published by

long

heavy

long (pl. lyng);

long

adjective. heavy

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

long

heavy

(pl. lyng);

mâb

noun. hand, hand, [N.] grasp

The typical Sindarin word for “hand” (VT47/7, 20), usable in almost any context. It is most notable as an element in the name Mablung “Heavy Hand” (VT47/8). See below for a discussion of its etymology.

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where G. mab “hand” appeared as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√MAPA “seize” (GL/55). Tolkien then revised the gloss to “hands”, saying instead it was an irregular dual of G. “hand”. The word reverted to singular ᴱN. mab “hand” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/149). These early versions of the word were already an element of Mablung “Heavy Hand(ed)” (LT2/38; LB/311), but also of Ermabwed “One-handed” (LT2/34; LB/119).

In the 1930s it seems Tolkien decided Ilk. mâb “hand” was primarily an Ilkorin word, and the usual word for “hand” in Noldorin was N. cam. Compare Ilkorin Ermabuin “One-handed” and Mablosgen “Empty-handed” with Noldorin Erchamion and Camlost of the same meaning. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. mab “grasp” under the root ᴹ√MAPA “seize”, but the version of the entry with that word was overwritten (EtyAC/MAP), leaving only the Ilkorin form mâb. In this period, Mablung may also have been an Ilkorin name.

After Tolkien abandoned Ilkorin in the 1950s, he kept S. Erchamion and Camlost based on cam, but also kept Mablung “Heavy Hand” which must have become Sindarin. In his later writings Tolkien again revisited the etymology of S. mâb “hand”. In a note from Jan-Feb 1968, he wrote:

> It [Q. = “hand”] did not survive in Telerin and Sindarin as an independent word, but was replaced by the similar-sounding but unconnected C.E. makwā, Q. maqua, T. mapa, S. mab, of uncertain origin, but probably originally an adjectival formation from MAK “strike” ... (VT47/19).

This sentence was struck through, however. In drafts of notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals written in or after 1968, Tolkien again derived mâb from √MAP (VT47/20 note #13), but in the final version of these notes he made the remarkable decision to discard this root despite it being a stable part of Elvish for nearly 50 years, declaring it was used only in Telerin and not Quenya or Sindarin (VT47/7). He coined a new etymology for S. mâb “hand” based on ✶makwā “handful” = ✶ + ✶kwā (VT47/6-7), a variation on the above etymology from √MAK.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer to ignore Tolkien’s 1968 removal of √MAP “seize”, and so would continue to derive S. mâb “hand” from that root. However, its ancient meaning may have been “✱grasp”, and its eventual use as “hand” might have been influenced by ancient ✶makwā “handful”.

Sindarin [VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/19; VT47/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cam

noun. hand

Sindarin [Ety/361, Ety/371, S/429] Group: SINDICT. Published by

camm

noun. hand

cidinn

?. [unglossed]

Sindarin [PE17/157] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cinnog

?. [unglossed]

Sindarin [PE17/157] Group: Eldamo. Published by

erchamion

adjective. one-handed

Sindarin [WJ/51, WJ/231,] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchammon

noun. one-handed man

Sindarin [VT/47:7, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchammui

adjective. one-handed

Sindarin [Ety/361, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchamon

noun. one-handed man

Sindarin [VT/47:7, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

limlug

noun. fish-dragon, sea-serpent

Sindarin [Ety/370, X/LH] lim+lhûg. Group: SINDICT. Published by

mab-

noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)

Sindarin [Ety/371, VT/45:32, VT/47:6-7] Group: SINDICT. Published by

madu

?. [unglossed]

maud

?. [unglossed]

Sindarin [PE17/148] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maw

noun. hand

Sindarin [VT/47:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

maw

noun. hand

The Sindarin equivalent of Q. , likewise derived from the root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield” (PE17/162; VT47/6). However, in Sindarin this word was archaic, used only in poetry, having been replaced in ordinary speech by other words like S. mâb and (less often) cam. Other remnants of this word can be seen in compounds like molif “wrist, (orig.) hand link” and directional words like forvo and harvo for left and right hand side.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. from the early root ᴱ√MAHA was the normal word for “hand”, replacing mab “hand” (< ᴱ√MAHA) which in this document Tolkien decided was instead an irregular dual form of (GL/55). It had also had an irregular plural mabin based on this dual, replacing an older plural †maith. In the Gnomish Grammar, its archaic form was †, with the usual Gnomish sound change of ā to ō (GG/14), as opposed to later Sindarin/Noldorin ā to au, spelt -aw when final. Tolkien seems to have abandoned as a non-archaic word for “hand” early on, preferring ᴱN. mab “hand” by the 1920s and introducing N. cam “hand” in the 1930s.

Sindarin [PE17/162; VT47/06; VT47/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mâb

noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)

Sindarin [Ety/371, VT/45:32, VT/47:6-7] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cam

hand

1) cam (i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath; 2) mâb (i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib). 3) Archaic †maw (i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 4) (fist) dond (i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).

cam

hand

(i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath

camlann

of the hand

(i gamlann, o chamlann), pl. cemlain (i chemlain).

caul

heavy burden

(i gaul, o chaul) (affliction), pl. coel (i choel), coll. pl. colath

crûm

left hand

(i grûm, o chrûm, construct crum), pl. cruim (i chruim), coll. pl. crummath. Also ✱hair (i chair), no distinct pl. form (not even with article). Note: hair is also used = ”left” as adjective. Cited in archaic form heir (LR:365 s.v. KHYAR).

dond

hand

(i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).

dram

heavy stroke

(i dhram) (blow), pl. draim (in draim)

forgam

right-handed

(pl. fergaim, for archaic förgeim)

fuir

right hand

pl. fŷr. Also used as adj. "right, north" (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).

lhûg

dragon

lhûg (construct lhug; with article ?i thlûg or ?i lûg the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (snake, serpent), pl. lhuig (?i luig), also amlug (pl. emlyg).

lhûg

dragon

(construct lhug; with article ?i thlûg or ?i lûgthe lenition product of lh is uncertain) (snake, serpent), pl. lhuig (?i luig), also amlug (pl. emlyg).

limlug

fish-dragon

(sea serpent), pl. limlyg

maw

hand

(i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 

mâb

hand

(i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib).