Eldamo : Quenya : mahta-

Q. mahta- v. (ta-causative) “to handle, wield, use, make use of; to manage, deal with, treat, control” (Category: to Use)

Q. mahta-, v. (ta-causative) “to handle, wield, use, make use of; to manage, deal with, treat, control; [ᴹQ.] to stroke, feel; to wield a weapon, fight” (Category: to Use): ᴱQ. lalta- “to smooth out; stroke”

A well-attested verb whose original sense seems to be “handle”, based on the root √MAH or √MAƷ for “hand”. It had other glosses such as “wield, use, make use of”, but also “manage, deal with, treat, control”. It thus seems to be usable for both “handle, wield, use” a concrete physical item and “handle, manage, deal with” an abstract process or situation.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s the verb ᴹQ. mahta- meant “stroke, feel, handle; wield” as a derivative of ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ), but also “wield a weapon, fight” as a derivative of ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword)” (Ety/MAK). Earlier versions of the entry for ᴹ√MAK had glosses like “slay with sword” or “kill with sword” (EtyAC/MAK), which seem to be holdovers from ᴱQ. makta- “slay, slaughter” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√MAKA (QL/58).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use mahta- for both “handle” and “fight” (mainly in the sense “wield a weapon”) as a blending of √MAH and √MAK, along with the meaning “stroke, feel” a physical thing.

References ✧ PE17/69, 161-162; PE19/74, 100; PE21/70; PE23/144; VT39/11; VT47/6, 18-19; VT49/10

Glosses

“handle” ✧ PE21/70
“handle, deal with, treat” ✧ PE19/100 (mahta-)
“handle, manage, wield” ✧ PE19/74; VT47/18
“handle, wield, deal with, manage” ✧ PE23/144; VT47/19
“handle, wield, manage, deal with” ✧ VT47/6
“make use of, handle, use, control, wield” ✧ PE17/162
“to handle” ✧ PE17/69
“to handle, treat, manage” ✧ PE17/161
“to handle, wield, manage” ✧ VT39/11

Variations

mahta ✧ PE17/69; PE17/161; PE17/162; PE19/74; PE21/70; PE23/144; VT39/11; VT47/6; VT47/18; VT47/18; VT47/19; PE19/100 (mahta-)

mahta- “to handle, wield, use, make use of; to manage, deal with, treat, control” in sense “wield” may be replace ᴹQ. tur- “to wield, control, govern”

Inflections

mahtane

past

✧ VT49/10

Element In

ᴺQ. !asamahte “simple, (lit.) easily handled”
ᴺQ. !mahtalë “fighting, battle”
ᴺQ. !mahtando “manager”
ᴺQ. !mahtasta “management”
Q. mahtanë yúyo má véla “*wielded both hands alike” ✧ VT49/6

Cognates

S. maetha- “to handle, wield, use, manage, treat, deal with” ✧ PE17/69; PE17/161; PE17/162; VT47/6
T. matta- “to handle, wield, manage, deal with” ✧ VT47/6

Derivations

< †✶maha “hand, the manager” ✧ PE19/74 (mā̆ha)
- < √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state” ✧ VT47/18
- < √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use” ✧ VT47/18 (maʒ); VT47/18 (maʒ)
< √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state” ✧ PE17/161
< ✶magtā- “to handle, wield, manage, deal with” ✧ PE19/100 (maʒ-tā); VT47/6 (maʒtā); VT47/18 (magta)
- < mahtā < maʒ-tā ✧ PE19/100
- < maχtā < maʒtā ✧ VT47/6
- < makta < magta ✧ VT47/18
- < √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state” ✧ VT47/18
- < √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use” ✧ PE19/100 (MAƷ); VT47/18 (maʒ)
< √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use” ✧ PE17/69 (MAƷ); PE17/162 (MAƷ); PE21/70; PE23/144 (MAƷA); VT39/11 (maha); VT47/18 (maʒ); VT47/19 (MAƷA)

Phonetic Developments

√MAƷ > mahta	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ PE17/69
√MAG > mahta-	[magta-] > [makta-] > [maxta-]	✧ PE17/161
√MAƷ > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ PE17/162
✶mā̆ha > mahta-	[maxta-]	✧ PE19/74
✶maʒ-tā > mahtā > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ PE19/100
√MAH > mahta	[maxta-]	✧ PE21/70
√maha > mahta-	[maxta-]	✧ VT39/11
✶maʒtā > maχtā > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ VT47/6
√maʒ > mahta	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ VT47/18
✶magta > makta > mahta	[magta-] > [makta-] > [maxta-]	✧ VT47/18
√MAƷA > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ VT47/19

ᴹQ. mahta- v. “to handle, wield; to deal with, treat; to stroke, feel; to wield a weapon, fight” (Category: to Use)

See Q. mahta- for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/MAƷ, MAK; EtyAC/MAK; PE19/48

Glosses

“fight (with sword)” ✧ EtyAC/MAK (mahta-)
“handle, deal with, wield, treat” ✧ PE19/48
“kill with sword” ✧ EtyAC/MAK (mahta-)
“slay with sword” ✧ EtyAC/MAK (mahta-)
“stroke, feel, handle; wield” ✧ Ety/MAƷ
“wield a weapon, fight” ✧ Ety/MAK

mahta- “wield a weapon, fight” was blended with ᴹ✶maʒ-tā ✧ Ety/MAK
mahta- “stroke, feel, handle; wield” was confused with ᴹ✶maktā ✧ Ety/MAƷ

Changes

mahta- “slay with sword” >> mahta- “fight (with sword)” ✧ EtyAC/MAK

Element In

ᴹQ. mahtar “warrior”
ᴺQ. !mahtéma “tournament, tourney, (lit.) battle-series”

Cognates

N. maetha- “to fight” ✧ Ety/MAK
N. matha- “to stroke, feel, handle” ✧ Ety/MAƷ (matho)
ON. mattha- “to stroke, feel, handle” ✧ Ety/MAƷ (matthṓ-be)

Derivations

< ᴹ✶mahtā- “to handle, stroke, feel; to deal with, wield, treat” ✧ Ety/MAƷ (mahtā́); PE19/48
- < ᴹ✶maʒtā- “to handle, stroke, feel” ✧ Ety/MAƷ (maʒ-tā); EtyAC/MAƷ (maʒtā)
  - < ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” ✧ Ety/MAƷ; Ety/MAK; EtyAC/MAƷ (MAƷ)
- < ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” ✧ PE19/48
< ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword), cleave” ✧ EtyAC/MAK (MAK); EtyAC/MAK (MAK); EtyAC/MAK (MAK)
< ᴹ✶maktā- “to fight” ✧ Ety/MAK
- < ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword), cleave” ✧ Ety/MAƷ; Ety/MAK

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ✶mahtā́ > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ Ety/MAƷ
ᴹ✶maktā- > mahta-	[makta-] > [maxta-]	✧ Ety/MAK
ᴹ✶mahtā > mahta-	[maɣta-] > [maxta-]	✧ PE19/48