Q. polë (poli-) n. “meal, grist” (Category: Meal, Flour)
This word was used for “flour” related words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱQ. pole (poli-) “oats” in both the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√POL-I which was, in that document, distinct from ᴱ√POLO “have strength” (QL/75, PME/75). The word reappeared with various glosses in documents from the 1920s: “grain; unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.” (PE15/73), “grain” (PE14/75), “flour” (PE16/141).
In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. pole “flour, meal” (PE21/12), but in The Etymologies of the 1930s it became ᴹQ. pore (pori-) “flour, meal” derived from primitive ᴹ✶pori under the root ᴹ√POR (Ety/POR). Tolkien may have changed l to r to better distinguish it from the root ᴹ√POL(OD) “physically strong” (Ety/POL). In notes from around 1967, however, Tolkien became dissatisfied with the meaning of the root √POL, saying:
POL. This cannot refer to strength. (Too obvious a reminiscence of [Latin] pollens); also it does not account for poli- “meal, grist”. POL- should have senses “pound up”, break up small, reduced to powder etc. (PE17/181).
Thus it seems he restored pole (poli-). However, in notes from 1968 he reversed himself, saying:
Q. pol, large, big (strong). polda big. DELETE pole “meal”! Make it mule (PE17/115).
Neo-Quenya: Given the widespread use of √POL in words having to do with physical ability, I agree with Tolkien’s 1968 note that poli- is not viable for “flour” words. I recommend Q. mulë for “meal” = any ground grains in general, but I think it is worth retaining 1930s ᴹQ. pore specifically for “flour”.
References ✧ PE17/115, 181
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Inflections
| poli- | stem | “meal, grist” | ✧ PE17/181 |
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √POL > poli- | [poli] > [pole] | ✧ PE17/181 |
ᴹQ. pore (pori-) n. “flour, meal” (Category: Meal, Flour)
A word appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “flour, meal” derived from primitive ᴹ✶pori under the root ᴹ√POR (Ety/POR).
Neo-Quenya: I recommend 1968 Q. mulë for “meal” = any ground grains in general, but I think it worth retaining 1930s ᴹQ. pore specifically for “flour”. See Q. polë for further discussion.
Reference ✧ Ety/POR ✧ “flour, meal”
Related
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ✶pori > pore | [pori] > [pore] | ✧ Ety/POR |
ᴹQ. pole (poli-) n. “meal, flour” (Category: Meal, Flour)
References ✧ PE21/12-13; VT28/8
Inflections
ᴱQ. pole (poli-) n. “oats, grain (unground kernels of oats, wheat, etc.); flour” (Category: Meal, Flour)
References ✧ PE14/75; PE15/73; PE16/111, 141; PME/75; QL/75
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| polet | accusative | ✧ PE14/75 |
| polya | accusative | ✧ PE14/75; PE16/111; PE16/141 |
| poli | accusative plural | ✧ PE16/111 |
| poler | dative | ✧ PE14/75 |
| polye | dative | ✧ PE14/75; PE16/111 |
| polir | dative plural | ✧ PE16/111 |
| polen | genitive | ✧ PE14/75 |
| polyo | genitive | ✧ PE14/75; PE16/111 |
| polion | genitive plural | ✧ PE16/111 |
| pole | nominative | ✧ PE16/111 |
| polin | nominative plural | ✧ PE16/111 |
| poli | plural | ✧ PE15/73 |
| poli- | stem | ✧ PME/75; QL/75 |
| polya- | stem | ✧ PE15/73 |
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴱ√POL-I > pole | [poli] > [pole] | ✧ QL/75 |