ráma

wing

ráma noun "wing", pl. rámar (RAM, Nam, RGEO:66, LT2:335); Markirya has both nominative pl. rámar "wings" and instrumental pl. rámainen *"with wings" (translated "on wings" by Tolkien); rámali "wings" in MC:213 would be a partitive pl. in LotR-style Quenya. Variant rámë in the names Eärrámë, Alquarámë, q.v.

ráma

noun. wing, wing; [ᴱQ.] arm

The Quenya word for “wing”, derived from the root ᴹ√RAM (PE17/63; Ety/RAM).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. ráma “wing” was derived from the early root ᴱ√RAHA “stretch forward” (QL/78). The word appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writings with the gloss “wing”, though at one point in the 1920s it was glossed both “arm, wing” (PE16/137), and in the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s it was given as the Qenya word meaning “arm”, but this was revised to ᴱQ. ranko (PE15/79). The use of ráma for “arm” was a brief and rejected idea, and in The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ráma “wing” was transferred to a new root ᴹ√RAM, while ᴹQ. ranko “arm” remained under ᴹ√RAK “stretch out” (Ety/RAK, RAM).

Cognates

• S. raw “wing” ✧ PE17/063

Element in

• Q. Eärrámë “Sea-wing”
• Q. Númerrámar “West-wings”
• Q. rámainen elvië “on wings like stars” ✧ MC/222
• Q. rámar sisílala “the wings shining” ✧ MC/222
• Q. yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron “long years numberless as the wings of trees” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. yéni únótimë ve aldaron rámar “long-years not-countable as trees’ wings” ✧ RGEO/58

Variations

• rāma ✧ PE17/063

rá

arm

rá (3) noun "arm" (LT2:335, there spelt râ; probably obsoleted by # 2 (and # 1) above. In Tolkien's later Quenya, "arm" is ranco)

ranco

arm

ranco ("k")noun "arm", stem *rancu- given the primitive form ¤ranku, hence also pl. ranqui ("q")(RAK)

ranc

noun. arm

raw

wing

n. wing. Q. ráma, pl1. rámar. >> Landroval, rov-, roval

raw

noun. wing

The Sindarin word for “wing” (PE17/63) based on the root ᴹ√RAM (Ety/RAM). Its Quenya cognate ráma indicates its ancient vowel ā was long, and this long ā became au (aw) in Sindarin. Meanwhile, the ancient m became v, which then vanished after the diphthong aw: ✱rāmā > raum(a) > rau(v) > raw.

Conceptual Development: The word G. ram “wing, pinion” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s was similarly derived (GL/64), but in Gnomish m did not become v.

Cognates

• Q. ráma “wing, wing; [ᴱQ.] arm” ✧ PE17/063

Derivations

• ᴹ√RAM “*wing, fly”

Element in

• S. roval “winged, winged; [N.] pinion, great wing (of an eagle)” ✧ PE17/063

rafn

noun. wing (horn), extended point at side, etc.

roval

wing

n. wing. >> Landroval, raw, rov-

rov-

wing

pref. wing. >> Landroval, raw, roval

ranc

arm

ranc (pl. rengy or rainc, with article idh rengy/rainc), coll. pl. rangath

ranc

noun. arm

ranc

arm

(pl. rengy or rainc, with article idh rengy/rainc), coll. pl. rangath

rafn

wing

(horn, extended point at the side), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

roval

wing

1) roval (pinion, great wing [of eagle]), pl. rovail (idh rovail). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” rhoval_ _pl. rhovel. 2) rafn (horn, extended point at the side), pl. raifn (idh raifn).

roval

wing

(pinion, great wing [of eagle]), pl. rovail (idh rovail). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *rhoval* pl. *rhovel*.

rhanc

noun. arm

rhanc

noun. arm

A noun appearing as N. rhanc “arm” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶ranku under the root ᴹ√RAK “stretch out, reach” (Ety/RAK). It had the irregular plural form rhengy, presumably from final -ui becoming -y, but this plural was archaic and reformed to rhenc based on normal Noldorin (and later Sindarin) plural patterns.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had (archaic) G. †râ “arm, strength” (GL/65), clearly related to ᴱQ. rā “arm” in contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon from the early root ᴱ√RAHA “stretch forward” (QL/78). The Gnomish Lexicon also had a non-archaic word rath “the full arm, the extent of one’s arm, one’s reach — a measure = 2 feet”, apparently referring to both the arm itself and the reach of the arm, and so functioning as a unit of measure (GL/65).

Neo-Sindarin: Most Neo-Sindarin writers adapt the Noldorin word as ᴺS. ranc “arm” (plural renc) as suggested in HSD (HSD), since the unvoicing of initial r to rh was a feature of Noldorin of the 1930s but not Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s. Based on the Gnomish usage, this word might also be used as a unit of measure for an arm’s length, about 2 feet.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ranko “arm” ✧ Ety/RAK

Derivations

• On. ranko “arm” ✧ Ety/RAK; Ety/RAK
  • ᴹ✶ranku “arm” ✧ Ety/RAK
  • ᴹ√RAK “stretch out, reach” ✧ Ety/RAK

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. ranko > rhanc	[raŋko] > [raŋkʰo] > [raŋxo] > [raŋx] > [r̥aŋx] > [r̥aŋk]	✧ Ety/RAK
On. rankui > rhengy	[raŋkui] > [raŋkʰui] > [raŋxui] > [reŋxui] > [r̥eŋxui] > [r̥eŋgui] > [r̥eŋgy]	✧ Ety/RAK

rhafn

noun. wing (horn), extended point at side, etc.