9.42 Artisan, Craftsman
- Q. ahto n. “wright, maker”
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A word for “maker, wright” used a suffix in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s, derived from ᴹ✶(a)k’tō as an abnormal vocalization of the root ᴹ√KAT “make” (PE18/62). The word ahto reappeared in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950 as an independent word with the same meaning and derivation (PE18/85). The section in TQ2 containing this word was marked through, but the logic for its derivation remains valid, so I would retain ᴺQ. ahto “wright, maker” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
- S. tân n. “builder, smith, wright, artificer”
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An element in various words with senses like “builder, smith, wright, artificer”. N. tân was also an element in a number of words in The Etymologies of the 1930s, based on the root ᴹ√TAN “make, fashion” (Ety/KIR, TAN). In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien revised the primitive root to √TAM “construct”, but he said that “in Sindarin the base appeared mostly in form √TAN owing to contact with √PAN ‘arrange, set in order’ (PE17/108)”. It is not clear whether the element -tan can be used as independent word, but if it can then it would have the form tân.
9.422 Tool
- Q. carma n. “tool, implement, means, weapon”
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A noun meaning either a “tool, weapon” or “tool, implement, means”, an instrumental formation of car- “doing”, hence originally simply a “*thing for doing/making” (PE17/114; PE22/152).
Neo-Quenya: This word is similar in meaning to tamma “tool” based on √TAM “construct”, but for purposes of Neo-Quenya I would assume carma is a more general term for a mechanism to get something done, so including non-physical things like “means”, as opposed to tamma “tool” which is more specifically a (physical) instrument for constructing something.
- Q. curo (curu-) n. “skillful (?device)”
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A derivative of √KUR “skill” in notes from the late 1960s with a difficult-to-read gloss, apparently “a skilful (?device)” according to Carl Hostetter (VT41/10).
- ᴱQ. enya n. “device (method, trick), machine, engine”
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A word in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “device (method, trick), machine, engine”, based on ᴱ√ENE¹ + ᴱ✶-yǝ whose derivatives had to do with devising and invention (QL/35). The parenthetical comment “device (method, trick)” seems to be for distinguishing its meaning from ᴱQ. enyarin “device, escutcheon, blazon” in the same entry.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would update this word to ᴺQ. indya “device, machine, engine” as an elaboration of √IN(ID) “mind, thought”.
- ᴹQ. sorasta n. “equipment”
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A word for “equipment” appearing in several sentences from Notes for Qenya Declensions of the 1940s (PE21/69).
- Q. tamma n. “tool”
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A word for “tool”, an instrumental form of the root √TAM “construct” in notes from the late 1960s (PE17/107).
- N. gaud n. “device, contrivance, machine”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “device, contrivance, machine” under the root ᴹ√GAW “think out, devise, contrive” (Ety/GAW).
9.423 to Use
- Q. mahta- v. “to handle, wield, use, make use of; to manage, deal with, treat, control; [ᴹQ.] to stroke, feel; to wield a weapon, fight”
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A well-attested verb whose original sense seems to be “handle”, based on the root √MAH or √MAƷ for “hand”. It had other glosses such as “wield, use, make use of”, but also “manage, deal with, treat, control”. It thus seems to be usable for both “handle, wield, use” a concrete physical item and “handle, manage, deal with” an abstract process or situation.
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s the verb ᴹQ. mahta- meant “stroke, feel, handle; wield” as a derivative of ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ), but also “wield a weapon, fight” as a derivative of ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword)” (Ety/MAK). Earlier versions of the entry for ᴹ√MAK had glosses like “slay with sword” or “kill with sword” (EtyAC/MAK), which seem to be holdovers from ᴱQ. makta- “slay, slaughter” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√MAKA (QL/58).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use mahta- for both “handle” and “fight” (mainly in the sense “wield a weapon”) as a blending of √MAH and √MAK, along with the meaning “stroke, feel” a physical thing.
- N. iuith n. “use”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “use” under the root ᴹ√YUK “employ, use” (Ety/YUK).
- N. iuitha- v. “to employ”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “employ” under the root ᴹ√YUK “employ, use” (Ety/YUK; EtyAC/YUK). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road Christopher Tolkien indicated the gloss was “?enjoy” (LR/400), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this to “employ” in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/23).
- S. maetha- v. “to handle, wield, use, manage, treat, deal with”
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A verb whose original sense seems to be “handle”, based on the root √MAH or √MAƷ for “hand”. It was variously glossed “to handle” (PE17/69), “to handle, treat, manage” (PE17/161), “use, wield” (PE17/162), and “handle, wield, manage, deal with” (VT47/6). It thus seems to be usable for both “handle, wield, use” a concrete physical item and “handle, manage, deal with” an abstract process or situation.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had G. maitha- “rule, govern, wield control, hold” (GL/56), probably based on the early root ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” that was the basis for “hand” words in the 1910s (QL/57). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, ᴱN. maitha- came to mean “to ravish”, cognate to ᴱQ. mapta- and thus based on ᴱ√MAPA “seize” (PE13/149, 163). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. maetha- was glossed “to fight” under the root ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight with sword” (Ety/MAK), itself a later iteration of G. mactha- “slay, kill” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s based on the early root ᴱ√MAKA “slay” (GL/55).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use maetha- for both “handle” and “fight” as a blending of √MAH and √MAK.
- N. tortha- v. “to wield, control”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing in its (Noldorin) infinitive form tortho “ to wield, control” under the root ᴹ√TUR “power, control, mastery, victory” (Ety/TUR). As such it seems to apply mainly to the wielding of power and control of people. Compare to (S.) maetha- “to handle” for wielding physical objects.