5.77 Nut
- Q. *pecco n. “nut”
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In notes from 1969, Tolkien had a word Q. pekkuvo “nut-hider” = “squirrel” (PE22/155). Since √KUB was “hide” in that document, the element pek- must be “nut”. Its form outside of compounds is unclear; the form pecco is a guess, originally suggested in a conversation on Google+ from 2018: https://j-teuber.github.io/lome-archive/posts/9WrXJNLBNvm.
Conceptual Development: The only other “nut” words in Tolkien’s publish writings date back to the 1910s, where Tolkien had ᴱQ. kote (kotsi-) “nut” in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s (QL/48), probably derived from a (hypothetical) early root *ᴱ√KOTO given G. cod “nut” (GL/26). This early root conflicts with later √KOT that was the basis for ohta “war” and cotto “enemy”.
- N. breth n. “mast, *fallen nuts or acorns”
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A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “mast” (EtyAC/NEL) related to Ilk. breth “beech-mast”, both derived from the root ᴹ√BERETH “beech” (Ety/BERETH). This word may be Noldorin as well as Ilkorin given N. Brethil and N. Brethorn (Ety/NEL; EtyAC/NEL). While breth conceivably could refer to the mast of a ship, it more likely refers to the fallen nuts and acorns of beech, oak and chestnut trees used in ancient times to feed pigs, so “*fallen nuts or acorns”, one of the senses of the Old English word “mæst”.
5.79 Oil
- Q. elp- n. “to anoint”
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An element in a (rejected) translation of “Christ” in Quenya prayers of the 1950s: Elpino (VT44/15). It might mean “anoint” as suggested by Wynne, Smith and Hostetter as a derivative of √LIP “oil”, but this is rather speculative.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I prefer Helge Fauskanger’s neologism ᴺQ. liv- for “to anoint”, derived from ᴹ√(G)LIB.
- ᴹQ. laive n. “ointment”
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A word for “ointment” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶laibē under the root ᴹ√LIB (Ety/LIB²). The (archaic?) form laiwe appeared in notes written around 1940 as a cognate to N. glaew (TMME/53).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had ᴱQ. oine “unguent” and ᴱQ. oinalis (oinaliss-) “ointment”, both under the early root ᴱ√OẎO (QL/71). ᴱQ. oine “unguent” also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/71).
- ᴱQ. millo n. “oil”
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The word ᴱQ. millo for “oil” appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s as a cognate of ᴱN. bliw, both derived from primitive ᴱ✶mḷgo (PE13/139). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “oil” was ᴱQ. ilma derived from the early root ᴱ√ILI¹ “shine oily” (QL/42).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I’d retain ᴺQ. millo for “oil” from a Neo-Root ᴺ√MILIG, where lg became ll (PE19/93). However, I would assume a stem form of millu- and a primitive form *mil’gu to better explain the final w in ᴺS. blîw “oil”.
- ᴱN. blîw n. “oil”
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There was a word G. ilm “oil, fat, grease” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/50), clearly derived from the early root ᴱ√ILI¹ (QL/42). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the word for “oil” was ᴱN. bliw derived from primitive ᴱ✶mḷgo (PE13/139).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would update the Early Noldorin word to ᴺS. blîw “oil” since vowels in monosyllables were usually long in Sindarin. I would assume this word was based on a Neo-Root ᴺ√MILIG “oil”, derived from a primitive form m’ligu.
- N. glaew n. “ointment, salve”
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A word for “ointment” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶(g)laibē under the root ᴹ√(G)LIB where the G appeared in Noldorin derivations as indicated by the form g-laew (Ety/LIB²; EtyAC/LIB²). In notes on The Feanorian Alphabet also from the 1930s, it was given as (archaic Gondolic) glaiw “salve” from ON. glaibe (PE22/32). A more detailed derivation appeared in notes from around 1940: ON. glaibe > glēbe > glaef > glaew (TMME/53).