12.71 Flat
- ᴹQ. lára adj. “flat”
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An adjective for “flat” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from either ᴹ✶lāda or ᴹ✶dāla based on the root ᴹ√LAD or its variant ᴹ√DAL (Ety/DAL, LAD). Derivation from ᴹ✶dāla would require some kind of D/L variation, but that seems to be common in Primitive Elvish.
- ᴹQ. palme n. “surface”
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A word for “surface” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under on the root ᴹ√PAL “wide (open)” (Ety/PAL).
- ᴱQ. palo (palu-) n. “plane (surface), the flat, *flatness; ⚠️plain”
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A word appearing as ᴱQ. palo (palu-) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, glossed “plane surface, plain, the flat” and based on the early root ᴱ√PALA having to do with flat things (QL/71).
Neo-Quenya: Since √PAL continued to be used for wide and flat things in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain ᴺQ. palo for purposes of Neo-Quenya. However, I would use it for abstractions like “plane (surface), the flat, *flatness” and not for a regional “plain” for which I would use later words like ᴹQ. landa or ᴹQ. palar. I would further assume that palo can be used for a flat plane in any direction, not just horizontal.
- ᴱQ. palwa adj. “even, level, flat”
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An adjective appearing as ᴱQ. paluva, palwa, palanka, palanta in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, glossed “even, flat, level” and based on the early root ᴱ√PALA having to do with flat things (QL/71).
Neo-Quenya: Since √PAL continued to be used for wide and flat things in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain ᴺQ. palwa “even, level, flat” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
- G. blant adj. “flat, open, expansive; candid, blunt (of words)”
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An adjective in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing as G. blant with the glosses “flat, open, expansive; candid, blunt (of words)” (GL/19), apparently based on based on (a variant of?) the early root ᴱ√PALA having to do with flat things (QL/71).
Neo-Sindarin: Since √PAL continued to be used for wide and flat things in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain but adapt this word as ᴺS. plant “flat, open, expansive; candid, blunt (of words)” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
- N. dalw adj. “flat”
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An adjective for “flat” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√DAL of the same meaning (Ety/DAL).
Neo-Sindarin: Given the revision of N. dalath to S. talath “plain”, I would adapt this word as ᴺS. talu as suggested in Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary (HSD). I would use this word for “flat” in its most general sense, as opened to laden which means “flat (and wide)” with an implication of a wide open and level expanse, mostly used in describing landscapes.
- S. laden adj. “flat (and wide), *level; [N.] open, cleared; [G.] fair, equitable; ⚠️[ᴱN.] smooth”
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The earliest iteration of this word was G. ladin in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it meant either “level, smooth” or “fair, equable” (GL/52). In this period it was an element in the name Tumladin and was mentioned as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√LAHA (QL/50). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became {lhadin >>} lhaden “flat, smooth” (PE13/148). N. lhaden reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “open, cleared” under the root ᴹ√LAT “lie open” (Ety/LAT), consistent with the revised 1930s name N. Tumladen (Ety/TUB). The Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 had the form N. laden < ᴹ✶lătĭna “flat (and wide)” (PE22/126). Tolkien’s continued use of S. Tumladen in his later writings indicates its ongoing validity.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume the proper form of this word was laden, since the unvoicing of initial l to lh was a feature of Noldorin in the 1920s and 30s and no longer occurred in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s. I would assume its base meaning is “flat (and wide), *level”, and by extension “open, cleared”. I would assume this sense of the word is mostly used in describing landscapes. I would also retain its 1910s use for “fair, equable” as a more metaphorical meaning: sa laden “that’s flat/level” = “that’s fair” when speaking of a deal or arrangement.
- N. palath n. “surface”
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A word for “surface” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√PAL “wide (open)” (Ety/PAL).