par-

learn

#par- vb. "learn" (acquire information, not by experience or observation, but by communication, by the instruction, or by written accounts, of others). Paranyë (apárien) parmanen, "I am learning (have learnt) by means of a book" (PE17:180). It may be that Tolkien at some point intended the root par- to mean "write", cf. loiparë.

quárë

fist

quárë (also quár) noun "fist" _(SA:celeb, KWAR; in the Etymologies, Tolkien first wrote _quár pl. quari, and quár is also found in PM:318 and VT47:8, in the latter case changed from quárë, VT47:22. As usual, the spelling of the Etym forms shows q instead of qu_.) _According to PM:318 and VT47:8, the "chief use [of this word] was in reference to the tightly closed hand as in using an implement or a craft-tool rather than to the 'fist' as used in punching".

paur

noun. fist (often used to mean "hand", its chief use was in reference of the tighly closed hand, as in using an implement or a craft-tool, rather than to the fist used in punching)

paur

fist

(baur) _ n. _fist. Q. quáre. >> Celebrimbor

dond

noun. fist, hand (especially in punching)

donn

noun. fist, hand (especially in punching)

dond

fist

1) dond (i dhond; construct don) (hand), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23). 2) paur (i baur, o phaur, also -bor in compounds) (tightly closed hand), pl. poer (i phoer), coll. pl. porath. or

dond

noun. fist

A word for “fist” appearing as dond or donn only in draft notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s derived from primitive ✶dond(a) (VT47/23 note #25). A more usual word for “fist” is S. paur.

Cognates

• T. donda “fist” ✧ VT47/23

Derivations

• ✶dond(a) “fist” ✧ VT47/23

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶dond(a) > dond	[donda] > [dond]	✧ VT47/23

Variations

• donn ✧ VT47/23

dond

fist

(i dhond; construct don) (hand), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).

donn

noun. fist

paur

fist

(i baur, o phaur, also -bor in compounds) (tightly closed hand), pl. poer (i phoer), coll. pl. porath.

partha

compose

partha- (i bartha, i pharthar) (arrange)

partha

compose

(i bartha, i pharthar) (arrange)

gelia-

verb. learn

The root ÑGOL causes i ngelia (who learns)

pár

noun. fist

Cognates

• Q. quár(ë) “fist, closed hand” ✧ PM/318; VT47/08

Derivations

• ✶kwāra “fist” ✧ PM/318; VT47/08
  • √KWAR “press together, squeeze, wring, clench; clenched hand, fist” ✧ PE17/042; PM/318; VT47/08

Element in

• T. Telperimpar “Silver-fist” ✧ PM/318

Variations

• pār ✧ PM/318; VT47/08

donda

noun. fist

Cognates

• Q. nonda “hand especially in (?clutching)” ✧ VT47/23
• S. dond “fist” ✧ VT47/23

Derivations

• ✶dond(a) “fist” ✧ VT47/23

psára

peel

par

root. peel, peel, *bare

Derivatives

• ✶paran “bare, bald, naked, unclad” ✧ PE17/171
  • Q. parnë “bald, bare, naked” ✧ PE17/171; PE17/171
  • S. paran “bare, naked; smooth, shaven” ✧ PE17/171
• Q. parca “naked (of persons)” ✧ PE17/086
• Q. parma “book, writing, composition, written document of some size, book, writing, composition, written document of some size; [ᴱQ.] skin, bark; parchment” ✧ PE17/086; PE17/171
• Q. parnë “bald, bare, naked” ✧ PE17/086
• S. paran “bare, naked; smooth, shaven” ✧ PE17/086
• S. parch “naked (of persons)” ✧ PE17/086

Variations

• PAR ✧ PE17/086; PE17/158; PE17/171; PE17/171 (PAR); PE17/171

par

root. learn; arrange, [ᴹ√] compose, put together

This root was the basis for Q. parma “book”, but Tolkien vacillated on the exact sense for the root. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√PARA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with a single derivative: ᴱQ. parma “skin, bark; parchment; †book, writings” (QL/72). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, words like G. padhwen “bark” and G. paglos “parchment” are probably related, along with deleted word G. pand “bark; book” (GL/63). These Gnomish forms hint that the early root was probably actually PAŘA [PAÐA]. Another set of words appearing in the same part of the Gnomish Lexicon and thus probably also related are: G. past “skin”, G. pasta- “skin, peel, flay” and G. path “peel, skin of fruit, fine bark (paper)” (GL/63).

The root ᴹ√PAR reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a completely different meaning “compose, put together”, though still with the derivative ᴹQ. parma/N. parf “book” along with ON. partha- “arrange, compose” (Ety/PAR). The root ᴹ√PAR “compose, arrange” also appeared in the first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) also from the 1930s, again as the basis for ᴹQ. parma “book” (PE18/51). The root √PAR¹ “arrange” > Q. parma “writing, composition, book” appeared again in the second version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950 (PE18/101).

In notes from around 1959 Tolkien reverted to the earlier meaning of the root. In etymological notes from 1959 Tolkien wrote “√PAR-, peel (hence bark, book). [S.] paran, Q. parne, bald, bare” (PE17/171). In a list of Sindarin words from the same period he wrote:

> S paran, naked, bare. Cf. Dol Baran. √PAR “peel”. Cf. Q parna, bare. (Q parma, peel, applied to bark or skin, hence “book”). Q. parca, naked, of persons. S parch (PE17/86).

In another note from this period he gave a very similar derivation with √PAR > Q. parma = [originally] “bark” [later] “parchment, book” noting that the first Elvish writing materials were bark, but he then rejected this etymology (PE17/171).

In notes from the 1960s Tolkien gave:

> √PAR- “learn, to acquire information, not by experience or observation, but by communication”, by the instruction, or accounts of others in words or writing: parma, a book (or written document of some size). To read a book in Elvish was often expressed so: paranye (apārien) parmanen, I am learning (have learnt) by means of a book (PE17/180).

This last meaning of the root is further supported by the phrase Q. cuita’r parë “live and learn” from Late Notes on Verbs composed in 1969 (PE22/154).

Thus the semantic evolution of root seems to be 1910s “✱peel” >> 1930s-1950 “arrange, compose” >> 1959 “peel” >> 1960s “learn”.

Neo-Eldarin: Tolkien’s shifting definitions of the root √PAR make it tricky to use in the context of Neo-Eldarin. While it was the source of Q. parma “book” for all of Tolkien’s life, the exact mechanism of how √PAR was connected to “book” underwent a number of changes. Of these, I think the use of √PAR = “peel” is the one that can be most easily discarded. While this does leave S. paran “bare” from the name S. Dol Baran with no etymology, that word might be salvaged by assuming it was derived instead of an unrelated (hypothetical) root ✱√PARAN.

The other two meanings of the root, “compose” (1930s-1950) and “learn” (1960s) are both popular parts of Neo-Eldarin. The verb Q. par- has become the basis verb for “learn” verbs in Neo-Eldarin since its publication in PE17 in 2007. However, the sense “compose, arrange” is also well established. I think it is best to assume this root means both “compose, put together” in general as well as “compose (information)” = “learn”, to retain both these senses. As for “arrange”, that seems to be better covered by √PAN.

Derivatives

• Q. par- “to learn” ✧ PE17/180
• ᴺQ. parta- “to arrange, compose, order”
• S. parth “field, enclosed grassland, sward”
• ᴺS. partha- “to arrange, compose”
• T. parma “book”

Element in

• Q. loiparë “mistake in writing”
• Q. parma “book, writing, composition, written document of some size, book, writing, composition, written document of some size; [ᴱQ.] skin, bark; parchment” ✧ PE17/180; PE18/101

Variations

• PAR ✧ PE17/171; PE17/180; PE18/101

kwāra

noun. fist

Derivations

• √KWAR “press together, squeeze, wring, clench; clenched hand, fist” ✧ PE17/042; PM/318; VT47/08

Derivatives

• Q. quár(ë) “fist, closed hand” ✧ PE17/042; PM/318; VT47/08
• S. paur “fist, closed hand” ✧ PE17/042; PM/318; VT47/08
• T. pár “fist” ✧ PM/318; VT47/08

Variations

• kwārē ✧ PE17/042
• kwāră ✧ VT47/08

dond(a)

noun. fist

Derivatives

• Q. nonda “hand especially in (?clutching)” ✧ VT47/23
• S. dond “fist” ✧ VT47/23
• T. donda “fist” ✧ VT47/23

paur

noun. fist (often used to mean "hand", its chief use was in reference of the tighly closed hand, as in using an implement or a craft-tool, rather than to the fist used in punching)

paur

noun. fist

Changes

• par → paur “hand” ✧ Ety/KWAR

Cognates

• ᴹQ. qár(e) “fist, hand” ✧ Ety/KWAR; Ety/KWAR; Ety/KWAR

Derivations

• ᴹ√KWAR “clutching hand, fist” ✧ Ety/DARÁM; Ety/KWAR; EtyAC/KWAR
• On. pōre “fist” ✧ Ety/KWAR
  • ᴹ√KWAR “clutching hand, fist” ✧ Ety/KWAR

Element in

• N. Angbor
• N. Celebrimbor “Silver-fist” ✧ Ety/KWAR
• N. drambor “clenched fist; blow with a fist, clenched fist; blow with a fist; [G.] thudder” ✧ Ety/DARÁM

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. pōre > paur	[pǭre] > [poure] > [paure] > [paur]	✧ Ety/KWAR

Variations

• par ✧ EtyAC/KWAR (par)

drambor

noun. clenched fist

drambor

noun. blow (with fist)