Select Elvish Words 9.14: to Bend

9.14 to Bend

Q. cúna adj. “bent, curved”

An adjective for “bent, curved” in notes associated with the Markirya poem of the 1960s, related to the verb Q. kúna- to bend (MC/223).

Q. cúna- v. “to bend”

A verb for “to bend” based on the adjective Q. kúna “bend, curve” appearing in the Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/223).

Conceptual Development: Versions of the poem from around 1930 had ᴱQ. lunga(na)- for “bend” (MC/214), more exactly meaning “sag, bend down, hang heavy” (PE16/75) and thus clearly based on ᴱQ. lungo or lunga “heavy” (PE13/163; PE16/75). Another poem from this same period had ᴱQ. kauta- “to bend” (MC/216; PE16/100).

ᴹQ. kukumba- v. “to nod repeatedly, (lit.) keep on bowing”

An example frequentative verb in the Quenya Verbal System from 1948, based on ᴹQ. kuv- “bow” and so literally “keep on bowing”, but with the sense “to nod repeatedly” in modern Quenya.

ᴹQ. kuv- v. “to bow [the body]”

A verb for “bow” based on the root ᴹ√KUB, appearing in the Quenya Verbal System from 1948 (PE22/102).

Q. locin adj. “bent, *curled”

An adjective meaning “bent” appearing in 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD) based on the root √LOK “bend” (PE17/160).

Neo-Quenya: I would use this adjective for “curled” as well, given lócë “bight, bend, curl of hair” appearing on the same page.

Q. luhta- v. “to bow, *curve”

A verb for “bow” derived from primitive ✶luʒu appearing in notes from 1968 (VT47/35). For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this verb for transitive “bow, *curve” (something) = “cause to curve”, as opposed to ᴹQ. kuv- for “to bow” (the body).

Q. lúva n. “bow (in forming tengwar), bight, bend, curve”

A word Tolkien used to describe the “bow” of tengwar in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1118). Elsewhere he indicated it was a general word for a “bend, bow, bight, curve” (PE17/122, 168). Tolkien variously derived this word from the roots √LUB or √(N)DUB; see those entries for discussion. He also specified that lúva was not a bow for shooting (PE17/122), as opposed to [ᴹQ.] qinga given elsewhere as a shooting bow (Ety/KWIG).

Q. numba adj. “bent, humped”

An adjective glossed “bent, humped” from notes written around 1959, derived from the root √NDUP/B “bending and drooping” (PE17/168). For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this adjective for “bent” in a malformed way, as opposed to cúna for “bent, curved” naturally.

G. cam(m)a- v. “to stoop, bend, bow, cower; to submit”

A verb appearing as {camba- >>} G. cam(m)a- in the Gnomish Lexicon (GL) of the 1910s with glosses “stoop, bend, bow, cower — submit” (GL/25), probably based on the early root ᴱ√KAẆA “stoop” in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/45). Beneath it was a deleted verb {G. cav-} “to bend”. This deleted verb reappeared later in GL, with the glosses “to bend, make stoop” and its second appearance was also deleted (GL/25). Beneath its second deletion was a verb G. cavra- that Tolkien said was equivalent to camba-; an earlier entry for cavra- was glossed “stoop, cower”, but the glossed entry for cavra- was deleted.

Neo-Sindarin: In Tolkien’s later writings the roots √KAW and √KAM had different meanings, so I don’t think any of these early verbs can be salvaged. I would instead use the neologism ᴺS. loera- “to stoop, bow, cower; to submit” based on the later root √LOK “bend”.

N. cûn adj. “bowed, bent, bow-shaped, [G.] concave”

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “ bowed, bow-shaped, bent” derived from primitive ᴹ✶kuʒnā under the root ᴹ√KUƷ “bow” (Ety/KUƷ).

Conceptual Development: G. cûn “bowed, bent, concave” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, along with variant forms cunwed, cuvon (GL/27).

G. loctha n. “twist, tendril, spiral, coil”

A noun appearing as G. loctha “a twist, tendril, spiral, coil” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (QL/55).

Neo-Sindarin: Since √LOK “bend, loop” survived in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain this word but update it to ᴺS. loeth “twist, tendril, spiral, coil” to better fit Sindarin phonology.

G. loctha- n. “to curl, bend, wind, twine, ⚠️tie knot, tangle”

A verb appearing as G. loctha- “curl (tr.), bend, wind, twine, tie knot, tangle” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (QL/55).

Neo-Sindarin: Since √LOK “bend, loop” survived in Tolkien’s later writing, I would retain this word but update it to ᴺS. loetha- “to curl, bend, wind, twine” to better fit Sindarin phonology, dropping the meanings “tie knot, tangle” for which I would use [N.] nod- “tie” and [G.] canga- “tangle”.

G. logrin adj. “curled, curly, *bending, looping”

A word appearing as G. logrin “curled, curly” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjective form of G. log- “curl, loop” based on the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (GL/54).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin I would update this word to ᴺS. logren “curled, curly, *bending, looping” using the more typical Sindarin adjective suffix -ren. I would also add the glosses “bending, looping” to (a) be closer to the later meaning of the root √LOK “bend, loop” and (b) replace G. gwedhwion “bending, looping”, an early word that I don’t think can be salvaged.

G. lonc n. “curl”

A noun appearing as G. lonc “curl” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/54), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (QL/55).

Neo-Sindarin: Since the later meaning of the root √LOK “bend, loop” is fairly close to its early meaning, I would retain ᴺS. lonc “curl” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin; compare Q. lócë “bight, bend, curl of hair”, a later word of similar meaning (PE17/160).

G. lûgi n. “bend, loop, wind, twist; guile, deceit”

A noun appearing as {lûg “a worm, serpent” >>} G. lûgi “a wind, a twist” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with an extended meaning “guile, deceit” (GL/55), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LOKO “twine, twist, curl” (QL/55). For its deleted meaning, see the later word S. lhûg “reptile, snake, worm” (PE17/160).

Neo-Sindarin: Since the later meaning of the √LOK “bend, loop” is fairly close to its early meaning, I would update this word to ᴺS. lûg “bend, loop, wind, twist; guile, deceit” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, with added glosses “bend, loop” to be closer to the later meaning of its root √LOK “bend, loop”. I would still assume lûg has the alternate meaning “guile, deceit” as an extension of its basic sense.

G. nud- v. “to incline head, bend face down, *nod; to assent, *agree”

A verb appearing as G. nud- “incline head, bend face down” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/61), probably based on the early root ᴱ√NUHU “bow, bend down, stoop, sink” (QL/68). There is a similar and probably-related verb G. nunta- “agree” appearing two lines below it.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would combine and adapt these verbs as ᴺS. nunna- “to incline head, bend face down, *nod; to assent, *agree” based on the later root √NU “sink, go down”, perhaps from primitive *nun-tā.