parma noun "book", also name of tengwa #2 (PAR, Appendix E). In early "Qenya", the gloss was "skin, bark, parchment, book, writings" (LT2:346); Tolkien later revisited the idea that parma basically is a noun "peel" and refers to bark or skin (as primitive writing materials, PE17:86): "peel, applied to bark or skin, hence "book", bark (literally skinning, peeling off), parchment, book; a book (or written document of some size")" (PE17:123). In the meantimeTolkien had associated the word with a root PAR meaning "compose, put together" (LR:380); the word loiparë "mistake in writing" (q.v.) may also suggest that the root PAR at one point was to mean "write", so that a parma was a "written thing". Instrumental form parmanen "with a book" or "by means of a book" (PE17:91, 180), parmastanna "on your book" (with the endings -sta dual "your", -nna allative) (VT49:47), parmahentië noun "book reading" (PE17:77). Other compounds: parmalambë noun "book-language" = Q[u]enya (PAR), #parma-resta noun "book-fair", attested with the endings -lya "thy" and the allative ending -nna (parma-restalyanna *"upon your book-fair") (VT49:38, 39). Parma as the name of the tengwa letter for P occurs compunded in parmatéma noun "p-series", labials, the second column of the Tengwar system (Appendix E).
Quenya
parmahentië
noun. (book) reading
Variations
- parmahentie ✧ PE17/077
parma
noun. book
parma
book
henta-
to eye, to examine (with the eyes), scan; to read (silently)
henta- vb. "to eye, to examine (with the eyes), scan; to read (silently)" (for "read aloud", et-henta is used). Forms cited: Aorist henta, present continuative hentëa, "aorist past" hentanë, perfect ehentanië. Gerund #hentië "reading", isolated from parmahentië "book reading" (PE17:77, 156).
book, writing, composition