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*([[RIL]]) ''[[rilma]]'' "glittering light" | *([[RIL]]) ''[[rilma]]'' "glittering light" | ||
*([[RĪ]]) ''[[ríma]]'' "edge, hem, border" | *([[RĪ]]) ''[[ríma]]'' "edge, hem, border" | ||
| − | *([[SAG]]) ''[[sagmā]]'' > [[sangwa]] "poison" | + | *([[SAG]]) ''[[sagmā]]'' > ''[[sangwa]]'' "poison" |
*(*THEL) ''[[thelma|selma]]'' "a fixed idea, will" | *(*THEL) ''[[thelma|selma]]'' "a fixed idea, will" | ||
*([[SIL]]) ''[[silma]]'' "silver, shining white" | *([[SIL]]) ''[[silma]]'' "silver, shining white" | ||
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*([[TAY]]) ''[[taima]]'' "lengthening, extension" | *([[TAY]]) ''[[taima]]'' "lengthening, extension" | ||
*([[TAM]]) ''[[tamma]]'' "tool" | *([[TAM]]) ''[[tamma]]'' "tool" | ||
| − | *([[TAK]]) [[takmā]] > ''[[tangwa]]'' "hasp, clasp" | + | *([[TAK]]) ''[[takmā]]'' > ''[[tangwa]]'' "hasp, clasp" |
*([[TAȜ]]) ''[[tarma]]'' "pillar" | *([[TAȜ]]) ''[[tarma]]'' "pillar" | ||
*([[TEL]]) ''[[telmā]]'' > ''[[telma]]'' "conclusion, last item in a structure" | *([[TEL]]) ''[[telmā]]'' > ''[[telma]]'' "conclusion, last item in a structure" | ||
*([[TEÑ]]) ''[[téma]]'' "series" | *([[TEÑ]]) ''[[téma]]'' "series" | ||
| − | *([[TEK]]) [[tekmâ]] > ''[[tengwa]]'' "letter" | + | *([[TEK]]) ''[[tekmâ]]'' > ''[[tengwa]]'' "letter" |
*([[TOL]]) ''[[tolma]]'' "protuberance" | *([[TOL]]) ''[[tolma]]'' "protuberance" | ||
*([[TUY]]) ''[[tuimā]]'' > ''[[tuima]]'' "sprout, bud" | *([[TUY]]) ''[[tuimā]]'' > ''[[tuima]]'' "sprout, bud" | ||
Revision as of 01:07, 24 June 2011
-ma is a Quenya nominal (concretizing) ending denoting a thing (usually object) having something to do with the root meaning; either having its properties or being produced by the verbal action in question; or even being a tool used to accomplish it.
In general, -ma seems to be stuck to naked roots or stems to produce the nouns. Eg. RIL > rilma "glittering light"; verb stems par- "to learn" > parma "book". However, full nouns can also be suffixed with -ma to produce another object: Eg. líco "wax" > lícuma "candle".
Etymology
-ma derives from Primitive Quendian -mâ frequent in the names of implements.[1] Such PQ nouns have yielded Quenya -ma nouns, for example tuimâ > tuima or sjalmâ > hyalma.
In some phonological environments, -ma appears in allomorphs in later Quenya: Nouns in -wa or -ba might conceal a primitive -mâ. For example PQ labmâ > Q lamba (metathesis of bm to mb) or PQ takmâ > Q tangwa (nasalization and strengthening of k before m and velarization of m).[2]
It is obviously related to similar endings like -mo (which indicates a person or doer) or -me (which form a more abstract noun) which behave and operate similarly. For example alma "wealth" vs alme "blessing", carma "tool" vs carme "art".
Examples
A list of most known Quenya nouns that include the suffix -ma, along with the words' root, and Primitive Quendian origins where they are known.
- (GALA) alma "wealth"
- (AS) arma "sun ray"
- (KAY) caima "bed"
- (KAL) calma "lamp"
- (KAR) carma "tool"
- (KEL) celma "channel"
- (KOR) corma "ring"
- (KUL) culuma "orange"
- (PHAL) falma "wave"
- (*HAM? *KHAM?) hamma "chair"
- (ȜAR) harma "treasure"
- (SYAL) sjalmā > hyalma "shell, conch"
- (GIL) Ilma "starlight"
- (SKEL) skelmā > helma "skin"
- (*SLOY) hloima "poison"
- (SKWAR) hwarma "crossbar"
- (*LAY) laima "plant"
- (LABA) labmā > lamba "tongue"
- (*LAR) larma "raiment"
- líco > lícuma "taper, candle"
- (*LOY) loima "mistake"
- (NAK) nakma > nangwa "jaw"
- (SNEW) neuma "snare"
- (ÑGWAL) nwalma "pain"
- (*PAR) parmâ > parma "book"
- (*REM) remma "snare"
- (RIL) rilma "glittering light"
- (RĪ) ríma "edge, hem, border"
- (SAG) sagmā > sangwa "poison"
- (*THEL) selma "a fixed idea, will"
- (SIL) silma "silver, shining white"
- (SUK) sukmā > sungwa "drinking-vessel"
- (TAY) taima "lengthening, extension"
- (TAM) tamma "tool"
- (TAK) takmā > tangwa "hasp, clasp"
- (TAȜ) tarma "pillar"
- (TEL) telmā > telma "conclusion, last item in a structure"
- (TEÑ) téma "series"
- (TEK) tekmâ > tengwa "letter"
- (TOL) tolma "protuberance"
- (TUY) tuimā > tuima "sprout, bud"
- (*TYEL) tyelma "ending"
- (*KYUL) kjulumā > tyulma "mast"
- (WIL) wilma "air, lower air"
- (YUL) julmā > yulma "cup"
Other possible examples
Some Quenya nouns might end in -ma however that does not indicate the suffixing of the ending -ma proper. For example, the word ráma derives from a root RAM[3]. Therefore it is not analyzed as **rá-ma but as rám-a.
There are other nouns of such ambiguous etymology, as for example lamma "sound" from root LAM. It could be analyzed as LAM + -ma but also the double mm might simply be the result of antoryame (q.v.) of the radical consonant LAM.
Nouns of ambiguous or unknown etymology that might contain -ma are:
cauma "protection", emma "picture", erma "physical mater, farma, lamma "sound", namma "claw, talon", orma "physical matter", querma "spinning wheel", síma "mind, imagination", solma (also sól) "helmet", súma "hollow cavity"
Inspiration
-ma is a frequent ending of Greek neutral nouns, such as thelema, schema, stigma, enigma etc.[4]
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels p.416
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, Vicente Velasco (ed.) The Evolution from Primitive Elvish to Quenya
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Three: The Etymologies", entry RAM
- ↑ Lise Mann "Elvish Loanwords in Indo-European" An Introduction to Elvish