mai

well

mai (1) adv. "well" (VT47:6), apparently also used as prefix (PE17:17:162, 163, 172)

mai

adverb. well, well; [ᴱQ.] too much

Cognates

• S. mae “well; excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/162

Derivations

• √MAY “excellent, admirable, beautiful; make [art]; suitable, useful, proper, serviceable; right” ✧ PE17/162
• √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ PE17/162; VT47/06

Element in

• Q. mai- “excellent, admirable, excellent, admirable; *well, happily” ✧ PE17/162
• ᴺQ. maicámima “acceptable, (lit.) well-receivable”
• ᴺQ. maicarindo “benefactor”
• ᴺQ. maisinwa “well-known, notable, famous”
• ᴺQ. maitulië “welcome thing, happy arrival”
• ᴺQ. maitulya “welcome”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAY > maie	[maje]	✧ PE17/162
√MAG > maie	[magje] > [maɣje] > [maije]	✧ PE17/162
√MAG > mai	[magje] > [maɣje] > [maije]	✧ VT47/06

Variations

• maie ✧ PE17/162 (maie); PE17/162 (maie)

mai

if

mai (2) conj. "if" (PE14:59 cf. VT49:20; possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for "if", Tolkien later used qui)

mai-

verb. to have, possess

Derivations

• √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ PE22/148

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAGA > mai	[magi] > [maɣi] > [mai]	✧ PE22/148

mai-

prefix. excellent, admirable, excellent, admirable; *well, happily

Cognates

• S. mae “well; excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/163; PE17/172

Derivations

• √MAY “excellent, admirable, beautiful; make [art]; suitable, useful, proper, serviceable; right” ✧ PE17/163

Elements

Word	Gloss
mai	“well, well; [ᴱQ.] too much”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAY > mai-	[mai-]	✧ PE17/163

Variations

• mai- ✧ PE17/162; PE17/163
• mai ✧ PE17/172 (mai)

Mairen

well

Mairen fem. name(UT:210), initial element perhaps related or identical to mai "well". The second element is obscure; the root REN "recall, have in mind" (PM:372) could be related; if so the name may imply "well remembered", "(of) good memory" or something similar. It may also connect with the adj. maira, q.v. and compare the masc. name Mairon (PE18:163).

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

• S. maw “hand” ✧ PE17/162; VT47/06
• T. má “hand” ✧ VT47/18; VT47/06

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
  • √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

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

mandë

well

mandë (2) adv. "well" (VT49:26; this is "Qenya"). Rather mai in Tolkiens later Quenya.

cé

conjunction. if

Derivations

• √KE/EKE “may (be); have chance, opportunity or permission; it is open” ✧ VT49/19

Element in

• Q. ar cé mo formenna tentanes Amanna “and if northwards, it pointed towards Aman” ✧ VT49/26
• Q. cé mo quetë ulca “*if one speaks evil” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cenai “if it be that” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cenasta “if it be so, may be, perhaps” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cé tulis, tanomë nauvan “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. úsië, an cé mo quernë cendelë númenna, ve senya “on the contrary, for if one turned the face westward, as was usual” ✧ VT49/19; VT49/19

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ke > ke	[ke]	✧ VT49/19

Variations

• ké ✧ VT49/19; VT49/26
• ke ✧ VT49/19; VT49/19; VTE/42
• kē̆ ✧ VT49/19

iqui

conjunction. if

iqui

conjunction. if

que

conjunction. if

qui

if

qui conj. "if" (VT49:19)

qui

conjunction. if

Cognates

• ᴺS. pi “if”

Derivations

• √KWI “suppose” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/19

Element in

• Q. carë mára quí tyarë naxa “doing good may cause evil” ✧ PE22/154
• Q. laqui “unless” ✧ PE22/158
• Q. quīlas tūleste san inye tūle “*suppose he came (he did not), then I came” ✧ PE22/140
• ᴺQ. quima “whether”
• Q. quíta céla tuldes, quíta ✧ PE22/158; PE22/158
• Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
• ᴺQ. quitulma “scenario”
• ᴺQ. vequi “as if, as though”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√kwi- > qui	[kwi]	✧ VT49/19

Variations

• quī ✧ PE22/140; PE22/158 (quī)
• kwí ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
• kwíta ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
• quīta ✧ PE22/158 (quīta)
• quī(ta) ✧ PE22/158 (quī(ta))
• quíta ✧ PE22/158 (quíta)
• kwi ✧ PE22/158
• iqui ✧ PE22/158

quí(ta)

conjunction. if

qui

conjunction. if, when

-ndor

land

-ndor, final element in compounds: "land" (Letters:308, UT:253)

cambë

noun. hand, (hollow of) hand

Derivations

• √KAB “hold, contain, retain, possess, have in hand, hold, contain, retain, possess, have in hand; [ᴹ√] hollow”

nór

land

nór noun "land" (stem nor-, PE17:106) this is land as opposed to water and sea (nor in Letters:308). Cf. nórë.

nór

noun. land

A term for “land” as in “(dry) land as opposed to the sea”, mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/413) and again in notes from around 1968 (PE17/106-107).

Possible Etymology: In the Quendi and Eldar essay this term was derived from primitive ✶ndōro, but in the aforementioned 1968 notes Tolkien clarified that its stem form was nŏr-. This means it was probably derived from ancient ✱ndŏr-, where the long vowel in the uninflected form was inherited from the Common Eldarin subjective form ✱ndōr, a phenomenon also seen in words like nér (ner-) “man”. I prefer this second derivation, as it makes the independent word more distinct from the suffixal form -ndor or -nóre used in the names of countries.

Derivations

• ✶ndorē “land” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
  • √NDOR “land; hard, firm; [ᴹ√] dwell, stay, rest, abide” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding”
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413
• ✶ndōro “land” ✧ WJ/413
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413

Element in

• Q. nortil “cape (of land)”
• ᴺQ. salquenor “grassland, meadow”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶ndōr > nōr	[ndōr] > [nōr]	✧ PE17/106
✶NDŌR/NDŎR- > nôr	[ndōr] > [nōr]	✧ PE17/107
✶ndōro > nór	[ndōro] > [ndōr] > [nōr]	✧ WJ/413

Variations

• nōr ✧ PE17/106
• nôr ✧ PE17/107

nóre

noun. land

nórë

land

nórë noun "land" (associated with a particular people) (WJ:413), "country, land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live, race, clan" (NŌ, NDOR, BAL), also used = "race, tribe, people" (SA:dôr, PE17:169; however, the normal word for "people" is lië). Early "Qenya" hasnórë "native land, nation, family, country" (in compounds -nor) (LT1:272)

sam-

verb. to have

Derivations

• √SAM “to have, have; [ᴹ√] unite, join” ✧ PE17/173

Element in

• ᴺQ. osáma “common, joint, (lit.) together-having”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√SAM > samin	[sam-]	✧ PE17/173

amya-

prefix. excellent, admirable

Cognates

• S. ein- “excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/163; PE17/172

Derivations

• √MAY “excellent, admirable, beautiful; make [art]; suitable, useful, proper, serviceable; right” ✧ PE17/163

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAY > amya-	[amja-]	✧ PE17/163

Variations

• amya- ✧ PE17/163; PE17/172 (amya-)

nonda

hand, especially in [?clutching]

nonda noun "hand, especially in [?clutching]" (VT47:23; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)

tampo

well

tampo noun "well" (QL:93)

harya-

verb. to have, to have, [ᴹQ.] possess

Derivations

• ᴹ√ƷAR “have, hold”

Element in

• ᴺQ. harno “possessor”
• Q. merin sa haryalyë alassë nó vanyalyë Ambarello “I hope that you have happiness before you pass from the world” ✧ MS/01

ehtelu-

verb. well, bubble out

it(ë) Speculative

adverb. if

Element in

• Q. [[q|[?it/itē] kestallen, tuluvanye]] “if you ask me, I shall come” ✧ PE22/138
• Q. [[q|aite[?] kestallen]] “now, suppose, you ask me” ✧ PE22/138
• Q. [[q|aite[?] kestuvallen, tuluvanye]] “now supposing you asked me, a thing unlikely {or ridiculous} to suppose...” ✧ PE22/138

Variations

• it ✧ PE22/138 (it)
• itē ✧ PE22/138
• [i]te ✧ PE22/138 ([i]te)

tampo

noun. well

Derivations

• √TAM “construct, construct; [ᴹ√] knock, [ᴱ√] beat; smelt, forge”

mae

adverb. well

mae

adverb. well

adv. well. Ai na vedui Dúnadan. Mae g'ovannen. 'Ah! At last, Dúnadan ! Well met !'.

mae

well

_ adv. _well. >> mael

maw

noun. hand

maw

noun. hand

The Sindarin equivalent of Q. má, 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. mô 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 mô (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 †mâ, 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 mô as a non-archaic word for “hand” early on, preferring ᴱN. mab “hand” by the 1920s and introducing N. cam “hand” in the 1930s.

Cognates

• Q. má “hand” ✧ PE17/162; VT47/06
• T. má “hand” ✧ VT47/18

Derivations

• √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE17/162
• ✶mā “hand” ✧ 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
• √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18

Element in

• S. forvo “right hand, right side” ✧ VT47/06
• S. harvo “left hand, left side” ✧ VT47/06
• S. maed “handy, skillful, handy, skillful, [N.] skilled” ✧ VT47/06
• ᴺS. mawedh “glove”
• S. molif “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” ✧ VT47/06

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAƷ > maw	[mā] > [mǭ] > [mau]	✧ PE17/162
✶mā > maw	[mā] > [mǭ] > [mau]	✧ VT47/06
√mag > maw	[mā] > [mǭ] > [mau]	✧ VT47/18

mab-

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

mael

adjective. well

_ adj. _well. adjective << adverb. >> mae

mael

adjective. well

Derivations

• √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ PE17/162

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAGA > mael	[magla] > [maɣla] > [maila] > [mail] > [mael]	✧ PE17/162

maer

adjective. excellent

_ adj. _excellent. Q. maira admirable, excellent, precious. >> maer-, maeron

mâb

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

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. mô “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. má = “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” = ✶mā + ✶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”.

Cognates

• Q. maqua “hand-full, group of five (similar) things; hand (colloquial); closing or closed [hand] (facing down) for taking” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/19; VT47/20

Derivations

• ✶makwā “a hand-full, complete hand with all five fingers” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/19
  • √MAK “cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); ️[√] forge metal; kill, slay” ✧ VT47/19
• √MAP “take away, take hold of, grasp, take away, take hold of, grasp, [ᴹ√] lay hold of with hand, seize” ✧ VT47/20

Element in

• ᴺS. mablanthos “sycamore”
• S. Mablung “Heavy Hand” ✧ VT47/07
• ᴺS. mabren “handed, having hands, dextrous”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶makwā > mâb	[makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb]	✧ VT47/06
✶makwā > mâb	[makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb]	✧ VT47/07
✶makwā > mâb	[makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb]	✧ VT47/19
√MAP > măpo > mâb	[mapo] > [map] > [mab] > [māb]	✧ VT47/20

al-

well

pref. #well. Q. al(a)-. . This gloss was rejected.

cam

noun. hand

camm

noun. hand

dôr

noun. land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land

Cognates

• Q. -ndor “land, country” ✧ SA/dôr

Derivations

• ✶ndorē “land” ✧ PE17/164; SA/dôr; WJ/413
  • √NDOR “land; hard, firm; [ᴹ√] dwell, stay, rest, abide” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding”
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413

Element in

• S. Arnor “Royal Land”
• S. Balannor “Land of the Valar”
• S. bardor “home land, native land” ✧ PE17/164
• S. Berennyr “Brown Lands”
• S. Dor Caranthir “Land of Caranthir”
• S. Dor-Cúarthol “Land of Bow and Helm”
• S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror”
• S. Dor Dínen “Silent Land” ✧ S/121
• S. Dor-en-Ernil “Land of the Prince” ✧ UT/245
• S. Dor Firn-i-Guinar “Land of the Dead that Live” ✧ S/188
• S. dorgannas “shapes of the lands, *geography” ✧ WJ/192
• ᴺS. dorgant “landscape, scene, *(lit.) land-shape”
• S. Dor Gyrth i Chuinar “Land of the Dead that Live” ✧ Let/417
• S. Dor Haeron
• S. Doriath “Land of the Fence” ✧ SA/dôr; SI/Doriath; UTI/Doriath; WJ/370
• S. Dor-i-Ndainn “*Land of the Nandor”
• S. Dor i Thuin
• north S. Dor-lómin “*Echoing-land”
• S. Dorloven “*Echoing Land” ✧ PE17/133
• S. Dor-na-Daerachas “Land of Great Dread”
• S. Dor-nu-Fauglith “Land under Choking Ash”
• S. Dor-Rodyn “*Land of the Valar” ✧ MR/200
• S. Dorthonion “Land of Pines” ✧ RC/384; SA/dôr
• S. Dorwinion “Young-land country, land of Gwinion”
• S. Eglador “Land of the Eglir (Forsaken)”
• S. Elennor “*Elf-land”
• S. Eriador “Lonely Land” ✧ SA/dôr
• S. Gondor “Stone-land” ✧ SA/dôr
• S. Mildor “Wine-land”
• S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/427; SA/dôr
• S. Pelennor “Fenced Land”
• S. Thonador

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶ndor > -dor	[-ndorē] > [-ndore] > [-ndor] > [-dor]	✧ PE17/164
✶ndor > dôr	[ndorē] > [ndore] > [dore] > [dor] > [dōr]	✧ SA/dôr
✶ndorē > dôr	[ndorē] > [ndore] > [dore] > [dor] > [dōr]	✧ WJ/413
✶ndorē > -ndor > -nor/-nnor	[-ndorē] > [-ndore] > [-ndor] > [-nnor]	✧ WJ/413

Variations

• Dor ✧ Let/417; MR/200; PE17/133; S/121; S/188; SI/Doriath; UT/245; UTI/Doriath; WJ/192
• dor ✧ Let/427; RC/384
• -dor ✧ PE17/164
• Dôr ✧ WJ/370

ein-

prefix. excellent, admirable

Cognates

• Q. amya- “excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/163; PE17/172

Derivations

• √MAY “excellent, admirable, beautiful; make [art]; suitable, useful, proper, serviceable; right” ✧ PE17/163

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MAY > amya- > anya- > ein-	[amja-] > [anja-] > [ania-] > [enia-] > [eina-] > [ein-]	✧ PE17/163

raud

excellent

_ adj. _excellent, noble, eminent.

sav-

verb. to have

Derivations

• √SAM “to have, have; [ᴹ√] unite, join” ✧ PE17/173

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√SAM > sevin	[samini] > [semini] > [semin] > [sevin]	✧ PE17/173
√SAM > ahawv > aw	[asāme] > [asǭme] > [ahǭme] > [ahaume] > [ahaum] > [aum] > [auv] > [au]	✧ PE17/173

sevin

8r$5% verb. I have

v. aor. & pron. suff. I have. Q. samin. >> -n

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dôr

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

mae

well

(adverb) mae (lenited vae).

mae

well

(lenited vae).

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).

ae

lE conjunction. if, supposing

Cognate of Q. ai.

ae

conjunction. if

pi

adverb. if

Cognates

• Q. qui “if”

Derivations

• √KWI “suppose”

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

bâr

land

(dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

dond

hand

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

dôr

land

1) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413), 2) bâr (dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

dôr

land

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413)

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).

nand

wide grassland

(construct nan) (valley), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36);

parth

enclosed grassland

(i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth);

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).

eithel

well

(= source) eithel (spring, issue of water), pl. eithil

eithel

well

(spring, issue of water), pl. eithil

forgam

right-handed

(pl. fergaim, for archaic förgeim)

camlann

of the hand

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

má

noun. hand

Cognates

• Q. má “hand” ✧ VT47/18; VT47/06
• S. maw “hand” ✧ VT47/18

Derivations

• ✶mā “hand” ✧ 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
• √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18

Element in

• T. forma “right-hand” ✧ VT47/06
• T. málimë “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” ✧ VT47/06
• T. þarma “left-hand” ✧ VT47/06

Variations

• mā ✧ VT47/06 (mā)
• māga ✧ VT47/18

mapa

noun. hand

Cognates

• Q. maqua “hand-full, group of five (similar) things; hand (colloquial); closing or closed [hand] (facing down) for taking” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/19; VT47/20

Derivations

• ✶makwā “a hand-full, complete hand with all five fingers” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/19
  • √MAK “cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); ️[√] forge metal; kill, slay” ✧ VT47/19
• √MAP “take away, take hold of, grasp, take away, take hold of, grasp, [ᴹ√] lay hold of with hand, seize” ✧ VT47/20

Derivatives

• T. mapa- “to take hold of, grasp” ✧ VT47/07

Variations

• mapo ✧ VT47/20

camba

noun. hand

Cognates

• S. cam “(cupped) hand, holding hand; handful” ✧ VT47/22

dóri-

noun. land

Isolated from Lindórinan. The independent form of the word may differ; it is unclear where the i of the compound Lindórinan comes from. In the Etymologies, the Eldarin words for "land" are derived from a stem NDOR "dwell, stay, rest, abide" (LR:376).

No Nandorin word is there listed, but Sindarin dor is derived from primitive ndorê. Notice, however, that Tolkien many years later derived the Eldarin words for "land" from a stem DORO "dried up, hard, unyielding" (WJ:413). However, this later source does confirm that the Primitive Quendian form was ndorê, now thought to be formed by initial enrichment d > nd. This is defined as "the hard, dry land as opposed to water or bog", later developing the meaning "land in general as opposed to sea", and finally also "a land" as a particular region, "with more or less defined bounds".

Whether dóri- actually comes from ndorê is highly doubtful (this would rather yield *dora in Nandorin), but it must be derived from the same set of stems.

thâni

noun. land

A noun translated “land” (SD/435) appearing in the Adûnaic names for the Blessed Realm: Amatthâni and thâni’nAmân. Its Primitive Adûnaic form was also ✶thāni, though its primitive was glossed “realm" (SD/420).

Derivations

• ✶Ad. thāni “realm”

Element in

• Ad. Amatthâni “Blessed Realm, (lit.) Land of Manwë” ✧ SD/435
• Ad. thâni’nAmân “Land of Aman” ✧ SD/435

Variations

• thāni ✧ SD/435

pâ

noun. hand

A noun translated “hand”, given as an example of an apparent Adûnaic uniconsonantal noun, which had a biconsonantal-root but lost one of its consonants from its ancient form ✶Ad. paʒa (SD/416, 426).

Derivations

• √Ad. PAƷ “hand” ✧ SD/416
• ✶Ad. paʒa “hand” ✧ SD/426
  • √Ad. PAƷ “hand”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶Ad. pa3a > pā	[paɣa] > [paa] > [pā]	✧ SD/426

Variations

• pā ✧ SD/426

zâyan

noun. land

An Adûnaic word for “land” (SD/423). It has an irregular plural form zâin which is the result of the phonetic change (SD/423): [[pad|medial [w] and [j] vanished before [u] and [i]]]. Thus, the archaic plural changed from †zâyîn > zâîn > zâin.

Conceptual Development: In earlier names this word appeared as zen (SD/378, 385).

Element in

• Ad. azra-zâin “sea-lands, maritime regions” ✧ SD/429; SD/435
• Ad. Yôzâyan “Land of Gift”
• Ad. Abarzâyan “Land of Gift”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
Ad. zāyīn > *zāīn > zâin	[zājīn] > [zāīn] > [zāin]	✧ SD/423

Variations

• zāyan ✧ SD/423

mai

adverb. well

Derivations

• √MAY “excellent, admirable, beautiful; make [art]; suitable, useful, proper, serviceable; right”

Derivatives

• S. mae “well; excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/016; PE17/017

Variations

• măgē ✧ PE17/016

mā

noun. hand

Derivations

• ✶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

Derivatives

• Q. má “hand” ✧ PE19/102; VT47/06
• S. maw “hand” ✧ VT47/06
• T. má “hand” ✧ VT47/06

Element in

• ✶makwā “a hand-full, complete hand with all five fingers” ✧ VT47/07
• ✶mā-limi “wrist, (lit.) hand-link” ✧ VT47/06

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶maʒa > mā	[maɣa] > [mā]	✧ VT47/06

Variations

• māh ✧ PE19/102
• mâ ✧ VT47/18; VT47/34 (mâ)

sam

root. to have, have; [ᴹ√] unite, join

The root ᴹ√SAM “unite, join” was a later addition to The Etymologies of the 1930s with the derivative ᴹQ. samnar “diphthongs” (Ety/SAM). There is also evidence for it in the word ᴹQ. sampane “combination” as in ᴹQ. Lámasampane “Combination of Sounds”, a term used in the first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/40), and again in the second version (TQ2) from around 1950 (PE18/90). In an isolated note from the late 1930s, Tolkien gave ᴹ√kam “bind, join” as a replacement for √sam along with a new word ᴹQ. okamna “diphthong” (VT44/13), but given the reappearance of Q. sampanë in TQ2 this may have been a transient idea, and in any case Tolkien used the word Q. ohlon for “diphthong” in the 1950s and 60s (VT39/9; VT48/29).

In notes grouped with Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, Tolkien gave √SAM as the basis for Elvish verbs for “to have”, with Q. samin and S. sevin “✱I have” (PE17/173). Whether this was connected to 1930s ᴹ√SAM “unite, join” is unclear. In notes associated with the 1959-60 essay Ósanwe-kenta, Tolkien gave the root √SAM with the gloss “mind, think, reflect, be aware” (VT41/5), but in later writings he used √SAN for “think, use mind” instead (PE22/158); see that entry for discussion.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d use √SAM = “have”.

Derivatives

• Q. sam- “to have” ✧ PE17/173
• S. sav- “to have” ✧ PE17/173

Element in

• ᴺQ. sampan- “to combine”
• Q. sampanë “combination”

Variations

• SAM ✧ PE17/173; PE17/183

ndorē

noun. land

Derivations

• √NDOR “land; hard, firm; [ᴹ√] dwell, stay, rest, abide” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding”
• √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413

Derivatives

• Q. -ndor “land, country” ✧ SA/dôr
• Q. nór “land” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
• Q. nórë “land, country; †people, race, tribe, land, country, [ᴹQ.] region where certain people live, [ᴱQ.] nation; [Q.] †people, race, tribe, [ᴹQ.] folk, [ᴱQ.] family” ✧ PE19/076
• S. dôr “land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land” ✧ PE17/164; SA/dôr; WJ/413

Element in

• ✶etlā-ndŏrē “Eglador” ✧ VT42/04; VT42/04
• ✶mbar-ndor “home land, native land” ✧ PE17/164
• Q. Endórë “Middle-earth, (lit.) Middle Land” ✧ Let/384
• Q. Valandor “Land of the Valar” ✧ WJ/413
• S. Ennor “Middle-earth” ✧ Let/384
• S. Eriador “Lonely Land” ✧ VT42/04
• S. Thonador ✧ VT42/04

Variations

• (n)dor ✧ Let/384
• ndōr ✧ PE17/106
• NDŌR/NDŎR- ✧ PE17/107
• ndor ✧ PE17/164; SA/dôr
• ndōrē ✧ PE19/076; VT42/04

ndōro

noun. land

Derivations

• √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413

Derivatives

• Q. nór “land” ✧ WJ/413

mai

adverb. well

Element in

• N. mai govannen “well met” ✧ RS/194

mō

noun. hand

ON. hand

cam

noun. hand

cam

noun. hand

Cognates

• ᴹQ. kambe “hollow (of hand)” ✧ Ety/KAB; EtyAC/KAB

Derivations

• ᴹ√KAB “hollow” ✧ Ety/KAB; EtyAC/KAB
• On. kamba “hand” ✧ Ety/MAƷ
  • ᴹ√KAB “hollow” ✧ Ety/MAƷ; EtyAC/MAƷ
  • ᴹ✶kambā ✧ PE21/59; PE21/59
  • ᴹ√KAB “hollow”

Element in

• N. Cambant “Full Hand” ✧ Ety/KAB
• N. camland “palm of hand” ✧ Ety/LAD
• N. Camlost “Empty-hand(ed)” ✧ Ety/KAB
• N. Erchamui “One-handed” ✧ Ety/KAB
• N. forgam “righthanded”
• N. hargam “left-handed”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√KAB > camb > cam	[kamba] > [kamb] > [kamb] > [kamm] > [kam]	✧ Ety/KAB
On. kamba > camm	[kamba] > [kamb] > [kamb] > [kamm]	✧ Ety/MAƷ

Variations

• camm ✧ Ety/MAƷ

camb

noun. hand

camm

noun. hand

camm

noun. hand

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor