9.45 to Hew
- Q. mac- v. “to hew (with a sword), *swing (a sword); ⚠️[ᴱQ.] to slay; to die”
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A verb in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, appearing in its aorist form make “hews with a sword” and derived from the root √MAK “cut, hew with a sharp edge” that was also the basis for sword words.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s ᴱQ. maka- meant “slay” under the early root ᴱ√MAKA (QL/57), while in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱQ. maka- meant “die” with a causative variant ᴱQ. maktya- “kill” (PE14/58). This early root was also the basis for ᴱQ. makil “sword”, so the shifting meanings of the Quenya verb seem to be based on the shift meanings of the root; see √MAK for further discussion.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use mac- as a general word for “hew”, with a particular connotation of “hew with a sword”. Furthermore, I think this verb originally applied to the motion of hewing (= swing a blade) as opposed to Q. nac- for the result of hewing (= cut with a blade), though in practice the two verbs often overlap. I think mac- “hew” is more commonly used, since [ᴹQ.] nac- also means “bite”.
- Q. nac- v. “to hew [into], cut; ⚠️[ᴹQ.] to slay, kill; to hate”
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This verb was mentioned in several places with different meanings. In Late Notes on Verbs Tolkien gave 1st-sg aorist and past forms of this verb along side the more “intensive” verb nahta-:
[The ta-formative element] t was also used as (originally) an intensive or differentiator as in √NDAK, hew, ndakta, slay, to[?] Q nakin, nanke/nahtan, nakante, slay, slew (PE22/156).
Here, it seems Tolkien was describing two verbs: a basic verb nac- “hew” derived directly from the root √NDAK and a derived verb nahta- “slay” from a ta-formative augmentation of the root. The verb form nakin was mentioned in passing in Vinyar Tengwar 49 as nakin “I hew, cut” but without an indication of what the actual source was (VT49/24).
Conceptual Development: The verb ᴹQ. nak- also appeared in various forms in the Quenya Verbal System from 1948, generally with the gloss “kill” but in one place with the gloss “hate” (PE22/112, 120, 123). In Primitive Quendian Structure from the 1930s, Tolkien gave nakuvan as the modern Quenya form of ancient ᴹ✶ndăkŭbā̆nyē “I will slay” (PE21/65 and note #13). The change in meaning for Quenya nak- seems to reflect a conceptual shift in the primitive root: in The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√NDAK was glossed “slay” (Ety/NDAK), in the Outline of Phonology of the 1950s it was glossed “hew, slay” (PE19/91), and in the 1960s only “hew” (PE22/156, see above).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assign nac- the meanings “hew, cut”, and for “slay” I would use nahta-. Furthermore, I would assume nac- originally applied to the result of hewing a thing = “hew [into], cut”, as opposed to mac- for a hewing motion. I would further assume the meaning “hew [into], cut” was influenced by the homonym [ᴹQ.] nac-² “bite” of different primitive origin (Ety/NAK), and I think the “bite” meaning of nac- is more common since mac- can be used for “hew” if things are ambiguous.
- N. drava- v. “to hew”
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A verb for “to hew” in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing in its (Noldorin) infinitive form dravo under the root ᴹ√DARAM “beat, hew” (Ety/DARÁM).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. flig- “hew” probably based on the early root ᴱ√FḶKḶ of similar meaning (GL/35; QL/38) as well as G. pelectha- “hew” related to G. peleg “axe” (GL/64).
9.455 to Poke, Prick, Stab
- ᴹQ. ehta- v. “to stab”
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A verb appearing as ᴹQ. ehta “stab” based on the root ᴹ√EK “point, sharp point, thorn” appearing on a page of roots from the Quenya Verbal System from 1948, but this page was marked through (PE22/127).
Neo-Quenya: Primitive ✶ektā- “prick with a sharp point, stab” appears in Tolkien’s later writings (WJ/365), so I think ᴺQ. ehta- “to stab” can be retained for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
- ᴹQ. erka- v. “to prick”
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A verb for “to prick” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√EREK “thorn” (Ety/ERÉK).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. kenin “I prick” under the early root ᴱ√KENYE “prick” (QL/46), and Q. koli- “to prick” under ᴱ√KOLO² (QL/47).
- ᴱQ. irt (irty-) n. “peck, pinprick”
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A noun appearing as ᴱQ. irt (irty-) “a peck, pinprick” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√ᴵRTYᴵR of “peck, prick” (QL/43).
Neo-Quenya: I would adapt this noun as ᴺQ. irtë (irti-) “peck, pinprick” based on the Neo-Root ᴺ√IRIT “peck, prick”.
- ᴱQ. irty- v. “to peck, prick”
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A verb appearing as ᴱQ. irtin “I peck, prick” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√ᴵRTYᴵR of similar meaning (QL/43).
Neo-Quenya: I would adapt this verb as ᴺQ. irta- “to peck, prick” based on the Neo-Root ᴺ√IRIT “peck, prick”.
- ᴹQ. nasta- v. “to sting, prick”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “prick, sting” under the root ᴹ√NAS “point, sharp end” (Ety/NAS).
- S. eitha- v. “to prick with a sharp point, stab; to treat with scorn, insult”
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A verb mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 with the basic meaning “prick with a sharp point, stab”, but also used to mean “treat with scorn, insult, often with reference to rejection or dismissal” (WJ/365). It was derived from ✶ek-tā based on the root √eke “sharp point”.
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. aitha- “prick, sting” related to G. aith “thorn”, both derived from the early root ᴱ√EKE (GL/18). Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s instead had ᴱN. eithra- “to prick, stab” (PE13/143, 158).
- N. erch n. “to prick”
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A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “a prickle” under the root ᴹ√EREK “thorn” (Ety/ERÉK).
- N. ercha- v. “to prick”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing in its (Noldorin) infinitive form ercho “to prick” under the root ᴹ√EREK “thorn” (Ety/ERÉK).
- G. irtha- v. “to peck”
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A verb appearing as G. {irta- >>} irtha- “peck” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/52), probably based the early root ᴱ√ᴵRTYᴵR “peck, prick” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/43).
Neo-Sindarin: I would retain this verb as ᴺS. irtha- “to peck” based on the Neo-Root ᴺ√IRIT “peck, prick”.
- N. nasta- v. “to prick, point, stick, thrust”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “prick, point, stick, thrust” under the root ᴹ√NAS “point, sharp end” (Ety/NAS).