parma noun "book", also name of tengwa #2 (PAR, Appendix E). In early "Qenya", the gloss was "skin, bark, parchment, book, writings" (LT2:346); Tolkien later revisited the idea that parma basically is a noun "peel" and refers to bark or skin (as primitive writing materials, PE17:86): "peel, applied to bark or skin, hence "book", bark (literally skinning, peeling off), parchment, book; a book (or written document of some size")" (PE17:123). In the meantimeTolkien had associated the word with a root PAR meaning "compose, put together" (LR:380); the word loiparë "mistake in writing" (q.v.) may also suggest that the root PAR at one point was to mean "write", so that a parma was a "written thing". Instrumental form parmanen "with a book" or "by means of a book" (PE17:91, 180), parmastanna "on your book" (with the endings -sta dual "your", -nna allative) (VT49:47), parmahentië noun "book reading" (PE17:77). Other compounds: parmalambë noun "book-language" = Q[u]enya (PAR), #parma-resta noun "book-fair", attested with the endings -lya "thy" and the allative ending -nna (parma-restalyanna *"upon your book-fair") (VT49:38, 39). Parma as the name of the tengwa letter for P occurs compunded in parmatéma noun "p-series", labials, the second column of the Tengwar system (Appendix E).
Quenya
parma
noun. book
parma
book
helma
skin, fell
helma noun "skin, fell" (SKEL), changed by Tolkien from halma (VT46:14)
parma
noun. book, writing, composition, written document of some size, book, writing, composition, written document of some size; [ᴱQ.] skin, bark; parchment
Cognates
- T. parma “book”
Derivations
- √PAR “peel, peel, *bare” ✧ PE17/086; PE17/171
Element in
- Q. antanen parma sen “I gave a book to him” ✧ PE17/091
- Q. antanenyes parmanen “I presented him with a book” ✧ PE17/091
- Q. cesë parma “to look in a book” ✧ PE17/156
- Q. henta parma “to read a book” ✧ PE17/156
- Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/39
- Q. nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” ✧ VT49/47
- Q. paranye parmanen “I am learning by means of a book” ✧ PE17/180
- Q. apárien parmanen “I have learnt by means of a book” ✧ PE17/180
- ᴺQ. parmacas “bookcase”
- Q. parmahenta- “*to read”
- Q. parmahentië “(book) reading” ✧ PE17/077
- ᴺQ. parmahto “author”
- Q. Parmaitë “*Book Handy” ✧ UTI/Parmaitë
- ᴺQ. parmalas(së) “page, (lit.) leaf of book”
- Q. parma mittarion “*book of enterings” ✧ PMCH/01; TMME/192
- Q. Parmaquesta “Book-language”
- Q. parma-resta “*book-fair” ✧ VT49/39
- ᴺQ. parmassë “library”
- Q. parmatéma “p-series”
- ᴺQ. quettaparma “wordlist, wordbook”
- ᴺQ. toluparma “scroll, (lit.) roll-book”
- ᴺQ. tentaparma “recipe book, instruction book”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √PAR > parma [parmā] > [parma] ✧ PE17/086 √PAR > parma [parmā] > [parma] ✧ PE17/171
panna
noun. arrangement, grouping; *plan, course; book
Derivations
- √PAN “arrange, set in order, arrange, set in order; [ᴹ√] place, set, fix in place (especially of wood)”
book, writing, composition