14.71 Month
- Q. asta n. “month; division, part (esp. one of other equal parts)”
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A word appearing in its plural form astar “months” in The Lord of the Rings appendices (LotR/1108). In notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien connected asta “month” to árë “sunlight” < ✶áse (PE17/18). However, in notes from the late 1960s he derived it from √SAT “divide, mark off” (VT42/19-20). In notes from 1968 associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor, he said asta properly meant “division, a part (esp. one of other equal parts)”, which meant “month” in the context of divisions of the year (VT48/11). He again reiterated it was derived from √SAT “divide, apportion”, which was also the basis for fraction words like nel(d)esta “one third” = “*third part” (VT48/11).
In rough notes on the number “two” from this period Tolkien said that asta was also used as a group suffix and was related to the Sindarin group plural suffix S. -ath (VT48/19). For this collective suffix use see the entry for -sta.
- Q. ránasta n. “lunar month”
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A word for a “lunar month” appearing in notes from around 1968 (VT48/11), a combination of Rána “Moon” and asta “month”.
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon had ᴱQ. lunde “month (lunar); properly simply = period” under the early root ᴱ√LUHU having to do with time (QL/56). The word lunde “month” also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/56).
14.72 Names of the Months
- Q. Cermië n. “July”
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Name of the seventh month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “July” (PM/134). Its meaning is unclear.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Kermie and it appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Nólairë “*After Summer” = ᴹQ. nó “after” + ᴹQ. laire “summer” (PM/134-135).
- Q. Hísimë n. “November, *Misty-one”
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Name of the eleventh month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “November” (LotR/1110; UT/279). It appears to be based on hísë (hísi-) “mist”, so perhaps meaning “*Misty-one”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Hísime and it appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Erríve “*First Winter” = ᴹQ. er “one” + ᴹQ. hríve “winter” (PM/134-135).
- Q. Lótessë n. “May, *(lit.) Flower-ness”
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Name of the fifth month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “May” (PM/134). It is apparently based on lótë “flower”, so perhaps meaning “*Flower-ness”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Lótesse “May” with an alternate name ᴹQ. Nótuile “*After Spring” = ᴹQ. nó “*after” + ᴹQ. tuile “spring” (PM/134-135). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave various other words for “April”: ᴱQ. Kalainis based on ᴱQ. kalaine “serenity” (QL/44), ᴱQ. Lotession based on Lotesse as a name of Erinti (QL/55-56), as well as ᴱQ. Lunde Kalaina “*Serene Month” [kalain(e)a “serene”] and ᴱQ. Lunde Lótea “*Flowery Month” [lótea “full of blossom”] (QL/56).
- Q. Nárië n. “June, *Fire-ness”
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Name of the sixth month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “June” (LotR/1110). It is apparently an elaboration of nár “fire”, so perhaps meaning “*Fire-ness”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Nárie and it appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Erlaire “*First Summer” = ᴹQ. er “one” + ᴹQ. laire “summer” (PM/134-135).
- Q. Narquelië n. “October, Sun-fading”
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Name of the tenth month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “October” (LotR/1110, 1112), translated “Sun-fading” by Christopher Tolkien in the index to Unfinished Tales (UTI/Narquelië) and very likely a combination of nár “fire” and quelië “fading”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Narqelie and appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Nóqelle “*After Autumn” = ᴹQ. nó “*after” + ᴹQ. qelle “autumn” (PM/134-135). The Etymologies of the 1930s had similarly formed ᴹQ. Narqelion “fire-fading” based on the roots ᴹ√NAR¹ “fire” and ᴹ√KWEL “fade”, but as a name for “autumn” rather than October (Ety/KWEL, NAR¹). The name ᴱQ. Narqelion as a word for “autumn” dates all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/68), but it is not seen past the 1930s and was reformed and repurposed as the name of October by the 1950s.
- Q. Narvinyë n. “January, *New-fire”
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Name of the first month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “January” (LotR/1110). It is apparently a combination of nár “fire” and noun form of vinya “new”, so perhaps meaning “*New-fire”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Narvinye with an alternate name Metterríve or Meterríve “*End Winter” = mette “*end” + hríve “winter” (PM/134-135) (PM/134). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave various other words for “January”: ᴱQ. Avestalis based on avesta “beginning” (QL/29) and ᴱQ. Lunde Niq(il)issea meaning “*Snowy Month” [niqissea “snowy”] (QL/56). This document said January was further divided into ᴱQ. Lirillion and ᴱQ. Erintion named after the Vala Lirillo and Vali Erinti respectively (QL/36).
- Q. Nénimë n. “February, *Wet-ness”
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Name of the second month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “February” (UT/279). It is apparently an abstract noun based on nén “water”, so perhaps meaning “*Wet-ness”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was ᴹQ. Nendesse with an alternate name ᴹQ. Erkoire “First Stirring” = ᴹQ. er “one” + ᴹQ. koire “stirring” (PM/134-135). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave various other words for “February”: ᴱQ. Amillion named after the Vala ᴱQ. Amillo (QL/30), ᴱQ. Lunde Tiqilindea meaning “*Month of Thawing” [tiqilindea “thawing, slushy”] (QL/56), and ᴱQ. Sovalwaris (Sovalwarist-) based on sovalwa “cleansing” (QL/86).
- Q. Ringarë n. “December, *Coldness”
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Name of the twelfth month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “December” (PM/134). It is apparently based on ringa “cold”, so perhaps meaning “*Coldness”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Ringare and it appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Norríve “*After Winter” = ᴹQ. nó “after” + ᴹQ. hríve “winter” (PM/134-135).
- Q. Súlimë n. “March, *Windy-one”
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Name of the third month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “March” (PM/134). It is apparently based on súlë “wind”, so perhaps meaning “*Windy-one”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Súlime “March” with an alternate name ᴹQ. Nókoire “*After Stirring” = ᴹQ. nó “*after” + ᴹQ. koire “stirring” (PM/134-135). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s “March” was ᴱQ. Lunde Susúlima “*Windy Month” [susúlima “full of wind”] (QL/56) while ᴱQ. súlime simply meant “wind” (QL/86).
- Q. Úrimë n. “August, *Hot-one”
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Name of the eighth month of the year in the Westron calendar (LotR/1110) corresponding to “August” (PM/134). It appears to be based on úrë (úri-) “heat”, so perhaps meaning “*Hot-one”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Úrime “August” and it appeared with an alternate name Mettelaire or Metelaire “*End Summer” = mette “*end” + laire “summer” (PM/134-135).
- Q. Víressë n. “April, *Freshness”
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Name of the fourth month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “April” (LotR/1110, 1112). It is apparently based on the root ᴹ√WIR “fresh, young”, so perhaps meaning “*Freshness”.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Víresse with an alternate name ᴹQ. Ertuile “First Spring” = ᴹQ. er “one” + ᴹQ. tuile “spring” (PM/134-135). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien gave various other words for “April”: ᴱQ. Lunde Timpínea meaning “*Month of Showers” [timpínea “full of fine showers”] (QL/56) and ᴱQ. Tuiléris based on ᴱQ. Tuilére “Spring” (QL/96).
- Q. Yavannië n. “September, *Yavanna-ness”
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Name of the ninth month of the year in the Westron calendar corresponding to “September” (LotR/1110, 1112; UT/279). It appears to be based on the name Yavanna.
Conceptual Development: In drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices, this name was already ᴹQ. Yavannie and it appeared with an alternate name ᴹQ. Erqelle “*First Autumn” = ᴹQ. er “one” + ᴹQ. qelle “autumn” (PM/134-135).