polë

noun. meal, grist, meal, grist, [ᴹQ.] flour, [ᴱQ.] oats, grain (unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.)

This word was used for “flour” related words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱQ. pole (poli-) “oats” in both the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√POL-I which was, in that document, distinct from ᴱ√POLO “have strength” (QL/75, PME/75). The word reappeared with various glosses in documents from the 1920s: “grain; unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.” (PE15/73), “grain” (PE14/75), “flour” (PE16/141).

In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. pole “flour, meal” (PE21/12), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s it became ᴹQ. pore (pori-) “flour, meal” derived from primitive ᴹ✶pori under the root ᴹ√POR (Ety/POR). Tolkien may have changed l to r to better distinguish it from the root ᴹ√POL(OD) “physically strong” (Ety/POL). In notes from around 1967, however, Tolkien became dissatisfied with the meaning of the root √POL, saying:

> POL. This cannot refer to strength. (Too obvious a reminiscence of [Latin] pollens); also it does not account for poli- “meal, grist”. POL- should have senses “pound up”, break up small, reduced to powder etc. (PE17/181).

Thus it seems he restored pole (poli-). However, in notes from 1968 he reversed himself, saying:

> Q. pol, large, big (strong). polda big. DELETE pole “meal”! Make it mule (PE17/115).

Neo-Quenya: Given the widespread use of √POL in words having to do with physical ability, I agree with Tolkien’s 1968 note that poli- is not viable for “flour” words. I recommend Q. mulë for “meal” = any ground grains in general, but I think it is worth retaining 1930s ᴹQ. pore specifically for “flour”.

polë

meal, grist

[polë (stem poli-) noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), a word Tolkien decided to replace by mulë; perhaps polë was a variant of porë.]

pol-

verb. can, to be (physically) able to

A verb in notes associated with the 1959-60 essay Ósanwe-kenta meaning “can, have physical power and ability” (VT41/6). The example Tolkien gave was polin quetë “I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)”, as opposed to istan quetë “I can speak (because I have learned a language)” [= “I know (how) to speak”] and lertan quetë “I can speak (because I am free to do so there being no obstacle of promise, secrecy, duty)”. Another later expression for “can” was the verb ec- “may, can, have chance, opportunity or permission”, which was used impersonally: ecë nin care sa “I can do that, (lit.) there is a chance for me to do that” (VT49/20).

Conceptual Development: The English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s had the verb ᴱQ. mala- “am able to (used of capacity, ability)” (PE15/67). The first version of Quenya Personal Pronouns (QPP1) from the late 1940s had ᴹQ. valya “can” (PE23/74), probably related to the root ᴹ√BAL having to do with power (Ety/BAL). Quendian & Common Eldarin Verbal Structure (EVS1) and Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from this same period had ᴹQ. kav- “can”, with past tense kambe “could” (PE22/92, 102), derived from the root ᴹ√KAB “be able, capable” (PE22/105, 127).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think it is possible all of the 1950s and 60s words for “can” co-exist with slightly different meaning: pol- referring to physical ability, ista- to mental ability, lerta- to lack of social limits, and ec- to chance and opportunity. I wouldn’t use any of the words from the 1940s or earlier, though.

tulwë

pillar, standard, pole

tulwë noun "pillar, standard, pole" (LT1:270)

mulë

noun. meal, meal, *grist, ground grains

A word in a list of “large & small” roots from around 1968 replacing polë “meal” (PE17/115). It was likely derived from ✱√MUL, which in the 1910s meant “grind” (QL/63). This words means “meal” in the sense “ground grains” such as “cornmeal”, not “meal” as a time for eating which is [ᴹQ.] mat.

mulë

meal, grist

mulë noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), replacing polë, q.v.

istan quetë

I can speak, I know how to speak

lepetta

noun. Gondorian hardwood

Quenya name for the S. lebethron tree appearing in an undated note likely from the late 1960s, so called “probably because its leaves (like chestnut) [were] shaped like a fingered hand” (PE17/89). As such it was likely derived from √LEP, the basis for finger-words.

mat

meal, meal time

mat (matt-) noun "meal, meal time" (QL:59)

mortavar

noun. ebony, ivory

A neologism coined by Helge Fauskanger in his NQNT (NQNT). He translated it as “ivory”, but the elements of the word are √MOR “dark” and [ᴹQ.] tavar “wood”, so the actual meaning is probably intended to be “ebony”. For “ivory” I recommend instead ᴺQ. ilcaxo.

tamuril

noun. yew