Q. Fírima pn. “Mortal, (lit.) One Apt to Die”

Q. Fírima, pn. “Mortal, (lit.) One Apt to Die”

A name of Men as mortal beings (S/102, WJ/387). It is the adjective fírima “mortal” used as a noun.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the form of this word was ᴹQ. Fírimo ending with an -o (LR/245). This form also appeared in Fíriel’s Song from the same time period. The form Fírima appeared in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 (WJ/387), and this was the form used in the published version of The Silmarillion (S/102).

In later writings, the older form form still appeared, however. The form fírimonnar appeared later in a draft version of Alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun, Tolkien’s partial translation of Gloria in Excelsis Deo from the 1950s, but it was eventually replaced with híni “children [of God]”. Also, fírimor appeared in a draft version of the Ambidexters Sentence from the late 1960s, but it did not appear in the final version. Tolkien seems to have vacillated between Fírimo and Fírima in his later writings, but Fírimo was always replaced with something else, while Fírima was allowed to stand.

References ✧ S/102; SI/Fírimar; VT44/35; VT49/11; WJ/387; WJI/Fíreb

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Inflections

firimonnar allative plural   ✧ VT44/35
fírimonnar allative plural “*to mortals” ✧ VT44/35
Fírimar plural “Mortals” ✧ S/102; SI/Fírimar; WJ/387; WJI/Fíreb
fírimor plural   ✧ VT49/11

Elements

fírima “mortal, *(lit.) able to die”
-ima “-able, possibility” ✧ WJ/387

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

PHIRI > Fírimar [pʰīrimar] > [ɸīrimar] > [fīrimar] ✧ WJ/387

ᴹQ. #Fírimo pn. “Mortal”

See Q. Fírima for discussion.

References ✧ LR/72, 245; LRI/Fírimor

Inflections

fírimoin dative plural “for ... Mortals” ✧ LR/72
Fírimor plural “Mortals” ✧ LR/245; LRI/Fírimor

Elements

fírima “mortal”

Element In