almo

noun. shoulder(s), back

The word ᴱQ. almo or aldamo “back, shoulders” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread”, and the longer form was an element in the name ᴱQ. Aikaldamor “Broad Back” (QL/29). This pair of words (along with deleted {alma}) reappeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, but there they had the gloss “shoulder” (PE16/144).

Neo-Quenya: The early root ᴱ√ALA “spread‽” was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree”, which in later writings was derived from ✶galadā. Thus ᴺQ. almo “shoulder” might be retained as a derivative of the later form of the root: √GAL. The sense of the later root was “grow (like plants), flourish” rather than “spread”, so this is a bit of a reach semantically, though not impossible since ✶galadā referred to broad, spreading trees as opposed to ✶ornē for tall trees (NM/349). I would use ᴺQ. almo only for “shoulder”; for “back” I recommend the neologism ᴺQ. catta.

Changes

• alma → almo ✧ PE16/144

Cognates

• G. alan “shoulder”
• G. alm “back (from shoulder to shoulder), shoulders”

Derivations

• ᴱ√ALA “spread‽” ✧ QL/029

Element in

• Eq. Aikaldamor “Broadshoulder, Broad Back”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴱ√ALA² > almo	[almō] > [almo]	✧ QL/029

Variations

• aldamo ✧ PE16/144; QL/029
• alma ✧ PE16/144 (alma)

aldamo

noun. shoulder(s), back