Quenya 

songa

mouth

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

songa

noun. mouth (interior cavity behind the teeth containing the tongue)

A word appearing in some 1964 notes on various elements of the mouth, specifically referring to the “interior cavity behind the teeth, containing tongue”, derived from the root √SOŊ (PE17/126). This is likely a technical term, as opposed to the more ordinary word for mouth: Q. anto.

Conceptual Development: An earlier word for the interior of the mouth was ᴱQ. matu “the mouth (inside)” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√MATA (QL/59).

Derivations

  • √SOÑ “*mouth” ✧ PE17/126

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
√SOŊ > songa[soŋga]✧ PE17/126

ópa

mouth

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

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.

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. pé 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”

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.

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