sintamo noun "smith" (PE17:107-108), cf. more usual variant tamo, q.v.
Quenya
sintamo
noun. smith
sintamo
smith
artano
masculine name. High-smith
mahtan
masculine name. ?Forger Smith
Father of Nerdanel, said to be a great smith (S/64). The meaning of his name is unclear. Its initial element may be the root √MAK “forge metal”. Its final element is most likely the suffixal form -tan of tamo “smith”.
Conceptual Development: In notes from 1968, Tolkien instead used the name Sarmo for the father of Nerdanel, but Christopher Tolkien retained Mahtan in the published version of The Silmarillion (PM/366).
minastan
masculine name. ?Smith of the Tower
The second son of Minardil, whose son Tarondor laer became the 27th king of Gondor after the previous king and his heirs perished in the great plague (LotR/1038, 1048). The meaning of his name is unclear, but it might be a compound of a shortened form minas of minassë “tower” and the suffixal form -tan of tamo “smith”.
tamo
noun. smith, builder, wright, artificer
This word appeared in notes from the late 1960s, where Tolkien said that it was “translated ‘smith’, but meaning a craftsman in wood, stone, or metal: carpenter (carver), mason (sculptor), or [metal] smith (PE17/107)”. Tolkien further gave sintamo specifically for “[metal] smith”, but said “tamo unspecified, especially among the Noldor, was usually employed = sintamo, our ‘smith’ (PE17/108)”. In this 1960s note the word tamo was derived from the root √TAM “construct” (PE17/107).
Based on its use as an element in other words, tamo could be translated as “smith, builder, wright, artificer” = “✱one who crafts things from some material”. As a reduced element in compounds it becomes -tan, since final m became n in Quenya (PE19/104). This can be seen in words like calmatan “lampwright” (PE17/96) and ciryatan “shipbuilder” (S/265). The element tamo can also be seen in one of the names for Aulë: Martamo “World-artificer” appearing a very late note according to Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Talka Marda).
Conceptual Development: Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱQ. talka “smith” (PE16/138) as in ᴱQ. Talka Marda “Smith of the World” from the early Lost Tales (LT1/180). This 1920s word was probably a cognate of ᴱN. taglon “smith” (PE13/153) and was likely based on the early root ᴱ√TAKA “fix, fasten”. A remnant of talka “smith” can be seen in primitive ᴹ✶talkō “craftsmen, wright”, which appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√TAK (PE18/54).
The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. tano “craftsman, smith” derived from primitive ᴹ✶tanō under the root ᴹ√TAN “make, fashion” (Ety/TAN). In this document Aulë’s name was ᴹQ. Martan(o) “Earthbuilder, Earth-smith” (Ety/MBAR, TAN). Remnants of this √TAN derivation can be seen a few later names like Q. Artano “High-smith” (UT/254), but it seems Tolkien decided sometime in the 1960s to make the root √TAM instead. Some of the 1950s and 60s compounds with -tan were probably originally from √TAN, but these remain fine after the change in root since final m became n as noted above.
martan
earth-smith
Martan (2), also Martano, noun "Earth-smith", "Earthbuilder", a surname of Aule (TAN, GAWA/GOWO the form _Martan_ō given under MBAR must be understood as a primitive form). LT1:266 refers to a "very late note" where a variant Quenya form "Martamo" is derived from ¤mbartanō**"world-artificer"; the stated primitive form (as well as the Sindarin cognate Barthan) would suggest that the Quenya form should be Martano; on the other hand, tamo (q.v.) does occur as a variant of tano** "smith".
tano
craftsman, smith
tano noun "craftsman, smith" (TAN), cf. final element -tan in calmatan "lampwright" (PE17:123), Ciryatan *"ship-builder" (Appendix A).
urustan
noun. copper-smith
ontamo
noun. mason (sculptor), mason, sculptor
A word a “mason (sculptor)” in notes from the late 1960s, a combination of ondo “stone” and tamo “smith” (PE17/107-108).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this word mainly for stone craftsmen = “mason”. For a stone artist = “sculptor” I would use ondomaitar.
ontamo
mason (sculptor)
ontamo noun "mason (sculptor)" (PE17:107-108); this is a compound on(do) "stone" + tamo "smith".
mírë
jewel
mírë noun "jewel" (MIR, SA:mîr), "a treasure, a precious thing" (PE17:37).Cf. Elemmírë; short form -mir in Tar-Atanamir (SA:mîr); see also Artamir.
A word specifically for a “[metal] smith” based on primitive ✶sinkitamo, as opposed to more generic tamo “smith, ✱builder” which can refer to a variety of craftsman (PE17/107-108). Its initial element seems to be a restoration of ᴱQ. sink “mineral, metal, gem” from the 1910s (QL/83), and might be related to Q. sinca “flint”. If so, this word may have originally meant “✱mineral smith”, perhaps referring to the extraction of metal from minerals.
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. tongar “smith”, apparently an agental form ᴱQ. tonga “great hammer” under the early root ᴱ√TOŊO, so more literally “✱hammerer” and thus likely referring to metal smithing (QL/94).