umu

root. not, expressing privation, not, expressing privation; [ᴹ√] negative stems

The roots √UMU and variant √UGU were often assigned a negative sense, either as elaborations on the base root negative √Ū or sometimes (especially in the case of √UGU) serving as its source. The earliest iteration of these more elaborate negative roots was ᴱ√UMU or ᴱ√UVU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like the negative verb ᴱQ. um- or ᴱQ. uv- as well as ᴱQ. ūvanimo “monster” (QL/98); ᴱQ. munta “nothing” from the Qenya Grammar of the 1920s was probably related (PE14/48, 81).

The Etymologies of the 1930s had negative stems ᴹ√UMU and ᴹ√UGU with derivatives like the negative verb ᴹQ. um- as well as ᴹQ. úmea “evil” (Ety/UGU; UMU). This document also had inverted forms ᴹ√MŪ and ᴹ√GŪ, the latter the basis for the negative prefix ᴹQ. ú- with a bad or evil connotation (Ety/GŪ; MŪ). Finally both √UMU and √UGU were mentioned a number of times in later writings in connection to negation (PE17/143, 172; VT49/29). See the entry on negative √Ū and the entry on Quenya negation for further information.

Derivations

• √Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not”

Derivatives

• ᴺQ. munta “nothing, *zero”
• Q. ui- “to not be, to not do” ✧ VT49/29
• Q. um(ba)- “[unglossed]” ✧ PE17/172
• ᴺS. ont “no, none”
• ᴺS. unt “nothing”

Variations

• UGU ✧ PE17/143 (UGU); PE17/188 (UGU)
• ugu ✧ VT42/32 (ugu)
• ū̆gu/gū ✧ VT49/29

ugu

root. expressing privation