mátengwië
language of the hands
mátengwië
noun. language of the hands
The Quenya term for sign language, literally “language of the hands” (VT47/9). It is a compound of má “hand” and tengwië “language (✱signing)”.
Conceptual Development: Tolkien first wrote, then rejected, the word Málambe for this term (VT47/23). As pointed out by the editors of the article (@@@ give names), the term lambë was associated with vocal languages, and therefore inappropriate for signing with hands.
Changes
Málambe→ Mátengwie ✧ VT47/09Elements
Word Gloss má “hand” tengwië “reading; language (*signing)” Variations
- Mátengwie ✧ VT47/09; VT47/23
- Málambe ✧ VT47/23 (
Málambe)
tengwië
language
#tengwië noun "language" in the compound mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9). Compare tengwë, tengwesta.
tengwestië
language
tengwestië noun "Language" as abstract or phenomenon (WJ:394)
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)
má
noun. hand
hand
má
hand
má noun "hand" (MA3, LT2:339, Narqelion, VT39:10, [VT45:30], VT47:6, 18, 19); the dual "a pair of hands" is attested both by itself as mát (VT47:6) and with a pronominal suffix as máryat "his/her (pair of) hands" (see -rya, -t) (Nam, RGEO:67). The nominative plural form was only máli, not **már (VT47:6), though plurals in -r may occur in some of the cases, as indicated by the pl. allative mannar "into hands" (FS). Mánta "their hand", dual mántat "their hands" (two hands each) (PE17:161). Cf. also the compounds mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9) and Lungumá "Heavyhand" (VT47:19); also compare the adj. -maitë "-handed". See also málimë.
má
noun. hand
má
noun. hand
The most common Quenya word for “hand”, which Tolkien usually derived from a root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield”. The weak consonant h or ʒ in the root was lost very early, so that primitive ✶mā was one of a rare set of ancient monosyllabic nouns ending in a vowel. Tolkien said that of the various hand words, má was “the oldest (probably) and the one that retained a general and unspecialized sense — referring to the entire hand (including wrist) in any attitude or function” (VT47/6).
As a part of the body, má “hand” was usually referred to in the singular (má) or dual (mát). This was true when referring to the hands of groups of people as well. For example, to say that “the Elves raised their hands”, you would say either i Eldar ortaner mánta (singular, one hand each) or i Eldar ortaner mántat (dual, both hands each), with the possessive suffix -nta “their”.
The plural form már “hands” (or archaic †mai) was almost never used, in part because it conflicted with Q. már “dwelling”. The singular form was also used in general statements and proverbs: “hand is cleverer than foot” má anfinya epe tál (ná). A collection of otherwise unrelated hands would likely use the partitive-plural form: máli “some hands”, which in this case could also serve as the general plural (VT47/12 Note 2). See the discussions on PE17/161 and VT47/6 for more information.
This word is also unusual in that it retains its long vowel before consonant clusters in inflected forms such as mánta “their hand” (PE17/161) or márya “his/her hand” (PE17/69). As Tolkien described it:
> Lá is usually shortened to la before 2 consonants, according to the usual Q. procedure, but the long vowel can be retained, especially for additional emphasis, as in other cases where pronominal affixes follow a long vowel, as in márya “his hand” (PE22/160).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to ᴱQ. mā “hand” from Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” (QL/57). ᴹQ. má “hand” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ). Tolkien mentioned this word with great frequency, usually derived from √MAH or √MAƷ (as noted above) though he sometimes considered deriving it from √MAG instead.
Cognates
Derivations
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE17/069; PE17/162; PE19/100; VT39/11; VT47/19
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ PE17/161; VT47/18
- ✶mā “hand” ✧ PE19/102; VT47/06
- ✶maha “hand, the manager” ✧ PE19/074; PE19/102; VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/35
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ VT47/18; VT47/18
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE21/70
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- ✶maha “hand, the manager” ✧ PE19/106; VT47/18
Element in
- Q. an sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë “for now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. an sí Varda, Tintallë, Elentári ortanë máryat Oiolossëo ve fanyar “for now Varda, Star-kindler, Star-queen [has] lifted up her (two) hands from Mount Everwhite like (white) clouds” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. forma “right-hand” ✧ VT47/06
- Q. hyarma “left hand” ✧ VT47/06
- Q. Lungumá “Heavyhand” ✧ VT47/19
- ᴺQ. máfastië “hand-pleasure, writing for pleasure of hand and eye”
- Q. mahtanë yúyo má véla “*wield both hands alike” ✧ VT49/10
- Q. maitë “handy, skillful; having a hand, handed; shapely, handy, skillful, [ᴹQ.] skilled; [Q.] shapely, well-shaped; (as suffix) having a hand, handed” ✧ PE17/161; VT47/06
- Q. málimë “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” ✧ VT47/06
- ᴺQ. mapalin “plane tree [Platinus], sycamore, (lit.) hand-flat”
- Q. mátengwië “language of the hands”
- ᴺQ. mavaina “maple, (lit.) hand-clad”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MAƷ > mā [maɣa] > [mā] ✧ PE17/069 √MAG > mā [maga] > [maɣa] > [mā] ✧ PE17/161 √MAƷ > má [mā] ✧ PE17/162 √MAƷ > má [maɣa] > [mā] ✧ PE19/100 ✶māh > mâ [māh] > [mā] ✧ PE19/102 ✶māʒ > mã [māɣ] > [mā] ✧ PE19/106 √maha > mā [maha] > [mā] ✧ VT39/11 ✶mā > má [mā] ✧ VT47/06 ✶māʒ(ă) > mā [māɣa] > [mā] ✧ VT47/18 √mag > mā [māga] > [māɣa] > [mā] ✧ VT47/18 √MAƷA > má [maɣa] > [mā] ✧ VT47/19 Variations
- mā ✧ PE17/069; PE17/161; VT39/09; VT39/11; VT47/18; VT47/18
- mâ ✧ PE19/102
- mã ✧ PE19/106
lambelë
language
lambelë noun "Language" (especially with reference to phonology), *"phonetics" (VT39:15)
cambë
noun. hand, (hollow of) hand
Derivations
- √KAB “hold, contain, retain, possess, have in hand, hold, contain, retain, possess, have in hand; [ᴹ√] hollow”
nonda
hand, especially in [?clutching]
nonda noun "hand, especially in [?clutching]" (VT47:23; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)
mátengwië noun "language of the hands" (VT47:9)