_ n. Poet. _hand. Q. má. >> maetha-
Sindarin
maw
noun. hand
maw
noun. hand
Cognates
Derivations
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE17/162
- ✶mā “hand” ✧ VT47/06
- ✶maha “hand, the manager” ✧ PE19/074; PE19/102; VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/35
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ VT47/18; VT47/18
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE21/70
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MAƷ > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ PE17/162 ✶mā > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ VT47/06 √mag > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ VT47/18
maw
noun. Poet
mab-
noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)
mâb
noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)
mâb
noun. hand, hand, [N.] grasp
The typical Sindarin word for “hand” (VT47/7, 20), usable in almost any context. It is most notable as an element in the name Mablung “Heavy Hand” (VT47/8). See below for a discussion of its etymology.
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where G. mab “hand” appeared as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√MAPA “seize” (GL/55). Tolkien then revised the gloss to “hands”, saying instead it was an irregular dual of G. mô “hand”. The word reverted to singular ᴱN. mab “hand” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/149). These early versions of the word were already an element of Mablung “Heavy Hand(ed)” (LT2/38; LB/311), but also of Ermabwed “One-handed” (LT2/34; LB/119).
In the 1930s it seems Tolkien decided Ilk. mâb “hand” was primarily an Ilkorin word, and the usual word for “hand” in Noldorin was N. cam. Compare Ilkorin Ermabuin “One-handed” and Mablosgen “Empty-handed” with Noldorin Erchamion and Camlost of the same meaning. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. mab “grasp” under the root ᴹ√MAPA “seize”, but the version of the entry with that word was overwritten (EtyAC/MAP), leaving only the Ilkorin form mâb. In this period, Mablung may also have been an Ilkorin name.
After Tolkien abandoned Ilkorin in the 1950s, he kept S. Erchamion and Camlost based on cam, but also kept Mablung “Heavy Hand” which must have become Sindarin. In his later writings Tolkien again revisited the etymology of S. mâb “hand”. In a note from Jan-Feb 1968, he wrote:
> It [Q. má = “hand”] did not survive in Telerin and Sindarin as an independent word, but was replaced by the similar-sounding but unconnected C.E. makwā, Q. maqua, T. mapa, S. mab, of uncertain origin, but probably originally an adjectival formation from MAK “strike” ... (VT47/19).
This sentence was struck through, however. In drafts of notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals written in or after 1968, Tolkien again derived mâb from √MAP (VT47/20 note #13), but in the final version of these notes he made the remarkable decision to discard this root despite it being a stable part of Elvish for nearly 50 years, declaring it was used only in Telerin and not Quenya or Sindarin (VT47/7). He coined a new etymology for S. mâb “hand” based on ✶makwā “handful” = ✶mā + ✶kwā (VT47/6-7), a variation on the above etymology from √MAK.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer to ignore Tolkien’s 1968 removal of √MAP “seize”, and so would continue to derive S. mâb “hand” from that root. However, its ancient meaning may have been “✱grasp”, and its eventual use as “hand” might have been influenced by ancient ✶makwā “handful”.
Cognates
- Q. maqua “hand-full, group of five (similar) things; hand (colloquial); closing or closed [hand] (facing down) for taking” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/19; VT47/20
Derivations
- ✶makwā “a hand-full, complete hand with all five fingers” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/19
- √MAK “cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); ️[√] forge metal; kill, slay” ✧ VT47/19
- √MAP “take away, take hold of, grasp, take away, take hold of, grasp, [ᴹ√] lay hold of with hand, seize” ✧ VT47/20
Element in
- ᴺS. mablanthos “sycamore”
- S. Mablung “Heavy Hand” ✧ VT47/07
- ᴺS. mabren “handed, having hands, dextrous”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/06 ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/07 ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/19 √MAP > măpo > mâb [mapo] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/20
aur
noun. Poet
n. Poet. #sunlight, daylight. Q. aure.
cam
noun. hand
camm
noun. hand
taur
noun. Poet
sadar
Poet
pl1. sedair n. Poet. trusty follower, loyal companion (member of "comitatus" of a lord, or prince). >> sadron
sadron
Poet
pl1. sedryn n. Poet. trusty follower, loyal companion (member of "comitatus" of a lord, or prince). Probably form of _sadar with masc. suffix -on_. >> sadar
ennorath
noun. Poet
cêf
soil
(noun) 1) *cêf (i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif). 2) maw (i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.
cêf
soil
(i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif).
elein
Poet
pl2. eleniath, elenwaith n. Poet. star.
ell
Poet
elles
noun. Poet
ellon
noun. Poet
findel
Poet
oron
Poet
pl1. ryn, eryn _ n. Poet. _upstanding plant, general word for tree. >> orn
túr
noun. Poet
maw
soil
(i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.
maw
hand
(i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6)
maw
noun. sheep
Derivations
- ✶māmā “sheep”
maw
stain
(i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.
maw
noun. soil, stain
maf
noun. sheep
A neologism for “sheep” coined by Elaran in 2022 on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from a variant form ✱mămā of primitive ✶māmā “sheep”, the basis of Q. máma “sheep”. This is only one of various possibilities for neologisms for “sheep”: in VQP (VQP) Gábor Lőrinczi suggested ᴺS. maw “sheep” as a direct cognate of Q. máma, and Fiona Jallings suggested ᴺS. ✱baw as a derivative of ✶mbāba, a primitive form that appeared on VT47/35. Both maw and baw have other meanings in Sindarin, however. I used to recommend a word of my own, bam from a reduplicated primitive form ✱mbambā, but I now prefer Elaran’s suggestion of maf.
Cognates
- Q. máma “sheep”
Derivations
- ✶māmā “sheep”
Element in
mael
stain
(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
mael
stained
(lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.
mâb
hand
(i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib).
bam
noun. sheep
Derivations
- ✶mbā “sheep”
cam
hand
1) cam (i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath; 2) mâb (i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib). 3) Archaic †maw (i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 4) (fist) dond (i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).
cam
hand
(i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath
dond
hand
(i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).
gwaen
stained
(lenited ’waen; no distinct pl. form)
gwass
stain
(noun) 1) gwass (i **wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i **wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith), 2) (noun) maw (i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”. 3) mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
gwass
stain
(i ’wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i ’wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith)
gwatha
stain
(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (soil)
gwatha
stain
(i ’watha, in gwathar) (soil)
crûm
left hand
(i grûm, o chrûm, construct crum), pl. cruim (i chruim), coll. pl. crummath. Also ✱hair (i chair), no distinct pl. form (not even with article). Note: hair is also used = ”left” as adjective. Cited in archaic form heir (LR:365 s.v. KHYAR).
forgam
right-handed
(pl. fergaim, for archaic förgeim)
gwatha
soil
(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (stain)
gwatha
soil
(i ’watha, in gwathar) (stain)
camlann
of the hand
(i gamlann, o chamlann), pl. cemlain (i chemlain).
fuir
right hand
pl. fŷr. Also used as adj. "right, north" (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).
The Sindarin equivalent of Q. má, likewise derived from the root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield” (PE17/162; VT47/6). However, in Sindarin this word was archaic, used only in poetry, having been replaced in ordinary speech by other words like S. mâb and (less often) cam. Other remnants of this word can be seen in compounds like molif “wrist, (orig.) hand link” and directional words like forvo and harvo for left and right hand side.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. mô from the early root ᴱ√MAHA was the normal word for “hand”, replacing mab “hand” (< ᴱ√MAHA) which in this document Tolkien decided was instead an irregular dual form of mô (GL/55). It had also had an irregular plural mabin based on this dual, replacing an older plural †maith. In the Gnomish Grammar, its archaic form was †mâ, with the usual Gnomish sound change of ā to ō (GG/14), as opposed to later Sindarin/Noldorin ā to au, spelt -aw when final. Tolkien seems to have abandoned mô as a non-archaic word for “hand” early on, preferring ᴱN. mab “hand” by the 1920s and introducing N. cam “hand” in the 1930s.