parma noun "book", also name of tengwa #2 (PAR, Appendix E). In early "Qenya", the gloss was "skin, bark, parchment, book, writings" (LT2:346); Tolkien later revisited the idea that parma basically is a noun "peel" and refers to bark or skin (as primitive writing materials, PE17:86): "peel, applied to bark or skin, hence "book", bark (literally skinning, peeling off), parchment, book; a book (or written document of some size")" (PE17:123). In the meantimeTolkien had associated the word with a root PAR meaning "compose, put together" (LR:380); the word loiparë "mistake in writing" (q.v.) may also suggest that the root PAR at one point was to mean "write", so that a parma was a "written thing". Instrumental form parmanen "with a book" or "by means of a book" (PE17:91, 180), parmastanna "on your book" (with the endings -sta dual "your", -nna allative) (VT49:47), parmahentië noun "book reading" (PE17:77). Other compounds: parmalambë noun "book-language" = Q[u]enya (PAR), #parma-resta noun "book-fair", attested with the endings -lya "thy" and the allative ending -nna (parma-restalyanna *"upon your book-fair") (VT49:38, 39). Parma as the name of the tengwa letter for P occurs compunded in parmatéma noun "p-series", labials, the second column of the Tengwar system (Appendix E).
Quenya
parma
noun. book
parma
book
parma
noun. book, writing, composition, written document of some size, book, writing, composition, written document of some size; [ᴱQ.] skin, bark; parchment
Cognates
- T. parma “book”
Derivations
- √PAR “peel, peel, *bare” ✧ PE17/086; PE17/171
Element in
- Q. antanen parma sen “I gave a book to him” ✧ PE17/091
- Q. antanenyes parmanen “I presented him with a book” ✧ PE17/091
- Q. cesë parma “to look in a book” ✧ PE17/156
- Q. henta parma “to read a book” ✧ PE17/156
- Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/39
- Q. nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” ✧ VT49/47
- Q. paranye parmanen “I am learning by means of a book” ✧ PE17/180
- Q. apárien parmanen “I have learnt by means of a book” ✧ PE17/180
- ᴺQ. parmacas “bookcase”
- Q. parmahenta- “*to read”
- Q. parmahentië “(book) reading” ✧ PE17/077
- ᴺQ. parmahto “author”
- Q. Parmaitë “*Book Handy” ✧ UTI/Parmaitë
- ᴺQ. parmalas(së) “page, (lit.) leaf of book”
- Q. parma mittarion “*book of enterings” ✧ PMCH/01; TMME/192
- Q. Parmaquesta “Book-language”
- Q. parma-resta “*book-fair” ✧ VT49/39
- ᴺQ. parmassë “library”
- Q. parmatéma “p-series”
- ᴺQ. quettaparma “wordlist, wordbook”
- ᴺQ. toluparma “scroll, (lit.) roll-book”
- ᴺQ. tentaparma “recipe book, instruction book”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √PAR > parma [parmā] > [parma] ✧ PE17/086 √PAR > parma [parmā] > [parma] ✧ PE17/171
loiparë
mistake in writing
loiparë noun "a mistake in writing" (PE17:151). Cf. parma.
loiparë
noun. mistake in writing
Elements
Word Gloss loi- “mistaken, mistake in ...” PAR “learn; arrange, [ᴹ√] compose, put together” Variations
- loipare ✧ PE17/151
helma
skin, fell
helma noun "skin, fell" (SKEL), changed by Tolkien from halma (VT46:14)
ces-
to search (for something), to examine (something) in order to find (something)
ces- (Þ) ("k"), "to search (for something), to examine (something) in order to find (something)"; the root meaning is given as "enquire of, question, examine" (something). Cesë parma "to look in a book" (for a passage or information required); here the aorist stem cesë is used as infinitive. Notice that ces- here takes a simple direct object parma (not locative *parmassë, despite the translation). Past tense cense (Þ) given, replacing the phonologically expected form centë (also cited). (PE17:156)
-nen
most nouns have an instrumental in -nen
-nen instrumental ending (pl. -inen, dual -nten, partitive pl. -línen). Attested in ambartanen, lírinen, lintieryanen, súrinen, parmanen; see ambar (#2), lírë, lintië, súrë, parma. Tolkien noted that "most nouns have an instrumental in -nen" (PE17:62), a wording suggesting that the form of the ending may vary; given the normal development ln > ld, it is possible that it would appear as *-den when added to a noun in -l (*macilden "with a sword").
book, writing, composition