ópa

mouth

ópa noun "mouth", in the sense of mouth-opening with lips as the edges (PE17:126)

ópa

noun. mouth (opening of which the lips are the edges)

A word appearing in some 1964 notes on various elements of the mouth, specifically referring to the “opening of which the lips, or pempi, are the edges”, from the root √OP (PE17/126). Tolkien initially wrote (and then deleted) the form {ōka} and the root {√OK}. This is likely a technical term, as opposed to the more ordinary word for mouth: Q. anto.

Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴱQ. óvo or ó “mouth” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s (PE16/136).

Changes

• ōka → ōpa ✧ PE17/126

Derivations

• √OP “(opening of) mouth” ✧ PE17/126; PE17/126

Element in

• Q. úpa “dumb [unable to speak]” ✧ PE17/126

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√OP > ōpa	[ōpa]	✧ PE17/126
√OK > ōka	[ōpa]	✧ PE17/126

Variations

• ōpa ✧ PE17/126
• ōka ✧ PE17/126 (ōka)

carpa

mouth

carpa ("k") (1) noun "mouth", including lips, teeth, tongue etc. (PE17:126); also used for "language", in particular the phonetic system.Cf. náva and páva.

páva

mouth

páva noun "mouth" (including tongue, lips and teeth). Apparently changed by Tolkien to náva, q.v. (VT39:19)

páva

noun. mouth

Element in

• Q. pávatengwë “consonant” ✧ VT39/19

songa

mouth

songa noun "mouth", in the sense of "interior cavity behind the teeth, containing tongue" (PE17:126)

anto

mouth

anto (1) noun "mouth", also name of tengwa #13 (Appendix E)

anto

noun. mouth, mouth [as a thing for eating]; [ᴱQ.] jaw

The basic Quenya word for “mouth”, appearing as the name of tengwa #13 (4) in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1123). It is likely derived from the root √MAT “eat” from primitive ✱amtō, and hence refers to the mouth as a thing for eating. Quenya has a number of other more specialized words for the mouth, however, such as Q. pé for the closed mouth, Q. ópa for the mouth opening, Q. songa for the interior of the mouth and Q. náva for the entire mouth apparatus (tongue, lips and teeth) used for speech.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. anto “mouth” first appeared in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1940s, where it replaced ᴹQ. anta “jaws” (PE22/50 note #50). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. anto (antu-) was itself glossed “jaw” and was based on the early root ᴱ√MATA “eat” (QL/31, 59).

Derivations

• √MAT “eat”

Element in

• ᴺQ. antolatta “bridle, (lit.) mouth-strap”

náva

mouth

náva ("ñ")noun "mouth", apparently not only the lips but also the inside of the mouth (VT39:13 cf. 8). Possibly, but probably not, the same element that is translated "hollow" in Návarot, q.v.