New Theme! What do you think?

Study, speak, and hang out with fellow Elvish students!

4.47-4.492: Womb, Egg, Penis

4.47 Womb

Q. móna n. “*womb”

A word for “womb” in Quenya prayers of the 1950s; the editors of the prayers suggested it is probably connected to √ “labour” (VT43/31).

Conceptual Development: Earlier versions of the prayers had carva instead, possibly connected to √KAR “make” (VT43/31). In notes on Elvish growth from 1959, Tolkien had two different words for “gestation”: colbamarië (NM/91) and colbanavië (NM/120). The initial elements of these might be colba “*womb”, with meanings “*womb-dwelling” and “*womb-being” respectively.

Neo-Quenya: Giving the tentative nature of the interpretations of colba, I’d stick with móna for “womb” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

ᴱN. huch n. “cunnus, *vagina”

This word appeared ᴱN. huch “cunnus” (Latin = “vagina”) in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, derived from primitive ᴱ✶pukku- (PE13/147, 163). Primitive initial [p] often became [h] in (Early) Noldorin.

Neo-Sindarin: Since this sound change was not a feature of later Sindarin, I would adapt this word as ᴺS. puch “cunnus, vagina”, as suggested by Fiona Jallings.

4.48 Egg

ᴱQ. ohte (oksi-) n. “egg”

A word appearing as ᴱQ. ohte “egg” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√OHO¹ (QL/69). It had a stem form oksi- (< *oχti-) because [ti] often became [si] in Early Quenya.

Neo-Quenya: I’d retain ᴺQ. ohtë “egg” for purposes of Neo-Quenya based on a Neo-Root ᴺ√OKH, but without the abnormal stem form.

G. och n. “egg”

A word appearing as G. och “egg” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/62), likely based on the early root ᴱ√OHO¹ from which Qenya “egg” words were derived (QL/69). It has a somewhat unusual plural form uith, likely from primitive *oχ-þ- as suggested by Roman Rausch with the vocalization of to oi which then became ui (HPG/§2.8).

Neo-Sindarin: I’d retain ᴺS. och “egg” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin based on a Neo-Root ᴺ√OKH, but I’d give it a more normal Sindarin plural: ych “eggs”.

4.49 Testicle

ᴱQ. milt n. “semen”

A word appearing as ᴱQ. milt “semen” under the early root ᴱ√MILI which had various “seed” derivatives (QL/61).

Neo-Quenya: I’d adapt this word as ᴺQ. miltë (milti-) “semen” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though its etymology in Tolkien’s later conceptions of the language isn’t clear (< *ᴺ√MILIT?).

4.492 Penis

ᴱQ. hapta- vb. “to eject, ejaculate”

A verb appearing as ᴱQ. hapta- “eject, ejaculate” in Early Qenya Phonology of the 1920s, originally with the sense “to cause liquids to spirt out” based on the early root ᴱ√KAPA “leap” (PE14/66). Oddly, Tolkien gave it the primitive form ᴱ✶skapi̯a-.

Neo-Quenya: Since the root ᴹ√KAP survived in Tolkien’s later writings, I’d retain this word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but based on primitive *skaptā-.

ᴱQ. puntl n. “mem. vir., *penis”

A noun appearing as ᴱQ. puntl in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√PU(HU) “generate”, with an erased gloss “mem. vir.” (QL/75). As suggested by the editors, “mem. vir.” is an abbreviation of Latin “membrum virile” = “male organ”, hence “*penis”.

Neo-Quenya: I would adapt this word as ᴺQ. puncil “male organ, *penis” based on a Neo-Root ᴺ√PUK.

ᴱN. gwib n. “teors, *penis”

A noun ᴱN. gwib “teors” (Old English = “penis”) appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s derived from ᴱ✶wiqē, along with an archaic variant ᴱN. †gwî of the same meaning from primitive ᴱ✶wiı̯ḗ (PE13/146, 162).

Neo-Sindarin: I’d adapt these words as ᴺS. gwîb “penis” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin with long î, derived from *wēkwē based on a variant of the root ᴹ√WEG having to do with vigour.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *