11.64 Debt
- ᴹQ. nauta adj. “bound, obliged”
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An adjective for “bound, obliged” in The Etymologies of the 1930s based on the root ᴹ√NUT “tie, bind” (Ety/NUT).
- ᴱQ. paitya- v. “to repay, requite”
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A verb appearing as ᴱQ. paitya- “repay, requite” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√PAẎA “requite, punish, take vengeance on, conquer, subdue” (QL/72).
Neo-Quenya: I retain ᴺ√PAY for purposes of Neo-Quenya to serve as the basis for various “vengeance” words, so I would keep ᴺQ. paitya- “to repay, requite” as well, derived from *PAYAT-yā.
- Q. rohta n. “*debt, ⚠️trespass”
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Tolkien experimented with various words for “debt, trespass” in drafts of the Átaremma prayer from the 1950s. In the earliest draft Tolkien had lucassë (VT43/8), revised to lucië in the second draft (VT43/9-10), and luhta in the third (VT43/11), all based on luc-. In the third version luhta was deleted and replaced by rohta, with luhta reappearing in the fourth version only to be revised again to rohta (VT43/11-12). In the final two versions Tolkien used úcarë (VT43/12), but this may have a different sense such as “misdeed” or “sin”: compare úcarindo “*sinner” from the Aia María prayer (VT43/11-12).
The derivations of the luc-forms are unclear, as none of the attested meanings of the root √LUK seem to fit. Likewise the attested meaning of ᴹ√ROK has to do with horses, which also doesn’t fit.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would ignore the luc-forms, but would retain rohta for the sense “debt”. For example, Helge Fauskanger used rohta “debt” in his Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT).
- Q. rohtalië n. “*debtors, ⚠️trespassers”
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Just as Tolkien experimented with various words for “debt, trespass” (e.g. luhta or rohta), he also experimented with various words for “debtor, trespasser” in drafts of the Átaremma prayer from the 1950s. In the earliest drafts Tolkien had lucando or lucindo (VT43/8-10), but in the third version he had (plural) rocindi (VT43/11), which in the fourth version was revised to (plural) rucindi >> ruhtalie >> rohtalië (VT43/11-12). In the final two versions Tolkien reformulated the phrase, saying “those who trespass against us” rather than “trespassers” (VT43/12).
The forms rocindi/rucindi appear only in the plural, but their singular is probably rocinde/rucinde. The form rohtalie is clearly rohta “*debt, trespass” + lië “people”.
Neo-Quenya: Since I retain rohta “*debt” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would retain rocinde “*debtor” as well. However, Helge Fauskanger mostly used *rohtando for “debtor” in his Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT). In some places Fauskanger used rohtalie as an alternate plural formation for “debtors”, and I would as well.