bas(t)

noun. bread

This was the word for “bread” in Sindarin and its conceptual precursors for much of Tolkien’s life, derived from the equally long-lived root √MBAS “bake”. The word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where G. bast “bread” was derived from the early root ᴱ√M(B)ASA “cook, bake” (GL/22). ᴱN. bast “bread” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/138) and appeared again as N. bast “bread” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MBAS “knead” (Ety/MBAS).

It appeared without a final t in the Sindarin version of the Lord’s Prayer from the 1950s: anno ammen sír imbas ilaurui vín “give us this day our daily bread” (VT44/21). However the t was restored in the phrase penim vast “we have no bread” from around 1959 (PE17/144). The late vacillations on the presence and absence of t are likely connected to Tolkien challenges with the derivation of lembas; see that entry for discussion. Likewise, the mutated forms mbas vs. vast indicate some late uncertainty on whether the primitive form began with mb- or b-.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume the normal form was bast “bread” from ancient mbasta, so that lenited forms show m(b)-. However, I would assume there is a variant bas(s) [< ✶mbassē] that appears occasionally in compounds like lembas.

bass

noun. bread

In the Etymologies, the word for "bread" is given as bast , Quenya masta, but it seems that Tolkien later changed his mind and updated the word to bass, as shown in Quenya massánie, Sindarin besain, besoneth "bread-giver", and in the mutated form (i)mbas (apparently prefixed with the article). These latter Sindarin forms are however dubious, as we would rather have expected bessain (as a regular cognate of Quenya massánie) and bassoneth (without i-affection), and possibly a different mutation pattern after the article

lembas

noun. waybread, journey-bread

The name of the special bread used by Elves during travel, more literally “waybread”.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared as N. lembas “waybread” in a marginal entry to The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√LEN “(road?), way” [the first gloss is unclear], a variant of ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” (EtyAC/LEN). Its second element was probably N. bast “bread” (Ety/MBAS). In the narratives themselves, the word lembas appeared in early drafts of Book 2, Chapter 8 “Farewell to Lórien” from The Lord of the Rings (TI/279), which is where it first appeared in the published version as well.

Possible Etymology: Although its second element was probably originally bast “bread”, it is not clear why this word was lembas and not lembast; Noldorin compounds usually retained final st, as in Orchrist and Camlost. The reduction of the st in lembas could be a remnant of earlier ideas; compare it to G. losbas “ryebread” = G. losc + G. bast from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/22, 54).

Nevertheless, Tolkien considered the etymology of lembas somewhat problematic in his later writings. In notes from the 1950s he derived it from OS. lenn-mbass “journey-bread” (PM/404). In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien derived lembas from lendbas where its initial element was lenda “journey” based on the root √LEN or √LED but he did not explain the second element (PE17/60). In notes from the mid-1960s Tolkien wrote:

> lembas “waybread”. This seems meant to be associated with Primitive Eldarin stems ✱LED “go” and ✱MBAS “bake” but is not readily derived from them according to Sindarin developments. Something like ✱leðbast would be expected (PE17/51).

In these notes, Tolkien initially derived the word from ledme-mbasta but struggled to explain the reduction of st. He then started over, saying:

> Simplify this thus: Assume a Primitive Eldarin derivation ✱mbassē, “(baked) bread” ... Evidently lembas is an old compound < led(e)mbasse “bread taken on leaving home (for a long journey)”, the first element being the bare verbal stem. ... lembas would be a reasonable Sindarin development in an obscured compound though leðbas would be expected if the stem √LED had remained in common use (PE17/52).

This revised etymology is more-or-less compatible with the 1950s derivation from OS. lenn-mbass, which is the derivation Christopher Tolkien presented in the Silmarillion Index (SI/lembas).

anno ammen sír i mbas ilaurui vín

give us this day our daily bread

The sixth line of Ae Adar Nín, Tolkien’s Sindarin translation of the Lord’s Prayer (VT44/21). The first word anno is the imperative form of anna- “to give”, followed by ammen “to us”, a combination of an “to” and men “us”. The third word sír “this day” seems to be the equivalent of Q. síra.

The fourth word is the definite article i “the”, followed by the lenited form mbas of bas(t) “bread”, the adjective ilaurui “daily” and the lenited form vín of the possessive pronoun mín “ours”. The adjectival elements follow the noun as is usual in Sindarin. See the entry for the second line of this prayer for a discussion of the use of the definite article i “the” before the possessed noun in this phrase.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> ann-o am-men sír i mbas [← bas] ilaurui vín [← mín] = “✱give-(imperative) to-us this-day the bread daily ours”

Conceptual Development: Tolkien first wrote the unlenited form mín of the pronoun “our” before replacing it with the lenited form vín.

basgorn

noun. a loaf of bread

(m-)bast (“bread”) + corn (“round”))

ledhbas

'way-bread'

{ð} n. 'way-bread'. A form of lembas if the stem LED had remained in common use. >> lembas

lembas

noun. way bread

lend (“journey”) + (m-)bass (“bread”)

lembas

'way-bread'

n. 'way-bread'. Q. lerembas. >> ledhbas

penim vast

we have no bread

bassoneth

noun. bread-giver

See bass for a discussion regarding this word

besain

noun. bread-giver

See bass for a discussion regarding this word

besoneth

noun. bread-giver

See bass for a discussion regarding this word

bessain

noun. bread-giver

See bass for a discussion regarding this word

lembas

noun. journey bread made by the Elves

ledhbas(t)

noun. waybread

bass

bread

bass (i mass, o mbass, construct bas), pl. bais (i mbais). The sg. form with article "imbas" in VT44:23 may be seen as archaic Sindarin, for later *i mas(s) as suggested here. In ”Noldorin”, the word for "bread" was bast (LR:372 s.v. MBAS), but otherwise it would have the same mutations.

bass

bread

(i mass, o mbass, construct bas), pl. bais (i mbais). The sg. form with article "imbas" in VT44:23 may be seen as archaic Sindarin, for later ✱i mas(s) as suggested here. – In ”Noldorin”, the word for "bread" was bast (LR:372 s.v. MBAS), but otherwise it would have the same mutations.

lembas

journey-bread

(way-bread), pl. lembais

lembas

journey-bread

lembas (way-bread), pl. lembais

lembas

way-bread

lembas (journey-bread), pl. lembais

lembas

way-bread

(journey-bread), pl. lembais

basgorn

round bread

(loaf) (i masgorn), pl. besgyrn (i mbesgyrn).

basgorn

round bread

basgorn (loaf) (i masgorn), pl. besgyrn (i mbesgyrn).

bassoneth

bread-giver

(fem.) bassoneth (lady) (i massoneth, o mbassoneth), pl. bassonith (i mbassonith). Archaic *bassauneth. Also bessain (i messain, o mbessain), no distinct pl. except with article (i mbessain)

bassoneth

bread-giver

bassoneth (lady) (i massoneth, o mbassoneth), pl. bassonith (i mbassonith). Archaic *bassauneth.

bassoneth

bread-giver

(lady) (i massoneth, o mbassoneth), pl. bassonith (i mbassonith). Archaic ✱bassauneth. Also bessain (i messain, o mbessain), no distinct pl. except with article (i mbessain)

lembas

way-bread, journey-bread

pl. lembais.

lembas

way-bread, journey-bread

lembas, pl. lembais.

basgorn

loaf

basgorn (i masgorn), pl. besgyrn (i mbesgyrn). Literally "round bread".

basgorn

loaf

(i masgorn), pl. besgyrn (i mbesgyrn). Literally "round bread".

apharch

adjective. very dry, arid

cram

noun. cake of compressed flour or meal (often containing honey and milk)

lend

noun. journey

lenn-

noun. journey

apharch

very dry

(pl. epherch) (VT45:5, 36)

corn

round

corn (circular, globed), lenited gorn, pl. cyrn. The word is also used as a noun "circle".

corn

round

(circular, globed), lenited gorn, pl. cyrn. The word is also used as a noun "circle".

cram

cake

(of compressed flour or meal, often containing honey and milk, for use on long journeys) cram (i gram, o chram), pl. craim (i chraim), coll. pl. crammath

cram

cake

(i gram, o chram), pl. craim (i chraim), coll. pl. crammath

dolt

round knob

(i dholt) (boss), pl. dylt

lend

journey

lend (way), pl. lind, coll. pl. lennath. Note: a homophone means ”tuneful, sweet”.

lend

journey

(way), pl. lind, coll. pl. lennath. Note: a homophone means ”tuneful, sweet”.

lîdh

noun. journey

A neologism for “journey” coined by Elaran in a private Discord chat from 2019-08-07, based on ✱lēde < √LED “go, proceed”; see also N. ledh- “to go, fare, travel”. Noun forms with long vowels that correspond to basic verbs with short vowels are fairly common in Sindarin, for example: N. mîl n. “love” vs. S. mel- v. “to love”; N. glîr n. “song” vs. N. glir- “to sing”. A direct cognate of Q. lenda “journey” would be ᴺS. lend or lenn, but the form ᴺS. lend already exists as an adjective for “tuneful, sweet”.

parch

dry

parch (lenited barch; pl. perch);

parch

dry

(lenited barch; pl. perch);