Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Bell, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for bell is nyellë.

The Sindarin word for bell is nell. The word nelladel means ringing of bells.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Bell, in my words

belca : bell

The Illunse word for bell is belca. Belca is a last name. Belca is the name of a city in Slovenia.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for a bell which is belle, and the Latin word for a bell which is campana.

If I'm following the ways of Old English and Latin grammar, belca is a feminine noun. In Spanish the word for bell is campana, same as Latin, and it's grammatically feminine too.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Lamp, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for lamp is calma (lamp, a light). Similar word cala is Quenya for light.

The Sindarin word for lamp is calar. Similar word calad is Sindarin for light.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Lamp, in my words

luthena : lamp

The Illunse word for (oil) lamp is luthena. Luthena is an unusual last name. Luthena is an unusual feminine first name. Similarily named Luthenay is a city in the Alsace region of France.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for a lamp which is lucerna (lamp, oil lamp), and the Old English word for a lamp which is léohtfæt (lantern, torch, lamp, light). Also, note that the Old English word for light is léoht.

There are other Latin words that be translated as lamp, including lychnus (a lamp, especially one hung from the ceiling), lampas (lamp/lantern; light/torch/flame/flambeau/link; firebrand), and lanterna (a lantern, lamp, a torch).

My Illunse word for lamp, luthena, is deliberately similar to my Illunse word for light, which is luth.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Document, in my words

cwirta : document

The Illunse word for document is cwirta. Cwirta is an unusual last name that can be Polish.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for a paper which is charta (paper/papyrus (sheet); record/letter, book/writing(s); thin metal sheet/leaf), and the Old English word for a writing which is gewrit (writing, something written; written characters; inscription; a written statement, passage from a book; a formal or legal document; a letter; writ, charter, deed; literary writing, a book, treatise; books in the Bible; scripture).

The Latin and Old English words I used to construct my word cwirta can both mean document, but both words can mean more. Cwirta would be pronounced like quirta.

I'm back constructing words after several days off for Christmas. We had family over for Christmas dinner, and I was busy cleaning house, cooking and baking. Everything went well. Good food, good company. Although I could have done without spilling the pickled herring across the kitchen floor.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Book, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for book is parma.

The Sindarin word for book is parf.

Book is one of those words, that I rightly assumed, Tolkien defined in both Quenya and Sindarin.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Book, in my words

liboc : book

The Illunse word for book is liboc. Liboc is a district of the city of Prague in the Czech Republic.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for book which is libellus (little book, a notebook, diary; a memorial; petition; pamphlet), and the Old English word for book which is bóc (a book, a document, register, catalog; a legal document; literary work).

There's another Latin word, codex, that means book, especially a book made up of wooden tablets covered with wax (imagine the weight!). In Modern English usage a codex is list of canons or formulas, or a manuscript of some ancient classic.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Wax, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for wax is líco. Note that this word is close to the word for candle, lícuma.

There doesn't seem to be a Sindarin word for wax.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Wax, in my words

werca : wax

The Illunse word for wax is werca. Werca (or Verca) was an Anglo-Saxon feminine first name.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for wax which is weax, and the Latin word for wax which is cera (wax, beeswax; honeycomb; wax-covered writing tablet, letter; wax image/seal).

The traditional meaning of wax is beeswax. In Old English weaxcandel means wax candle. In Latin cereus means wax light, taper, candle.

Historically, tallow candles were a cheaper alternative to wax candles. Tallow is rendered beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. Nowadays paraffin wax from petroleum is common.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Candle, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for candle is lícuma (taper, candle).

I didn't find a Sindarin word for candle.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Candle, in my words

cendal : candle

The Illunse word for candle is cendal. Cendal is a last name, although Kendal is much more common. Cendal means gauze in Spanish and Portuguese.

This word is a mixture of the the Latin word for candle which is candela (a wax or tallow candle, taper; a cord coated with wax), and the Old English word for candle which is candel (lamp, lantern, candle).

As the Old English word was derived from the Latin word, I didn't have much to work with. Instead of scrambling the letters into some strange word, I decided to swap around the vowels. Cendal is a word that looks somewhat like candle, yet is different.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Temple, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for temple is corda. Note that the Quenya word for idol, cordon, is similar.

I didn't find a Sindarin word for temple.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Temple, in my words

tealg : temple

The Illunse word for temple is tealg. Similar word teal is a medium blue-green color, more blue than green.

This word is a mixture of the the Latin word for temple which is templum (temple, church; shrine; holy place), and the Old English word for temple which is hearg or hearga (temple, altar, sanctuary, idol; grove).

In Old English tempel (or templ) also means temple. That word was obviously borrowed from Latin.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Church, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

In the Quenya and Sindarin dictionaries I didn't find words for church, per se, however I found words that with meanings that include church.

The Quenya word for holy place is yána (holy place, fane, sanctuary).

The Sindarin word for holy place is iaun (holy place, fane, sanctuary).

A fane is a place consecrated to religion, such as a church.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Church, in my words

clecia : church

The Illunse word for church is clecia. Clecia or Clécia is an unusual feminine first name that can be Brazilian. Clecia is a rare last name.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for church which is cirice (church, religious community; church (building), temple), and the Latin word for church which is ecclesia (church; an assembly of the (Greek) people).

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Spider, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for spider is liantë. In early Qenya ungwë meant spider.

The Sindarin word for spider is ungol.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Spider, in my words

acreopa : spider

The Illunse word for spider is acreopa. In Old English similar word ácréopian means to creep, crawl.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for spider which is átorcoppe (spider, literally seems to mean posion-spider), and the Latin word for spider which is aranea (spider, spider's web) or araneus (spider, of a spider).

In Old English words lobbe and loppe also translate to spider. A weaver as he goes, which I assume is a type of spider, is a gangewifre.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Snake, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya words for snake are ango and leuca.

The Sindarin words for snake are lhûg and lŷg.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

She-goat, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for she-goat (nanny-goat) is nyéni.

I didn't find any Sindarin word for goat.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Goat, in my words

gapre : goat

The Illunse word for goat is gapre. Gapre is an unusual last name. Gapre is a bad misspelling of grape. Similarily named Gapree is a town in France.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for goat which is gát (gátbucca translates to he-goat), and the Latin word for goat which is caper (he-goat, billy-goat) or capra (she-goat, nanny-goat).

Friday, December 04, 2009

Rat, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

The Quenya word for rat is nyarro.

The Sindarin word for rat is nâr.