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.

emel

noun. mother

emmel

noun. mother

emig

noun. "litte mother"

emig

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

-em

1st pl

_1st pl. poss. suff. _our.Maybe the excl. form of this suff. See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Later -main, -mein. >> -main, -mein

-emir

suffix. 1st person plural exclusive possessive

em

noun. picture, image

A neologism for “picture” coined by Fiona Jallings, the Sindarin equivalent of Q. emma of the same meaning.

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)

parth

noun. field, lawn, sward, garden, enclosed grassland

An element in the names S. Parth Celebrant “Field of Celebrant” and S. Parth Galen “Green Sward”, variously translated “field, enclosed grassland” (UT/260), “sward” = “✱field of short grass” (RC/349), “small enclosed field, lawn” (PE23/139), or “garden” (PE23/141). Its etymology is unclear: it might be a derivative of √PAR “arrange”. It may also be a later iteration of N. pathw “level place, sward” < ᴹ√PATH, and is perhaps derived from ✱path-re with metathesis to parth(e).

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)

ennen

adjective. named