13.38 Double, Twice
- Q. at(a)- pref. “double, [repeat a] second time; [ᴱQ.] bi-, twi-; ⚠️[ᴹQ.] back, again, re-”
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A prefix for “double” based on √AT of similar meaning used in various words like atendëa “double-middle” (RC/728) and atamaitë “two-handed” (PE17/162). In notes from around 1959 Tolkien said it could also be used for “again”, but “only in literal sense of second time, double” (PE17/166). Compare ataquanta- “refill” = “fill a second time” vs. the more ordinary word for “refill” = enquanta-.
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s translated the prefix ᴹQ. at(a)- as “back, again, re-” under the root ᴹ√AT(AT), which in this document was glossed “again, back” (Ety/AT(AT)). This distinction can be seen in 1940s ᴹQ. at-tul- “return” vs. later entul- from the 1950s and 60s. Earlier still the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. at-, att-, or atta- “bi-, twi-” under the early root ᴱ√ATA “dual” (QL/33).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use at(a)- mainly in the sense “double, bi-, twi-”, and would only use it for the sense “re-” in the limited sense “do a second time” as described again. However, based on its meaning in The Etymologies, at(a)- is popular as a prefix for “re-” in many neologisms, but I would avoid this because these 1930s glosses predate Tolkien’s introduction of en- “re-”.
- Q. atatya adj. “double”
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The Quenya word for “double” in notes from the late 1960s derived from primitive ✶atatya, an adjective form of the root √ATATA (VT42/26-27).
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. tanta “double” under the root ᴹ√TATA “two” (Ety/TATA) and ᴹQ. atwa “double” under the root ᴹ√AT(AT) “again, back” (Ety/AT(AT)). The latter was glossed “either … or” in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/107); see the entry for ᴹQ. atwa for further discussion.
- ᴱQ. potsinallume adv. “a second time”
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In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, Tolkien said that the suffix ᴱQ. -llume “time” could as be added to ordinal numbers like ᴱQ. potsina “second” to get words like ᴱQ. potsinallume “a second time” (PE14/84).
Neo-Quenya: I would use this formation with Tolkien’s later ordinal number as well, such as ᴺQ. attëallumë “a second time”.
- Q. tatya- adj. “to double, repeat [twice]”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “to double, repeat” under the root ᴹ√TATA “two” (Ety/TATA). For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use it only for “repeat [twice]”, not general repetion.
- ᴱQ. yullume adv. “twice, *two times”
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A word appearing as ᴱQ. yullume “twice” in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, a combination of ᴱQ. yúyo “two” and ᴱQ. -llume “times” (PE14/51, 84).
Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writings yúyo means “both” and atta means “two”. However, I would retain ᴺQ. yullumë “twice, two times” for purposes of Neo-Quenya since the prefix yu- is still used for double/twice in Tolkien’s later writings in words like yunquë “twelve” = “*twice six” or yucainen “twenty” = “*twice ten”.
- ᴹQ. yuyallume adv. “*both times”
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A correlative combination in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/110), a combination of ᴹQ. yúya “both” and ᴹQ. -llume “times”.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would distinguish it from [ᴱQ.] yullumë “twice” by assume yuyallume means “*both times”; compare ᴹQ. yuyan(an) “on both occasions”.
- S. adu adv. “double”
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A (Sindarin?) word for “double” in the name Adurant “Double Stream” from The Silmarillion (S/123; SA/rant).
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Adurant was Ilkorin and its initial element was Ilk. adu/ado “double”, cognate to ᴹQ. atwa of the same meaning and derived from the root ᴹ√AT(AT) “back, again” (Ety/AT(AT)).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use adu only as a prefix, and would use edaid as the normal word for “double”. This prefixal use of adu- “double” would help distinguish it from ad- “re-, again”.
- S. edaid adv. “double”
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The Sindarin word for “double” in notes from the late 1960s derived from primitive ✶atatya, an adjective form of the root √ATATA (VT42/26-27).
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. tadol “double” under the root ᴹ√TATA “two”, an adjectival form of tâd “two” (Ety/TATA). This word reappeared in its mutated form dadol in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s in the term peg dadol “double dot” (PE22/31; PE23/22).