Quenya 

náva

mouth

náva ("ñ")noun "mouth", apparently not only the lips but also the inside of the mouth (VT39:13 cf. 8). Possibly, but probably not, the same element that is translated "hollow" in Návarot, q.v.

náva

adjective. hollow

Derivations

  • nābā “hollow” ✧ WJ/414

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
nābā > Náva[nābā] > [nāβā] > [nāβa] > [nāva]✧ WJ/414

Variations

  • Náva ✧ WJ/389 (Náva)

náva

noun. *mouth (including tongue, lips and teeth), speech apparatus

The word ñáva appeared in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, where it was the basis of several words having to do with consonants: Q. návear “consonants” and Q. ñáva-tengwi “consonants” as the tengwi that were “chiefly dependent on the movements in the mouth (including the lips)” (VT39/8). In drafts of this document, Tolkien instead had pávatengwi based on páva “mouth (including tongue, lips and teeth)” (VT39/19, notes #12 and #13), so presumably its replacement ñáva had a similar meaning.

In notes from around 1964 Tolkien instead had the root √KARAP for the “whole [mouth] apparatus for eating, drinking and speaking, including lips, teeth, cavity with palate and tongue”, along with an apparent noun form Q. karpa, though Tolkien indicated this word was actually used for a “phonetic system”. However, in this note he seemed to have revised {√KARAP >> √PATAK >>} √PAKAT, the last of which only had words for “speech” and not “speech apparatus”.

Neo-Quenya: Since √KARAP >> √PAKAT, for purposes of Neo-Quenya I’d retain ñava and give it the sense of páva for the entire mouth apparatus used for producing speech, and especially for producing consonants. It is likely a technical term, less commonly used than Q. anto “mouth”.

Element in

Variations

  • ñáva ✧ VT39/08

páva

mouth

páva noun "mouth" (including tongue, lips and teeth). Apparently changed by Tolkien to náva, q.v. (VT39:19)

páva

noun. mouth

Element in

Návarot

nogrod

Návarot noun "Nogrod" (< Novrod), Hollowbold, name of a dwelling of the Dwarves (WJ:389). If the element that is here translated náva is the same as náva "mouth", the initial n comes from earlier ng (ñ) and should be represented by the letter noldo rather than númen in Tengwar writing. However, Tolkien in WJ:414 reconstructs the primitive form of the náva in Návarot as ¤_nābā _rather than ngābā or ngāwā (the likely source of náva "mouth"), so this appears doubtful. The initial n of Návarot should evidently be represented by the letter númen in Tengwar writing.

carpa

mouth

carpa ("k") (1) noun "mouth", including lips, teeth, tongue etc. (PE17:126); also used for "language", in particular the phonetic system.Cf. náva and páva.

ronta

hollow

ronta adj.? noun? "hollow" (also rotwa) (LT2:347. In Tolkien's later Quenya, the preferred words for "hollow" are unqua adj. and unquë noun.)

songa

mouth

songa noun "mouth", in the sense of "interior cavity behind the teeth, containing tongue" (PE17:126)

unqua

hollow

unqua ("q")adj. "hollow" (UNUK)

anto

mouth

anto (1) noun "mouth", also name of tengwa #13 (Appendix E)

anto

noun. mouth, mouth [as a thing for eating]; [ᴱQ.] jaw

The basic Quenya word for “mouth”, appearing as the name of tengwa #13 (4) in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1123). It is likely derived from the root √MAT “eat” from primitive ✱amtō, and hence refers to the mouth as a thing for eating. Quenya has a number of other more specialized words for the mouth, however, such as Q. for the closed mouth, Q. ópa for the mouth opening, Q. songa for the interior of the mouth and Q. náva for the entire mouth apparatus (tongue, lips and teeth) used for speech.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. anto “mouth” first appeared in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1940s, where it replaced ᴹQ. anta “jaws” (PE22/50 note #50). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. anto (antu-) was itself glossed “jaw” and was based on the early root ᴱ√MATA “eat” (QL/31, 59).

Derivations

  • MAT “eat”

Element in

  • ᴺQ. antolatta “bridle, (lit.) mouth-strap”

ópa

mouth

ópa noun "mouth", in the sense of mouth-opening with lips as the edges (PE17:126)

rotwa

hollow

rotwa adj.? noun? "hollow" (also ronta) (LT2:347. In Tolkien's later Quenya, the preferred words for "hollow" are unqua adj. and unquë noun.)