at

root. two, double, bi-, di-; back, re-; across, over, lying from side to side, two, double, bi-, di-; back, re-, [ᴹ√] again, twice; [ᴱ√] dual; [√] across, over, lying from side to side

As the main root for “two”, √AT dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱ√ATA appeared with the gloss “dual” (QL/33). At this very early stage, its derivatives had mainly to do with pairs such as ᴱQ. aqi “a brace, a couple of, both” and at- “bi-, twi-”, whereas the earliest Quenya word for “two” was ᴱQ. yúyo (PE14/49). Later on, Q. yúyo became “both” whereas “two” became Q. atta.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s this root appeared as ᴹ√AT(AT) (Ety/AT(AT)) with variants ᴹ√ATTA which became the basis for Quenya atta “two” (Ety/ATTA) and ᴹ√TATA which became the basis for Noldorin tâd “two” (Ety/TATA); these numerals retained this form thereafter into the Quenya and Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s (VT42/24-26). In the 1930s, the ᴹ√TATA variant took on the sense “double” in Quenya, and the ᴹ√ATTA variant took on the sense “across” in Noldorin. The base root ᴹ√AT had the sense “again, back”, as seen in both Quenya and Noldorin prefixes ᴹQ. at(a)-, N. ad- “back, again, re-” (Ety/AT(AT)).

This root continued to appear in the 1950s and 1960s, retaining its various meanings of “two” (VT42/27), “back, again” (PE17/148) and “across” (VT43/33). Tolkien explored the origin and development of this root at some length in his essays on Elvish numerals from the late 1960s, connecting it to √AT(AR) “father” via various Elvish finger names (VT48/19).

Changes

• AT → AT(A) “a second time, once more, again” ✧ VT42/26

Derivatives

• ✶at “once again”
• Q. at(a)- “double, second time, double, [repeat a] second time; [ᴱQ.] bi-, twi-; [ᴹQ.] back, again, re-” ✧ PE17/166
• S. ad- “back, again, re-” ✧ PE17/167
• S. adu “double”

Element in

• √ATATA “two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back” ✧ VT42/27
• ✶at-kwet “answer” ✧ PE17/166
• ᴺQ. ahtar- “to do back, react; to requite, avenge”
• Q. ahtar- “to do back, react; to requite, avenge” ✧ PE17/166
• S. achar- “to avenge, do back, react, requite” ✧ PE17/166
• S. acharn “vengeance, (an act of) revenge” ✧ PE17/166

Variations

• AT(A) ✧ PE17/148; PE17/166; VT42/26
• ATA ✧ PE17/167; PE21/74
• at(a) ✧ VT42/26
• ata- ✧ VT43/33

at

prefix. once again

Derivations

• √AT “two, double, bi-, di-; back, re-; across, over, lying from side to side, two, double, bi-, di-; back, re-, [ᴹ√] again, twice; [ᴱ√] dual; [√] across, over, lying from side to side”

atta

cardinal. two

Derivations

• √ATATA “two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back” ✧ VT48/19

Derivatives

• Q. atta “two” ✧ VT48/19
• S. -ath “collective or group plural” ✧ VT48/19

Element in

• ✶galadā atta “2 trees” ✧ PE21/74

Variations

• Atta ✧ NM/060
• Tata ✧ NM/060

tata

masculine name. Two

Element in

• Q. Tatalië “*Company of Tata”

atata

root. two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back

Derivatives

• ✶(a)tata “two” ✧ VT42/27
  • Q. atta “two” ✧ VT42/27
  • S. athra- “to cross (to and fro)” ✧ PE17/014
  • S. tâd “two” ✧ PE17/014; VT42/27
  • T. tata “two” ✧ VT42/27
• ✶atta “two” ✧ VT48/19
  • Q. atta “two” ✧ VT48/19
  • S. -ath “collective or group plural” ✧ VT48/19
• S. taid “supporting, second in command”

Element in

• ✶atatya “double” ✧ VT42/27

Variations

• AT-TA ✧ PE17/148; PE17/166 (AT-TA)
• ATTA ✧ PE21/74; VT42/24
• TATA ✧ PE21/74; VT42/24
• Atat ✧ VT42/27
• tat(ă) ✧ VT48/19

(a)tata

cardinal. two

Derivations

• √ATATA “two, two; [ᴹ√] again, back” ✧ VT42/27

Derivatives

• Q. atta “two” ✧ VT42/27
• S. athra- “to cross (to and fro)” ✧ PE17/014
• S. tâd “two” ✧ PE17/014; VT42/27
• T. tata “two” ✧ VT42/27

Element in

• ✶Tata “Two” ✧ WJ/421
• ✶Tatie ✧ WJ/421

Variations

• atta- ✧ PE17/014 (atta-)
• atata ✧ VT42/27
• atta/tata ✧ WJ/421

dē

preposition. with

Derivatives

• Q. lé “with, with, [ᴹQ.] by, [ᴱQ.] with (accompaniment)” ✧ PE17/095
• S. di “with” ✧ PE17/095

khan

root. back

Derivatives

• Q. han- “*back as an answer or return by another agent” ✧ PE17/166

Variations

• KHAN ✧ PE17/157; PE17/166

tō/oto

root. back

A root in a discussion of prefixes for “back” from around 1959, which Tolkien specified as meaning: “back as an answer, or return by another agent to an action affecting him, as in answering, replying, avenging, requiting, repaying, rewarding”; Tolkien also considered the forms √UTU/TŪ (PE17/166). But Tolkien crossed this all through and seems to have replaced it with √KHAN. Tolkien mentioned the root √OT in a discussion of numbers from the late 1960s, but only to specify that “there was no primitive base OT-” (VT47/16).

Element in

• Q. tóquet- “to answer” ✧ PE17/166

Variations

• TŌ/OT(O) ✧ PE17/166 (TŌ/OT(O)); PE17/187 (TŌ/OT(O))
• OT ✧ PE17/167; VT47/16 (OT)
• OT(O) ✧ PE17/171 (OT(O))
• TŪ ✧ PE17/188 (TŪ)
• UTU/TŪ ✧ PE17/189 (UTU/TŪ)

sē

preposition. at; locative, adessive, inessive

Derivatives

• Q. se “at, in” ✧ VT43/30
• Q. -ssë “locative ending” ✧ PE21/79

Variations

• sē̆ ✧ PE21/79
• -ssē ✧ PE21/79
• stē ✧ PE21/79