am-

up

am- (1) prefix "up" (AM2)

am-

prefix. up, up, [ᴱQ.] upwards

Derivations

• √AM “go up, go up, [ᴹ√] up”

Element in

• ᴺQ. amacarastië “upbuilding”
• Q. Amanar “Yule”
• ᴺQ. amaquat- “to fulfill, (lit.) up fill”
• Q. amaurë “dawn, early day, morning” ✧ MC/223
• ᴺQ. amavil- “to fly up, soar”
• Q. amorta- “to heave”

ama

up

ama adv.? element not glossed, evidently meaning "up" like the prefix am-, or an alternative form of amba (UNU)

amu

up, upwards

amu adv. "up, upwards" (LT2:335; in Tolkien's later Quenya amba)

amal

mother

amal noun "mother"; also emel (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.

amba

more

amba 2) adj. and noun "more", "used of any kind of measurement spatial, temporal, or quantitative" (PE:17:91). Cf. adverb ambë.

amba

more

Derivations

• ✶am- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090
  • √AMA “addition, increase, plus”
• ✶amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
  • √AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶amba > amba	[amba]	✧ PE17/091

Variations

• amba ✧ PE17/090; PE17/091

amba

up, upwards

amba 1) adv. "up, upwards" (AM2, PE17:157). Apparently also ama (UNU).

amba

adverb. up

ambë

more

ambë adv. "more", "used of any kind of measurement spatial, temporal, or quantitative" (PE17:91). As noun or adjective, amba.

ambë

adverb. more

Cognates

• ᴺS. am “more”

Derivations

• ✶amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
  • √AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Element in

• Q. ambela “further still beyond, far away beyond” ✧ PE17/091
• Q. am(be)na “nearer to” ✧ PE17/091

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶amba > ambe	[ambe]	✧ PE17/091

Variations

• ambe ✧ PE17/091

amil

mother

amil noun "mother" (AM1), also emil (q.v.) Longer variant amillë (VT44:18-19), compounded Eruamillë "Mother of God" in Tolkien's translation of the Hail Mary (VT43:32). If amil is a shortened form of amillë, it should probably have the stem-form amill-. Also compare amilyë, amya, emya. Compounded amil- in amilessë noun "mothername" (cf. essë "name"), name given to a child by its mother, sometimes with prophetic implications (amilessi tercenyë "mother-names of insight"). (MR:217).

ammë

mother

ammë noun "mother" (AM1)

ambar

breast

ambar (3) noun ""breast" (chest), with stem in -s- or -r- (QL:30). The form ambar, translated "in bosom", occurs in MC:213 (this is "Qenya"). Note: if this word were to be adapted to LotR-style Quenya, we should probably have to read *ambas with stem ambar-; compare olos, olor- "dream" from a late source. However, the form ambos (q.v.) is less ambiguous and may be preferred.

ambos

breast

ambos (ambost-) noun "breast" (chest). PE16:82

mamil

mother, mummy

mamil noun *"mother, mummy" (UT:191)

am(a)-

prefix. intensive prefix

na

to, towards

na (2) prep. "to, towards", possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for clarity writers may use the synonym ana instead (NĀ1). Originally, Tolkien glossed na as "at, by, near"; the new meaning entered together with the synonyms an, ana (VT45:36).

amil(lë)

noun. mother

Tolkien used a number of similar forms for “mother” for most of his life. The earliest of these are ᴱQ. amis (amits-) “mother” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s along with variants ᴱQ. ambi, âmi, amaimi under the root ᴱ√AMA (QL/30). An additional variant ammi appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/30). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱQ. ambe or mambe “mother” (PE16/135). This became ᴹQ. amil “mother” in The Etymologies under the root ᴹ√AM “mother” (Ety/AM¹).

This 1930s form amil appears to have survived for some time. It appeared in a longer form Amille in Quenya Prayers of the 1950s (VT43/26; VT44/12, 18), and as an element in the term amilessi “mother-names” in a late essay on Elvish naming (MR/217). In the initial drafts of Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien used the form amilye or amye as an affectionate word for “mother”, and amaltil as the finger name for the second finger (VT47/26-27 note #34 and #35).

However, in those documents Tolkien seems to have revised the root for “mother” from √AM to √EM and the affectionate forms from amye to emya or emme (VT47/10; VT48/6, 19). The revised word for “mother” appears to be emil based on the 1st person possessive form emil(inya) (VT47/26).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer to retain the root √AM for “mother”, since that is what Tolkien used for 50 years, and ignore the very late change to √EM. As such, I would recommend amil(le) for “mother” and affectionate forms amme “mommy” and amya. However, if you prefer to use Tolkien’s “final” forms, then emil(le), emme and emya seem to be what Tolkien adopted in the late 1960s.

Cognates

• S. emel “mother”

Derivations

• ✶amal “mother”
  • √AM “mother” ✧ VT48/19; VT48/19

Element in

• Q. amaltil “*mother finger”
• Q. amilessë “mother-name”
• Q. Amillë Eruva lissëo “Mother of divine grace” ✧ VT44/18
• Q. Amillë Hristo “Mother of Christ” ✧ VT44/18
• ᴺQ. amilosto “metropolis”
• Q. amya “mummy, (orig.) my mother”
• Q. Eruamillë “*Mother of God”

Variations

• Amille ✧ VT44/18

an-

prefix. intensive prefix

Changes

• an- → an ✧ PE17/090

Cognates

• S. an- “intensive prefix”

Derivations

• ✶andā “long, far” ✧ PE17/090
  • √ANAD “long; far” ✧ PE17/090
• ✶am- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092
  • √AMA “addition, increase, plus”
• √AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091
• √NA/ANA “to, towards; at side of, alongside, besides; moreover, in addition, plus” ✧ PE17/146; PE21/79

Element in

• ᴺQ. amyára “elder”
• Q. Anairë “*Holiest”
• Q. Ancalimë “*Brightest (f.)”
• Q. Ancalimon “*Brightest (m.)”
• ᴺQ. anyára “elder, *senior”
• Q. unqualë “death agony, death agony, torment, [ᴹQ.] agony, death” ✧ PE19/078

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶and(a) > an-	[an-]	✧ PE17/090
✶and(a) > anda-	[anda-]	✧ PE17/090
✶am > an	[am-]	✧ PE17/090
√AMA > ama	[ama-]	✧ PE17/091
✶am > an	[am-]	✧ PE17/092
√ANA/NĀ > an-	[an-]	✧ PE17/146
√ANA/NA > an-	[an-]	✧ PE21/79

Variations

• an ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/090; PE17/092; PE17/092
• ana ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057
• ana- ✧ PE17/056
• añ- ✧ PE17/090
• am ✧ PE17/090; PE17/091 (am)
• anda- ✧ PE17/090
• ama ✧ PE17/091 (ama)
• ama- ✧ PE17/092

ana

to

ana (1) prep. "to" (VT49:35), "as preposition _ana _is used when purely _dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that the preposition ana can be used instead of the dative ending -n (#1, q.v.) Also as prefix: ana- "to, towards" (NĀ1); an (q.v.) is used with this meaning in one source (PE17:127)_

-nna

to

-n (1) dative ending, originating as a reduced form of -nă "to", related to the allative ending -nna (VT49:14). Attested in nin, men, ten, enyalien, Erun, airefëan, tárin, yondon (q.v.) and also added to the English name Elaine (Elainen) in a book dedication to Elaine Griffiths (VT49:40). The longer dative ending -na is also attested in connection with some pronouns, such as sena, téna, véna (q.v.), also in the noun mariéna from márië "goodness" (PE17:59). Pl. -in (as in hínin, see hína), partitive pl. -lin, dual -nt (Plotz). The preposition ana (#1) is said to be used "when purely dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that it can replace the dative ending, e.g. *ana Eru instead of Erun for "to God". In some of Tolkiens earlier material, the ending -n (or -en) expressed genitive rather than dative, but he later decided that the genitive ending was to be -o (cf. such a revision as Yénië Valinóren becoming Yénië Valinórëo, MR:200).

-nna

to, at, upon

-nna "to, at, upon", allative ending, originating from -na "to" with fortified n, VT49:14. Attested in cilyanna, coraryanna, Endorenna, Elendilenna, númenórenna, parma-restalyanna, rénna, senna, tielyanna, q.v. If a noun ends in -n already, the ending -nna merges with it, as in Amanna, formenna, Elenna, númenna, rómenna as the allative forms of Aman, formen, elen, númen, rómen (q.v.). Plural -nnar in mannar, valannar, q.v.

emel

mother

emel noun "mother"; also amal (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.

emil

mother

emil noun "mother", emilinya "my mother" (also reduced to emya) the terms a child would use in addressing his or her mother (VT47:26). Emil would seem to be a variant of amil. Also compare emel.

emil

noun. mother

lil

more

lil adverbial particle "more" (PE14:80)

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

Changes

• nā → nāner ✧ VT49/09
• nār → năr ✧ VT49/30

Cognates

• Ad. -n “predicate suffix”
• S. na- “to be”

Derivations

• √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist” ✧ PE17/093

Element in

• Q. á hyamë rámen úcarindor “pray for us sinners” ✧ VT43/34
• Q. aistana elyë imíca nísi “blessed art thou amongst women” ✧ VT43/30; VT43/30
• Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun “glory [be] to God in the highest” ✧ VT44/34; VT44/34
• Q. A (ná) calima lá B “A is brighter than B; (lit.) A is bright beyond B” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/090
• Q. A anamelda na ar ilyan “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A anamelda na epë B “A is dear before B” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A anamelda na ep’ ilya “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. A arimelda na epe B “A is (very much) [dearer] than B” ✧ PE17/057 (A arimelda na epe B)
• Q. A arimelda na ilyaron “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
• Q. á na márië “be well” ✧ PE17/162
• Q. aranielya na tuluva “thy kingdom come” ✧ VT43/14; VT43/14
• Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13
• Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16
• Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. cé tulis, tanomë nauvan “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
• Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09
• Q. essë úpa nas “he is dumb” ✧ PE17/126
• Q. i Héru aselyë “the Lord is with thee” ✧ VT43/30
• Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
• Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
• Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23
• Q. mára ná “it is good” ✧ PE17/093
• Q. ná “yes, it is so, it is a fact”
• Q. na airë esselya “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT43/14
• Q. na carë indómelya “thy will be done” ✧ VT43/15
• Q. nai “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; [ᴱQ.] remoter possibility” ✧ RGEO/60; VT49/28
• Q. naitë “true” ✧ VT49/28
• ᴺQ. nalumë “sometime(s)”
• Q. namárië “farewell, (lit.) be well, let it be well (to you)” ✧ PE17/058; PE17/059; PE17/059; PE17/074
• Q. námo “person, somebody (unnamed)”
• Q. náner ataformaitë ve fírimor quetir “*were ambidextrous as mortals say” ✧ VT49/10
• ᴺQ. nanomë “someplace, somewhere”
• Q. nanwa “existing, actual (true), existing, actual (true), *real; [️ᴱQ.] being” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. nár (naitië) “they are (indeed = truly)” ✧ PE22/166
• Q. násië “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
• Q. násan “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
• Q. nás mára nin “I like it” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. nassë “nature, true-being, *essence; person, individual” ✧ VT49/30
• Q. návë “being”
• Q. nésë nórima rocco “he was a horse strong/swift at running” ✧ VT49/29
• Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
• Q. roccor i Erulingaron márë nár (ma naitë)? “the horses of the Rohirrim are good (are they not, lit. is it true)” ✧ PE22/166
• Q. savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo “I believe that E[lessar] really existed and that he was a King of Gondor” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
• Q. sínen i·anda nyarnë metta ar taina andaurenya na quanta “*with this the long tale ends and my extended long day is complete” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
• Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost, lost to those from the east is Valimar!” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost is, [to one] from the East lost, Valimar!” ✧ RGEO/59
• Q. umbë nin i hríve nauva urra (si loa) “I have a feeling that winter will be bad (this year)” ✧ PE22/168
• Q. yá hríve menë, ringa ná “when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold” ✧ VT49/23 (yá hríve tene, ringa ná)
• ᴺQ. yonávë “company, *companionship, camaraderie”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NĀ > ná	[nā]	✧ PE17/093

Variations

• ná ✧ LotR/0377; PE17/090; PE17/093; PE22/154; PE22/167; VT42/33; VT49/09; VT49/23
• na ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/057; PE17/074; PE17/074; PE17/090; PE17/162; VT43/13; VT43/30
• nā ✧ PE17/058; RGEO/59; VT49/09 (nā); VT49/28; VT49/30
• nā- ✧ PE22/166; VT49/27; VT49/28 (nā-)
• nā̀ ✧ RGEO/58
• Nā ✧ RGEO/60
• nā̆ ✧ VT49/30
• nār ✧ VT49/30 (nār)

or

preposition. above, above, [ᴱQ.] upon; on

Cognates

• N. or “above, above; [G.] onto, on top, on”

Element in

• Q. ar i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa tennoio “and of the One who is above all thrones for ever” ✧ UT/305
• ᴺQ. oranar “noon, (lit.) above Sun”
• ᴺQ. orolanda “upland, plateau”
• ᴺQ. ortirmo “overseer”
• ᴺQ. ortur- “to overpower, conquer, prevail”

ontari

mother

ontari noun "mother" or etymologically "begetter, parent" (fem.); clashing with the plural ontari "parents", this was apparently an emphemeral form (see ontarë, ontaril, ontarië for other feminine forms of "begetter, parent") (VT44:7)

ontaril

mother

ontaril noun "mother", female *"begetter" (cf. onta-). Variant of ontarë. (VT43:32)

pícë

upon

pícë ("k") prep.? "upon" (???) (MC:214; this is "Qenya")

am

adverb. up, up, [G.] upwards, towards head of, above

Cognates

• Q. amba “up(wards)”

Derivations

• √AM “go up, go up, [ᴹ√] up”

Element in

• S. amdir “hope [based on reason], (lit.) looking up, hope [based on reason], *expectation, (lit.) looking up” ✧ MR/320
• S. Amlaith
• S. amloth “helm crest, (orig.) uprising flower”
• ᴺS. amor “morning, early day”
• S. Amras “Top-russet”
• S. Amrod “*High and Lofty”
• S. Amroth “Up-climber, High Climber”
• S. amrûn “sunrise, east, (lit.) of the uprising”

Variations

• Am ✧ MR/320 (Am)

an

preposition. to, towards, for

With suffixed article and elision in aglar'ni Pheriannath

an

to

_ prep. _to, for. naur an edraith ammen! 'fire [be] for rescue/saving for us'. aglar an|i Pheriannath  'glory to all the Halflings'.

an

preposition. to, for, to, for; [N. and G.] of

Changes

• eni → enni ✧ VT41/16

Derivations

• √NA/ANA “to, towards; at side of, alongside, besides; moreover, in addition, plus” ✧ PE17/146

Element in

• S. aglar’ni Pheriannath “glory to the halflings” ✧ Let/448; LotR/0953
• ᴺS. amman “why, (lit.) for what”
• S. anann “(for) long”
• S. anglenna- “to approach”
• S. aníra- “to desire, to desire, *long for”
• S. anno ammen sír i mbas ilaurui vín “give us this day our daily bread” ✧ VT44/27
• S. annon edhellen, edro hi ammen “Elvish gate open now for us” ✧ LotR/0307; PE17/045
• ᴺS. anuir “forever, everlastingly, eternally, in eternity”
• S. a Pherhael ar am Meril suilad uin aran o Minas Tirith nelchaenen ned Echuir “to Samwise and Rose the King’s greeting from Minas Tirith, the thirty-first day of Stirring” ✧ SD/129; SD/129; SD/129; SD/129
• S. ar díheno ammen i úgerth vin “and forgive us our trespasses” ✧ VT44/27
• S. guren bêd enni “my heart tells me” ✧ VT41/11
• S. gurth an Glamhoth “Death to the din-horde” ✧ UT/039
• S. ir Ithil ammen Eruchín “*when the Moon, for us, the Children of God” ✧ LB/354
• S. naur an edraith ammen “fire [be] for saving of us” ✧ LotR/0290; LotR/0290; LotR/0299; LotR/0299; PE17/038; PE17/038
• S. ón annin “*he gave (it) to me” ✧ PE17/147
• S. sí il chem en i Naugrim en ir Ellath thor den ammen “*now all (?hands) of the Dwarves and Elves will be (?against) to us” ✧ VT50/23
• S. sui mín i gohenam di ai gerir úgerth ammen “as we forgive those who trespass against us” ✧ VT44/27
• S. ú-chebin estel anim “I have kept no hope for myself” ✧ LotR/1061; PE17/117

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ANA/NĀ > ana > an	[ana] > [an]	✧ PE17/146

Variations

• eni ✧ VT41/16 (eni)
• ann ✧ VT44/22 (ann)

na

to

e _ prep. _to, towards (of spacetime). n' before vowels. >> nan 2

na

preposition. to

prep. to Na-chaered palan-díriel lit. "To-distance (remote) after-gazing" >> na-chaered, nan 2

an-

prefix. intensive prefix

Cognates

• Q. an- “intensive prefix”

Element in

• S. Anfauglith “Gasping Dust” ✧ SA/faug
• S. einior “elder”

na-

verb. to be

Changes

• dôd → dád ✧ VT44/22
• dád → hae ✧ VT44/22
• hae → no ✧ VT44/24

Cognates

• Q. ná- “to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist”

Derivations

• √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist”

Element in

• S. no aer i eneth lín “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT44/24
• ᴺS. novaer “goodbye, farewell, (lit.) be well”
• ᴺS. navaer “farewell, (lit.) be well”
• S. sí il chem en i Naugrim en ir Ellath thor den ammen “*now all (?hands) of the Dwarves and Elves will be (?against) to us” ✧ VT50/23

Variations

• dôd ✧ VT44/22 (dôd)
• dád ✧ VT44/22 (dád)
• hae ✧ VT44/22 (hae)

emel

noun. mother

emel

noun. mother

A word for “mother” in notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, along with a diminutive form emelig (VT48/17 note #13). These forms were struck through and replaced by emig as the proper diminutive form from the root √EM (VT48/6), but that doesn’t necessarily invalidate emel = “mother”, which appeared elsewhere as (probably primitive) emel, emer in rough versions of these notes (VT48/19 note #16). These Sindarin forms are unusual in that the medial m did not become v, which means the primitive form was likely based on ✱emm- as suggested by Patrick Wynne (VT48/17 note #14).

Conceptual Development: G. amil “mother” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s along with rejected forms {anwin, amril} and an archaic variant †amaith (GL/19). The forms {emaith >>} amaith appeared unglossed in Gnomish Lexicon Slips revising that document (PE13/109). In The Etymologies of the 1930s there was a form N. †emil for “mother” under the root ᴹ√AM of the same meaning, but Tolkien said this word was archaic, apparently replaced by N. naneth (Ety/AM¹; EtyAC/AM¹). With N. emil, the a became e via i-affection, but the medial m failing to become v requires an explanation similar to that of 1960s S. emel.

Neo-Sindarin: I generally prefer derivatives of the earlier root √AM for “mother” words in Quenya, but in the case of Sindarin, I find emel and emig from √EM to be better and more widely accepted.

Cognates

• Q. amil(lë) “mother”

Derivations

• √AM “mother” ✧ VT48/17

Element in

• S. Emeldir “Manhearted, *Manly-mother”
• S. emig “[little] mother, mommy” ✧ VT48/17 (emel) (emelig*)

Variations

• emen ✧ VT48/17 (emen)

emig

noun. "litte mother"

emig

noun. index finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

emmel

noun. mother

am

adverb/adjective. more

Cognates

• Q. ambë “more”

Derivations

• √AMA “addition, increase, plus”

am

upon

(prep.) am (probably followed by soft mutation)

am

upon

(probably followed by soft mutation)

am

going up

(adjectival prefix) am-

am

going up

am

up, upward

(adv.) am (also used as prep. "upon"). GOING UP (or uprising) am- (adjectival prefix), as in:

am

up, upward

(also used as prep. "upon").

amdir

up-looking

ambenn

uphill

(sloping upward), pl. embinn, 

an

to

(prep.) an (+ nasal mutation), with article ni "to the" (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

to

(adverbial prefix) an-. 3)

emig

little mother

(no distinct pl. form except with article: in emig). Also used (in children’s play) as a name for the index finger (VT48:6, 17)

or

above

(adj. pref.) or- (over, high)

or

above

(prep.) or (om), with article erin ”above the” (followed by ”mixed mutation” according to David Salos reconstructions). Erin represents archaic örin.

or

above

(over, high)

naneth

mother

naneth (pl. nenith). Hypocoristic form (”mom”) nana, pl. nenai (but this word is probably rarely pluralized). In a higher style also †emil. No distinct pl. form; coll. pl. emillath. Variant form emel (pl. emil), also spelt emmel (pl. emmil). (VT48:17)

naneth

mother

(pl. nenith). Hypocoristic form (”mom”) nana, pl. nenai (but this word is probably rarely pluralized). In a higher style also †emil. No distinct pl. form; coll. pl. emillath. Variant form emel (pl. emil), also spelt emmel (pl. emmil). (VT48:17)

emmë

noun. mother

Cognates

• Q. emmë “mummy, mother (familiar/family)” ✧ VT48/06

Element in

• T. emmecë “mother [diminutive]; *mommy” ✧ VT48/06

Variations

• emme ✧ VT48/06

u

preposition. to

Element in

• Bs. Uglúk u bagronk sha pushdug Saruman-glob búbhosh skai “Uglúk to the cesspool, sha! the dungfilth, the great Saruman-fool, skai; Uglúk to torture chamber with stinking Saruman-filth, dung-heap, skai” ✧ LotR/0445; PE17/078; PM/083

ammê

noun. mother

A noun for “mother” (SD/434). Tolkien gave two forms of this word, ammî and ammê, with no indication as to which would be preferred. However, ammî resembles a plural word, and Tolkien elsewhere stated that such forms tended to change their final vowel to -ê (SD/438), so my guess is that ammî is an archaic form. This word is probably related to the Elvish root √AM “mother”. Some authors have suggested it is directly related to ᴹQ. amme (AAD/10, AL/Adûnaic), but as Andreas Moehn points out (EotAL/MAM) such basic words are rarely borrowed from other languages, so the relationship is more likely from the Primitive Elvish root.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. amme “mother”

Derivations

• √AM “mother”

Variations

• ammī/ammē ✧ SD/434

aya

preposition. upon

Element in

• Kh. Khazâd ai-mênu “the Dwarves are upon you!” ✧ LotR/0534; LotR/1132; PE17/085; WR/020

Variations

• ai ✧ LotR/0534; LotR/1132

am

root. mother

For most of Tolkien’s life, the Primitive Elvish root for “mother” was √AM. This began with the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where Tolkien gave the root as ᴱ√AMA (QL/30). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹ√AM with derivatives ᴹQ. amil and (archaic) N. emil “mother” (Ety/AM¹). In Quenya prayers of the 1950s, the word for mother was Q. Amille. In the last few years of his life, however, Tolkien toyed with the notion of changing this root to √EM. In notes associated with Eldarinwe Leperi are Notessi written in the late 1960s, Tolkien first gave the root as am, but then wrote em next to it with a question mark, along with several new em-derivatives (VT48/19 note #16). The Q. affectionate word emme for “mommy” appeared in the main article, indicating Tolkien did, in fact, adopt this new root, at least for some period of time.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Quenya writing, I personally prefer to ignore this late change to the root for “mother” and stick with the √AM-forms Tolkien used for most of his life. However, the √AM-forms were less stable in the Sindarin branch of the languages, so I’d use √EM-forms like S. emel and emig, and would assume √AM and √EM were variants of the root, as they were on VT48/19 (see above).

Derivatives

• Ad. ammê “mother”
• ✶amal “mother” ✧ VT48/19; VT48/19
  • Q. amil(lë) “mother”
• Q. emmë “mummy, mother (familiar/family)” ✧ VT48/19
• S. emel “mother” ✧ VT48/17

Element in

• Q. amya “mummy, (orig.) my mother” ✧ VT48/19

Variations

• am ✧ VT48/17; VT48/19
• em ✧ VT48/17; VT48/19

am

root. go up, go up, [ᴹ√] up

For all of Tolkien’s life, the Primitive Elvish root for “up” was √AM. Its best known derivatives are probably Q. ambo, S. amon “hill”. Tolkien introduced this root all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where Tolkien gave it as ᴱ√AM(U) “up(ward)” (QL/30). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹ√AM “up” (Ety/AM²), and in 1967 notes Tolkien gave it as “AM, go up, especially of climbing” (PE17/157). In a separate set of notes on comparison from early 1967, Tolkien said:

> But there existed a “base” that was intrinsically “comparative”, √AMA. This signified addition, increase, plus (PE17/91).

Tolkien did not explicitly connect this to √AM “up”, but it seems likely the two were related. See the discussion of √AMA for further details.

Derivatives

• ✶ambō “hill”
  • Q. ambo “hill, rising ground, mount” ✧ PE17/092
• ✶ambu(na) “*hilly”
  • Q. ambuna “hilly” ✧ PE17/092
  • S. amon “hill, mountain with steep sides; lump, clump, mass, hill, (isolated) mountain; lump, clump, mass; [G.] steep slope” ✧ PE17/092
• Q. am- “up, up, [ᴱQ.] upwards”
• Q. amba “up(wards)” ✧ PE17/157
• Q. ambo “hill, rising ground, mount” ✧ PE17/157
• Q. amya- “[unglossed]” ✧ PE17/157
• S. am “up, up, [G.] upwards, towards head of, above”
• ᴺS. amoth “shoulder”

Element in

• At. Ambarātho “up-climber, high climber”

Variations

• AM ✧ PE17/146; PE17/157

am-

prefix. intensive prefix

Derivations

• √AMA “addition, increase, plus”

Derivatives

• Q. amba “more” ✧ PE17/090
• Q. an- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092

Variations

• am ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092; PE17/092
• an- ✧ PE17/092
• añ ✧ PE17/092

amal

noun. mother

Derivations

• √AM “mother” ✧ VT48/19; VT48/19

Derivatives

• Q. amil(lë) “mother”

Variations

• amas ✧ PE21/83
• amma ✧ PE21/83
• amme ✧ PE21/83
• emel ✧ VT48/19
• emer ✧ VT48/19

amas

noun. mother

amba

?. more

Derivations

• √AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Derivatives

• Q. amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
• Q. ambë “more” ✧ PE17/091

amma

noun. mother

amme

noun. mother

em

root. mother

emel

noun. mother

emer

noun. mother

am

preposition. up, upwards, upon

am

adverb. up

Cognates

• ᴹQ. amba “up(wards)” ✧ Ety/AM²

Derivations

• ᴹ√AM “up” ✧ Ety/AM²

Element in

• N. amben “uphill, uphill; [ᴱN.] arduous, difficult, tiresome” ✧ Ety/AM²
• N. Amroth
• N. Ammalas
• N. amrûn “uprising, sunrise, Orient, east” ✧ Ety/AM²; PE22/035

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√AM² > am	[amba] > [amb] > [amb] > [amm] > [am]	✧ Ety/AM²

Variations

• amb ✧ PE22/035 (amb)

a-

prefix. intensive prefix

Derivations

• ᴹ✶a- ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ᴹ√A “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/N

Element in

• N. afarch “arid, very dry” ✧ EtyAC/N
• N. ongol “stench” ✧ EtyAC/N

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶a- > a	[a]	✧ EtyAC/N

Variations

• a ✧ EtyAC/N

emil

noun. mother

emil

noun. mother

Cognates

• ᴹQ. amil “mother” ✧ Ety/AM¹

Derivations

• ᴹ✶amī̆l “mother”
  • ᴹ√AM “mother”
• ᴹ√AM “mother” ✧ Ety/AM¹

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√AM¹ > emil	[amil] > [emil]	✧ Ety/AM¹

nana

noun. mother, mummy

or

preposition. above, above; [G.] onto, on top, on

Cognates

• Q. or “above, above, [ᴱQ.] upon; on”

Derivations

• ᴹ√RŌ/ORO “rise, up, high” ✧ Ety/ORO

Element in

• S. orchal “tall, tall; [N.] superior, eminent, lofty”
• N. orchal “superior, eminent, lofty” ✧ Ety/ORO
• N. Orfalas
• S. Orfalch Echor “*High Cleft of the Outer Circle”
• N. orthel- “to roof, screen above”
• ᴺS. orvel- “to favour, *(lit.) love above”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ORO > or	[oro] > [or]	✧ Ety/ORO

naneth

noun. mother

naneth

noun. mother

A noun for “mother” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the (Noldorin-only?) root ᴹ√NAN (Ety/NAN). It apparently replaced archaic/poetic N. †emil (Ety/AM¹; EtyAC/AM¹).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon had a similar set of words for “mother”: G. maba, mabir, baba, and mavwin from the early root ᴱ√maƀ “something nice” (GL/57). The last of these appeared as G. mavwen “ancestress” in the Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document, with an archaic meaning of “mother” and variant forms mafwyn and mavuin (PE13/115). In these slips, it seems the normal “mother” word was G. nân (originally glossed “father”) with variant nanwin (PE13/115). This last word is likely the direct precursor of N. naneth.

Neo-Sindarin: I would use S. emel from the late 1960s as the normal word for “mother” in Neo-Sindarin, but would retain N. naneth as a dialectical or more formal variant.

Derivations

• ᴹ√NAN “*mother” ✧ Ety/AM¹; Ety/NAN

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NAN > naneth	[nanitta] > [nanittʰa] > [naniθθa] > [naneθθa] > [naneθθ] > [naneθ]	✧ Ety/NAN

heltha-

verb. to strip

The form helta- in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/46:14

or

preposition. above, over

or-

prefix. above, over