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Select Elvish Words 12.22: to Join, Unite

12.22 to Join, Unite

Q. limë n. “link, ⚠️*joint”

A noun for a “link” implied by Q. málimë “wrist = hand-link” with the primitive form ✶limi (VT47/6).

Neo-Quenya: Since a wrist is a joint, the noun limë might mean “*joint” as well, but I currently prefer to use [ᴱQ.] oxa for joints of the body.

ᴱQ. oksa n. “joint”

The word ᴱQ. oksa “joint” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√OSO¹ whose other derivative was ᴱQ. oswe “hip” (QL/71).

Neo-Quenya: I’d retain the word ᴺQ. oxa “joint” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but would not derive it from √OS any longer. I would assume it is derived from a Neo-Root ᴺ√OTH, a variant of ᴹ√OS “round” perhaps originally referring to the round joint. Compare Q. ruxa < RUTH + ( PE17/188).

Q. sampanë n. “combination”

A word appearing as an element in Lámasampanë “Combination of Sounds” from both the first (TQ1) and second (TQ2) versions of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from the 1940s and early 1950s (PE18/40, 90). It is likely a combination of ᴹ√SAM “unite, join” and ᴹ√PAN “place, fix”, hence “*unite and place”.

ᴹQ. tak- v. “to fasten”

A verb appearing as take “he fastens” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√TAK “fix, make fast” (Ety/TAK).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. tak- “to fasten” appeared in Early Qenya Phonology derived from ᴱ√tak- “stick (in), fix” (PE14/66), ᴱQ. tak- “fix” appeared in Qenya Verb Forms from the 1910s (PE14/28), and ᴱQ. tak- “fix, fasten” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√TAKA of the same meaning (QL/88). The root √TAK “fasten, fix” also appeared in Tolkien’s writings of the 1950s (PE18/100; PE19/83).

Q. yanwë v. “joining, [ᴹQ.] isthmus, ⚠️bridge”

This noun appeared as ᴹQ. {yanwa >>} yanwe “bridge, joining, isthmus” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√YAT “join” (Ety/YAT; EtyAC/YAT). Its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶yatmā, and Tolkien neglected to revise it to *yatmē when the final vowel of the Quenya form was updated. This etymology of the noun reflected the sound change of tm > dm > nw which Tolkien used in the 1930s-50s.

In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien had Q. yanwë “joining” derived from {*yadme >>} √YAN (VT49/45). This change in derivation likely reflected Tolkien’s decision in the 1960s that tm > tw, as suggested by Carl Hostetter (VT49/46).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this noun only for “joining, isthmus”. For “bridge” I would use Q. yanta from The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1123). I prefer to retain Tolkien’s pre-1960s phonetic developments for tm, so I would assume the root was √YAT and this noun was derived from *yatmē > yadwe > yanwe.

S. adertha- v. “to reunite”

A verb implied by aderthad “reuniting” (S/113), likely a combination ad- “again, re-” and ertha- “unite”.

S. aderthad n. “reuniting”

A noun appearing in the name Mereth Aderthad “Feast of Reuniting” in The Silmarillion and its drafts (S/113; LR/126; SM/329), and also mentioned in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/MBER).

S. ertha- v. “to unite”

A verb implied by aderthad “reuniting” (S/113), probably a causative form of √ER “one”, hence = “*make one”.

Conceptual Development: A similar verb G. ertha- or eretha- appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, but with a different meaning: “to isolate; [by extension] rob, deprive” (GL/33). This earlier verb was likely based on G. ereth “solitude” (GL/32).

G. gada- v. “to join, connect, ⚠️unite”

A verb appearing as gada- “join, connect, unite” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s based the early root ᴱ√yat- [ẎATA] (GL/36), with the Gnomish sound change of initial y becoming g.

Neo-Sindarin: The later form of this root is ᴹ√YAT or √YAN², so I would update this verb to ᴺS. ianna- “to join, connect” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, inspired by the neologism ᴺS. goianna- “join with, add to”. For “unite” I would instead use S ertha-.

G. ilt- v. “to yoke, ⚠️join”

A verb appearing as G. ilt- “to yoke, join” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/50), likely based on the early root ᴱ√YḶTḶ (QL/106).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I adapt this early root as ᴺ√YALTA “yoke”, so I would adapt the Gnomish verb as ᴺS. ialtha- “to yoke”. For “to join” I would use ᴺS. ianna-.

S. lîf n. “link, *joint”

A noun for a “link” implied by S. molif “wrist = hand-link” with the primitive form ✶limi (VT47/6).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would also use this word for a joint of the body or a link in a chain.

S. tag- v. “to fix, *fasten, ⚠️[G.] make firm, construct”

This verb appeared in some rough notes from around 1969 in various past forms such tanc “fixed”, tancher/tanker “they fixed” and tanchen “I fix” (PE23/138 note #12). See the discussion of the Sindarin past tense for more detail on these past forms. The verb *tag- is clearly based on the root √TAK “fix, fasten”.

Conceptual Development: The verb G. tag- “fix, make firm, construct” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/68), likely based on the early root ᴱ√TAKA “fix, fasten” (QL/88).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use tag- only in the later sense of its root: “to fix, *fasten”. For “make firm” I would use [N.] tangad(a)- and for “construct” I would use [ᴱN.] adaba- “build”.

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