umbar is a Quenya noun which is rendered as "fate".
There are two aspects of umbar conceived by the Eldar: Eru's Plan for the world; and how this Plan then affected an individual with free will, though unalterable by them.[1]
For the world, it's shape and condition was established and pre-ordained from the time of it's creation by Eru. Therefore, the past and future physical developments were already determined and beyond the power of any, even the Valar, to alter in any large and permanent way.[1] This inability to "change" was distinct from "redirection", which any rational being could do in small ways such as moving, redirecting, or even destroying objects in the world.[1] The fixed, unalterable conditions of the world (which did not include the rational creatures in it) was also known as ambarmenië ("the way of the world").[1]
Regarding individuals, included in umbar is also the network of, mostly physical, "chances" which were presented to rational persons that, through their free will, they might or might not use.[1] Examples of such chances were the meeting between Thorin and Gandalf which instigated the Quest for Erebor, and the finding of the One Ring by Bilbo; in such chances, individuals were not compelled to an action, and thus the chance could fail to "go off".[1]
The Eldar also did not believe these two aspects were separate, and the continual clash of "chances" within the world inevitably worked out towards Eru's Plan.[1] For example, Bilbo surrendered the Ring to Frodo by an act of free will, and Frodo was then "fated" to go on his quest but not necessarily to destroy it; if the downfall of Sauron and destruction of the Ring was part of Eru's Plan, then even if Bilbo had refused to surrender it, other means would have appeared to bring this about. This can be seen where, when Frodo's will failed to destroy the Ring, Gollum's intervention brought it about regardless.[1]
Direct or mediate interventions by Eru were considered to be "miracles" that were outside of umbar and altered the previous scheme for all remaining time. Such miracles included events like the Drowning of Númenor.[1]
Etymology
From the Primitive Quendian root MBAR came the Common Eldarin *ṃbar’tă which originally meant "permanent establishment/order";[1] -tă being a transitive / causative suffix.
*Ṃbar’tă semantically shifted as the Eldar considered "fate" to be an immutable physical obstacle to will.[1]
In the development of Quenya, the consonantal nasal before voiced stops in some instances became vocalic and syllabic. In such cases the consonant group was treated as a medial group. The syllabic nasal developed an actual vowel dependent on the quality of the following consonant. Before b, gw the vowel was u. Thus *ṃbar’tă > ṃbart- > umbart- > umbar (genitive umbarto).[1] [2]:77
Cognates
Letter in Tengwar
Umbar is the name in Quenya of the sixth letter of the Tengwar alphabet.[3] It is the second letter of the second grade or Tyellë, which contains "voiced stops" and it is the second letter in the labial or p-series of consonants, the Parmatéma.[4] In the standard spelling of Quenya Umbar represents MB.[5] In all other modes this letter represents B.[4] The Westron name for this letter is Bí.[6]
In Gondor the word lambe ("tongue") was substituted as the name of this letter since umbar had acquired a sinister use, like modern English "doom" which often has a meaning closer to "curse".[7]:104
Other versions
In Qenya, the word for fate was amarto or ambar(rt),[8]:34 with the Gnomish cognates umrod or umbart.[9]:75
In a revision, umbar (umbarten) still had the meaning of "fate, doom", but was derived from the root MBARAT-. It had the Noldorin cognate ammarth.[10]
See also
- Umbarto ("The Fated"): the ominous mother-name originally given to the youngest son of Fëanor
- Ermenië: "Prime Impulse"
- Ercantië: "Great Pattern"
- Oiencarmë Eruo: The One’s perpetual production; might be rendered as "God’s management of the Drama".
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Two. Body, Mind and Spirit: XI. Fate and Free Will"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Outline of Phonology", in Parma Eldalamberon XIX (edited by Christopher Gilson)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, "Writing", "The Fëanorian Letters"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, "Writing", "The Fëanorian Letters"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, "Writing", "The Fëanorian Letters", Note
- ↑ See Alphabet of Fëanor: Numenian, or Westron, Mode
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Qenyaqetsa: The Qenya Phonology and Lexicon", in Parma Eldalamberon XII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"