Dread Hallows

[Huanarmo]

Have no fear, I'm not confusing our forum with Harry Potter!

I do have two questions arising from the Quettaparma Quenyallo, and I would welcome good counsel, please.

The first query is very simple. There are quite a number of entries in Helge Fauskanger's wonderful wordlist which are entirely enclosed in square brackets. I'm unsure precisely what this means for the entries concerned. For example, there's an entry "[alta- (3) vb. "grow" (VT45:13) or "make grow" (VT45:14)]. The entries of this kind that I've noticed do all seem to relate to Vinyar Tengwar, but I'm wondering what this means in terms of the relevant word concerned?

The entry for alta- gave rise to a more complex issue. In the very helpful Quenya Verb Chart presented by ambar-eldaron, alta- is given the sole meaning 'dread'. In the Quettaparma itself aista- (3) has this meaning, though with a note that this has been "possibly obsoleted" by the meaning given for aista- (2) which is 'bless'. The latter sense certainly seems the more likely, given the Quettaparma explanations associated with closely related words for 'holy' (airë) and the verb 'hallow' (#airita-).

Looking at the Quettaparma in the reverse direction, the Quenya word for the verb 'dread' is given as #aista-, but as aista- looks to have been claimed by 'bless' or 'hallow' the question is what to use for 'dread'. Just for the record, in the Quenya Verb Chart, aista- is given the sole meaning 'hallow'. It's quite a maze.

Is this an example where the verbal meaning 'dread' could be ascribed to alta- or aista-, but would need to be footnoted to confirm the writer's intention?

It may be beginner's (bad) luck to have stumbled across this, but having done so I would like to deal with it. My thanks in advance,

[órerámar]

[atwe]

BTW 'dread', 'awe', 'hallow' are not that far semantically when it comes to the divine and numinous.

[Huanarmo]

Hantanyel, Órerámar,

It is very kind of you to explain in such depth. I understand much better now and I'm extremely grateful. My sense of dread has passed!

I'm going to explore that link in a moment, but wanted to say heartfelt thanks first.

[ And concerning the square brackets: Perhaps I'm using an older version of the wordlist. I downloaded both the Quenya-English and English-Quenya last year and both are footnoted as being last updated July 5th, 2008. There are only four symbols under the title in my copy: † poetic or archaic, * unattested, ** wrong form, and # attested only in a compound or inflected form. Then begins the listing of abbreviations for the publications, but no square brackets at all. I will check the source again and see if there's something more recent that I should be consulting. And once again, sincere thanks for your guidance. ]

I thank Atwe also, whose post I've just seen. Yes, a 'dread lord', for example, can be one worthy of reverence and awe, even worship; Mandos (Námo) would qualify. It does not necessarily have to mean fearsome or terrifying, unless of a fallen spirit akin to Sauron. There is certainly a link there, and that could well account for the earlier derivations.

Namárië

[órerámar]