Q. asta n. “month; division, part (esp. one of other equal parts)” (Category: Month)
A word appearing in its plural form astar “months” in The Lord of the Rings appendices (LotR/1108). In notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien connected asta “month” to árë “sunlight” < ✶áse (PE17/18). However, in notes from the late 1960s he derived it from √SAT “divide, mark off” (VT42/19-20). In notes from 1968 associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor, he said asta properly meant “division, a part (esp. one of other equal parts)”, which meant “month” in the context of divisions of the year (VT48/11). He again reiterated it was derived from √SAT “divide, apportion”, which was also the basis for fraction words like nel(d)esta “one third” = “*third part” (VT48/11).
In rough notes on the number “two” from this period Tolkien said that asta was also used as a group suffix and was related to the Sindarin group plural suffix S. -ath (VT48/19). For this collective suffix use see the entry for -sta.
References ✧ LotR/1108; PE17/18, 120; VT42/20; VT48/11, 19
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| astar | plural | “months” | ✧ LotR/1108 |
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √SAT > asta | [asta] | ✧ VT42/20 |
| √sat > asta | [asta] | ✧ VT48/11 |