In the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s, Tolkien gave the verbal root {ᴹ√MAD >>} ᴹ√WAD “err, stray” as the basis {ᴹQ. mare >>} ᴹQ. ware “err” (PE22/102), but neither the root nor the verb seem to be mentioned anywhere else.
Middle Primitive Elvish
mad
root. *pale (yellow)
Derivatives
Element in
- N. Maidhros “Pale-glitter” ✧ Ety/RUS
mat
root. eat
Derivatives
- ᴹ✶ammat- “to devour” ✧ PE18/061
- ᴹ✶amtā “jaws, animal’s mouth” ✧ PE18/062
- ᴹ✶mat- “to eat”
- ᴹT. mat- “to eat”
- ᴹ✶
matna“food” ✧ EtyAC/MAT
- N.
mann“food” ✧ EtyAC/MAT- ᴹ✶maita- “to feed” ✧ PE18/046
- ᴹQ. mat “food, meal, meal, [ᴱQ.] meal time; [ᴹQ.] food”
- ᴹQ. mat- “to eat” ✧ Ety/MAT; EtyAC/MAT; PE22/102
- N. mad- “to eat” ✧ Ety/MAT; EtyAC/MAT
Element in
wad
root. err, stray
Changes
MAD→ WAD ✧ PE22/102Derivatives
- ᴹQ. var- “to err” ✧ PE22/102
Variations
- MAD ✧ PE22/102 (
MAD)
mat-
verb. to eat
Derivations
- ᴹ√MAT “eat”
Derivatives
- ᴹT. mat- “to eat”
Element in
- ᴹ✶ōmata- “to eat away, devour, corrode”
- ᴹ✶e mati-te “he eats him(self)” ✧ PE22/095
- ᴹ✶e mati-the “he eats him (another man)” ✧ PE22/095; PE22/095
- ᴹ✶ke mati-te “thou eatest it” ✧ PE22/095
- ᴹ✶ni mati-te “I eat it (him/her)” ✧ PE22/095
- ᴹ✶ni mati-te mati-the “I eat it and that” ✧ PE22/095; PE22/095; PE22/095; PE22/095
- ᴹ✶ni matite yu the “I eat it and that” ✧ PE22/095
A root in The Etymologies with derivatives ᴹQ. marya and N. maidh glossed “pale, fallow, fawn”(Ety/MAD), the last of these (fawn) probably referring to a light yellowish-tan colour. In this entry it was the basis for the name N. Maidhros “Pale-glitter”, but this and related entries went through a number of revisions as Tolkien tried to sort out the origin of that name. Indeed in later writings Tolkien gave this name as S. Maedhros or Maedros along with completely different etymologies (PM/366; VT41/10). Nevertheless, I think it is worth retaining this root for purposes of Neo-Eldarin to refer to a pale yellow or tan colour.