6.11 to Clothe, Dress
- ᴱQ. vaimata- v. “to robe, *clothe; to get dressed, put on clothing”
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A word appearing as ᴱQ. vaimata- “robe” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, a verb form of ᴱQ. vaima “wrap, robe” (QL/100).
Neo-Quenya: Since I retain the noun ᴺQ. vaima “wrap, robe” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would also retain ᴺQ. vaimata- as a general verb for putting on clothing.
- ᴱQ. vaina adj. “clad”
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An adjective appearing as ᴱQ. vaina in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as the cognate to G. bain “clad” (GL/21), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Vai; QL/100).
Neo-Quenya: Since ᴹ√WAY “enfold” appears in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/WAY), I would retain ᴺQ. vaina “clad” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, especially since it was used in Helge Fauskanger’s Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT). It does, however, clash with vaina “blond”.
- ᴱN. bai adj. “clad”
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This word appeared as G. bain “clad” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/21), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Vai; QL/100). The word bain reappeared in Early Noldorin words lists of the 1920s, but was deleted and revised to ᴱN. bai “clad” (PE13/138).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would just use the passive participle hammen of the verb [N.] hab- “to clothe” (Ety/KHAB) to mean “clothed, clad”.
- N. hab- v. “to clothe”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “clothe” derived from the root ᴹ√KHAB “enfold” (Ety/KHAB), along with a variant N. hamma- of the same meaning (EtyAC/KHAB). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien gave the form of the second verb as hamnia- (LR/363), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne confirmed that the actual form was hamma- in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/21).
Conceptual Development: There were a couple of verbs of similar meaning in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s: G. {baitha- >>} baidha- “to clothe” (GL/21) and braitha- “wrap, swathe” (GL/23). The first was derived from the early root ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Vai; QL/100), and the second was based on G. brach “a shawl, plaid, wrap” (GL/23). The form ᴱN. braith also appeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/139), but it was unglossed and whether it was related is unclear.
Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies, Tolkien made no distinction between N. hab- and N. hamma-, except that the latter seems to be the basis for (the gerund?) N. hammad “clothing”. For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use hab- for any covering of cloth, so including “wrap, swathe”, but would use hamma- for the more specific act of putting on clothing or getting dressed.
6.12 Clothes, Clothing
- Q. larma n. “raiment”
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A word from the late 1960s for “raiment” appearing only its plural form in the phrase Valar ar Maiar fantaner nassentar fanainen ve quenderinwe coar al larmar “Valar and Maiar cloaked their true-being in veils, like to Elvish bodies and raiment” (PE17/175). It’s derivation is unclear, but it might be tied to ᴹ√LAD “lie flat” from the 1940s (PE22/126).
- N. hammad n. “clothing, *clothes”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s for “clothing” based on (and possibly the gerund of) the verb N. hamma- “to clothe” (Ety/KHAB).
Conceptual Development: Earlier clothing words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s include G. baith¹ “a garment” and {baidri- “clothes” >>} baithri “clothes, clothing” (GL/21), both derived from the early root ᴱ√VAẎA “enfold, wind about” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Vai; QL/100). The form ᴱN. {maith >>} baith “clothes, garments, dress” reappeared in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/138).
See N. hamp “garment” for other similar words.
- N. hamp n. “garment”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s for “garment” derived from the root ᴹ√KHAP “enfold” (Ety/KHAB).
Conceptual Development: Earlier garment words include G. baith¹ “a garment” from the Gnomish Lexicon, ᴱN. baith “clothes, garments, dress” in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/138) and ᴱN. gwab “garment” in both Early Noldorin word lists and the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s (PE13/123, 146). The collective plural ᴱN. gwablith of this last word was also used for “clothes”.
See N. hammad “clothing” for other similar words.
6.13 Tailor, Seamstress
- Q. serindë [þ] n. “broideress, needlewoman, *seamstress”
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A sobriquet of Míriel, mother of Fëanor, variously glossed “broideress” (MR/257) and “needlewoman” (PM/333). It seems likely this word could also be used of an ordinary seamstress, a feminine agental form of the otherwise unattested verb ser- [þ] “*to sew”. The root √THER or √SER “sew” appeared in notes from 1957, with Tolkien’s preference being the first of these because of its similarity to √TER “pierce” (PE17/33).