The word ᴹQ. motto first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “blot” as a derivative of the root ᴹ√MBOTH (Ety/MBOTH). It reappeared in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 as a derivative of √MOT “fen, marsh”, apparently of the same meaning. Its 1957 Sindarin form both < mbotto implies the root may have been √M(B)OT. For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d keep both the 1957 and 1930s senses, as derivations of slightly different roots.
Quenya
malo
moth
motto
noun. fen, marsh, fen, marsh; [ᴹQ.] blot
Cognates
- S. both “fen, marsh, fen, marsh; [N.] puddle, small pool” ✧ PE17/165
Derivations
- √MOT “fen, marsh” ✧ PE17/165
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MOT > motto [motto] ✧ PE17/165
linya
pool
linya noun "pool" (LIN1)
nendë
pool
nendë (1) noun "pool" (NEN), "lake" (PE17:52)
histë
dusk
histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)
hísë
dusk
hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.
lómë
dusk, twilight
lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...
lóna
pool, mere
lóna (1) noun "pool, mere" (VT42:10). Variant of lón, lónë above?
máma
sheep
máma noun "sheep" (WJ:395)
máma
noun. sheep
A word for “sheep” appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 as a derivative of ✶māmā (WJ/395). It appeared again in notes from 1968 as a derivative of ✶mbāba (VT47/35), apparently with some amount of assimilation since the second primitive b > m as suggested by Patrick Wynne (VT47/36).
Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴱQ. moa “sheep” appeared in both the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, in the former under the entry for the early root ᴱ√MAWA “cry, bleat” (QL/060). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, the word for “sheep” was instead ᴱQ. sauve (PE16/132).
Cognates
- ᴺS. maf “sheep”
Derivations
- ✶māmā “sheep” ✧ VT47/35; WJ/395
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶mbāba > māma [māmā] > [mbāmā] > [māmā] > [māma] ✧ VT47/35 ✶māmā > máma [māmā] > [māma] ✧ WJ/395 Variations
- māma ✧ VT47/35
usque
noun. dusk, twilight
usque
noun. dusk
dusk
malo
noun. moth
Derivations
- ᴹ√MBAL “?crush, pound, [ᴱ√] crush, *pound; hurt, pain, damage, give maim to”
malo (2) (*malu-, pl. malwi) noun "moth" (QL:58)