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Select Elvish Words 10.75-10.78: Cart, Wheel, Axle, Yoke

10.75 Cart, Wagon, Carriage

Q. lunca n. “heavy transport wain”

A word for a “heavy transport wain” in notes from the late 1960s with variant forms lunka and luqa, both derived from primitive ✶lukma [“*drag-thing”] based on the root √LUK “haul, drag” (PE17/28). The form lunka [lunca] shows metathesis of km to mk and then assimilation of mk to nk [ŋk], while the form luqa [luqua] shows the late Quenya sound change of km to kw. I personally prefer lunca.

ᴱQ. norolle n. “cart”

The word ᴱQ. norolle appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon as the cognate to G. drogla “cart” (GL/31), clearly based the early root ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin, etc.” (QL/67).

Neo-Quenya: The root √NOR was associated with both “run” and “roll” as late as 1948 (PE22/127), so I would retain ᴺQ. norollë “cart” for purposes of Neo-Quenya; see the discussion of √NOR for further details.

Q. ondolunca n. “stonewain”

A word for “stonewain” in a discussion of Elvish names for “Stonewain Valley”, a combination of ondo “stone” and lunka “wain” (PE17/28).

Q. raxa n. “wain, *wagon”

A word for “wain” in a discussion of Elvish names for “Stonewain Valley”, more specifically “a drag or any large, flat vehicle on wheels or rollers for hauling stone or other weighty material” (PE17/28). Given its Sindarin cognate rasg, it is probably derived from *raskā with metathesis to x [ks].

G. drogla n. “cart”

A word appearing as G. drogla “cart” in the Gnomish Lexicon with cognate ᴱQ. norolle (GL/31), and thus based on the early root ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin, etc.” (QL/67).

Neo-Sindarin: The root √NOR was associated with both “run” and “roll” as late as 1948 (PE22/127), so I would retain this word but adapt it as ᴺS. drogol “cart” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin. For a similar development, compare N. draug “wolf” < ᴹ✶d’rāk based on ᴹ√DARAK (Ety/DARÁK), but in the case of *n’rok-lǝ there is the additional sound change of initial nr- becoming dr-.

S. rasg n. “wain, *wagon”

A word appearing as rasg “wain” in a discussion of Elvish names for “Stonewain Valley”, more specifically “a drag or any large, flat vehicle on wheels or rollers for hauling stone or other weighty material” (PE17/28). In this instance it is probably derived from *raskā and has a plural form resg, with sk become sg as is usual in Sindarin.

It had the plural form raich in Imrath Gondraich, another name for “Stonewain Valley” appearing in the index to The Unfinished Tales (UTI/Stonewain Valley). This is probably the plural of an unattested variant *rach, which can be explained as a derivative of primitive *raksā with ks > ch; compare ach “neck” < aks (PE17/92).

There is a third plural form regain appearing in another variant name Tum Gondregain “Stonewain Valley” in notes from 1968 (NM/363). Assuming there is no error in the name, this plural is hard to explain, but it could have the plural suffix -in seen in words like conin “princes”.

10.76 Wheel

Q. querma n. “spinning wheel, turn-table, *wheel”

A noun for “a spinning wheel or turn-table” in notes from around 1965, derived from √KWER “revolve” (PE17/65).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. qirin “a wheel” under the early root ᴱ√QIŘI [QIÐI] having to do with stirring and spinning (QL/77).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would also use querma for an ordinary “wheel” such as on carts.

G. drô n. “wheel track, rut”

A word appearing as G. drô “wheel track, rut” in the Gnomish Lexicon related to G. norn “wheel” and derived from the early root ᴱ√nor- (GL/31); the root was glossed “run, go smoothly, ride, spin, etc.” in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/67). As for G. drô, Tolkien initially glossed it as “(same)” indicating it had the same meaning as the entry G. dronn “race, course, track” above it, but this gloss was deleted and replaced by “wheel track, rut”.

Neo-Sindarin: The root √NOR was associated with both “run” and “roll” as late as 1948 (PE22/127), so I would retain ᴺS. drô “wheel track, rut” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin. For a similar development, compare N. draug “wolf” < ᴹ✶d’rāk based on ᴹ√DARAK (Ety/DARÁK), but in the case of *n’ro there is the additional sound change of initial nr- becoming dr-.

ᴱN. norn n. “[G.] wheel”

A word appearing as G. norn “wheel” in the Gnomish Lexicon related to G. nor- “run, roll” (GL/31), and thus likely derived from the early root ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin, etc.” from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/67). ᴱN. norn also appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, but there it was untranslated (PE13/151).

Neo-Sindarin: The root √NOR was associated with both “run” and “roll” as late as 1948 (PE22/127), so I would retain ᴺS. norn “wheel” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

10.77 Axle

G. tholos n. “axle [of a wheel]”

A word appearing as G. tholos “axle of a wheel” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as a noun form of G. thol- “roll” (GL/73).

Neo-Sindarin: Since I retain ᴺS. thol- “to roll” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would retain ᴺS. tholos “axle [of a wheel]” as well, from primitive *tholossē.

10.78 Yoke

ᴹQ. yanta n. “yoke”

The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. yanta “yoke” derived from primitive ᴹ✶yantā under the root ᴹ√YAT “join” (Ety/YAT). However, in Tolkien’s later writings, Q. yanta was translated as “bridge” instead (LotR/1123).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had ᴱQ. {yatra >>} yarta “yoke” under the early root ᴱ√ẎATA “join” (QL/105), as well as ᴱQ. yalta “yoke” derived from ᴱ✶yḹta under the early root ᴱ√YḶTḶ (QL/106). In the Gnomish Lexicon also from the 1910s, Tolkien had ᴱQ. yalte as cognate to G. galt “yoke” (GL/37).

Neo-Quenya: Of the options above, I think ᴺQ. yalta is the best choice for a Neo-Quenya word for “yoke”, as a cognate to ᴺS. ialt. For example, Helge Fauskanger used both yanta and yalta for “yoke” in his Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT).

N. iant n. “yoke”

The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. iant “yoke” derived from primitive ᴹ✶yantā under the root ᴹ√YAT “join” (Ety/YAT). Deleted forms iad and [?]iannas were written immediately after it (EtyAC/YAT). In Tolkien’s later writings S. iant was translated as “bridge” (SA/iant; SD/129; WJ/333), as opposed to N. ianw “bridge” from The Etymologies (Ety/YAT).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s had G. galt “yoke” with cognate ᴱQ. yalte (GL/37), which was probably derived from the early root ᴱ√YḶTḶ from the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon which also had ᴱQ. yalta “yoke” as a derivative (QL/106). In Gnomish of the 1910s ancient initial y became g, which explains G. galt vs. ᴱQ. yalta.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would revise G. galt to ᴺS. ialt “yoke” as a cognate to ᴺQ. yalta, since S. iant is used for “bridge”.

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