malo (1) (stem *malu-, given the primitive form ¤smalu) noun "pollen, yellow powder" (SMAL)
Quenya
mulë
noun. meal, meal, *grist, ground grains
Derivations
- √MUL “grind (fine)”
Element in
- ᴺQ. mulessë “porridge”
Variations
- mŭle ✧ PE17/115
malo
pollen, yellow powder
matl
food
matl noun "food"; read *matil in LotR-style Quenya (in which language final syllabic -l becomes -il) (QL:59); however, the word matso from a later source may be preferred.
mat
meal, meal time
mat (matt-) noun "meal, meal time" (QL:59)
mulë
meal, grist
mulë noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), replacing polë, q.v.
polë
meal, grist
[polë (stem poli-) noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), a word Tolkien decided to replace by mulë; perhaps polë was a variant of porë.]
polë
noun. meal, grist, meal, grist, [ᴹQ.] flour, [ᴱQ.] oats, grain (unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.)
This word was used for “flour” related words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱQ. pole (poli-) “oats” in both the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√POL-I which was, in that document, distinct from ᴱ√POLO “have strength” (QL/75, PME/75). The word reappeared with various glosses in documents from the 1920s: “grain; unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.” (PE15/73), “grain” (PE14/75), “flour” (PE16/141).
In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. pole “flour, meal” (PE21/12), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s it became ᴹQ. pore (pori-) “flour, meal” derived from primitive ᴹ✶pori under the root ᴹ√POR (Ety/POR). Tolkien may have changed l to r to better distinguish it from the root ᴹ√POL(OD) “physically strong” (Ety/POL). In notes from around 1967, however, Tolkien became dissatisfied with the meaning of the root √POL, saying:
> POL. This cannot refer to strength. (Too obvious a reminiscence of [Latin] pollens); also it does not account for poli- “meal, grist”. POL- should have senses “pound up”, break up small, reduced to powder etc. (PE17/181).
Thus it seems he restored pole (poli-). However, in notes from 1968 he reversed himself, saying:
> Q. pol, large, big (strong). polda big. DELETE pole “meal”! Make it mule (PE17/115).
Neo-Quenya: Given the widespread use of √POL in words having to do with physical ability, I agree with Tolkien’s 1968 note that poli- is not viable for “flour” words. I recommend Q. mulë for “meal” = any ground grains in general, but I think it is worth retaining 1930s ᴹQ. pore specifically for “flour”.
Changes
pole→ mŭle “meal” ✧ PE17/115Derivations
- ✶poli “meal”
- √POL “can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); pound up, break up small, reduce to powder, can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have stength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder”
- √POL “can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); pound up, break up small, reduce to powder, can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have stength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder” ✧ PE17/181
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √POL > poli- [poli] > [pole] ✧ PE17/181 Variations
- pole ✧ PE17/115 (
pole)
porë
flour, meal
porë (stem *pori-, given the primitive form ¤pori) noun "flour, meal" (POR). See polë.
matso
food
matso noun "food" (PE16:141)
matta
noun. food
matta
noun. food
A noun for “food” from the Common Eldarin: Verb Structure (EVS2) of the early 1950s, derived from primitive ✶matnā, originally an ancient adjective meaning “eaten” (PE22/136).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “food” was ᴱQ. matl under the early root ᴱ√MATA (QL/59). This became ᴱQ. {masta} >> matso in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/141). In EVS2 the word was originally manna “food”, but this was struck through and replaced by matta (PE22/136 note #36), which likely reflects Tolkien’s shift in the phonetic developments of primitive tn, so that tn became tt rather than nn as it did in Tolkien’s earlier writings (PE19/85 and note #79).
Neo-Quenya: I find the phonetic developments associated with the above sound change to be problematic for various reasons. Therefore, I prefer to assume the primitive form of this word was an ancient noun: ✱mattā.
Changes
manna→ matta ✧ PE22/136Cognates
Derivations
- ✶matnā “eaten, eaten, [ᴹ✶] food” ✧ PE22/136
Element in
- ᴺQ. celvamatta “animal food”
- ᴺQ. laimamatta “vegetable food, (lit.) plant food”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶matnā > matta [matnā] > [mattā] > [matta] ✧ PE22/136 Variations
- manna ✧ PE22/136 (
manna)
A word in a list of “large & small” roots from around 1968 replacing polë “meal” (PE17/115). It was likely derived from ✱√MUL, which in the 1910s meant “grind” (QL/63). This words means “meal” in the sense “ground grains” such as “cornmeal”, not “meal” as a time for eating which is [ᴹQ.] mat.