Lembas

[Lostgaeriel]

Note: A 'pasty' is a type of meat pie that can be eaten from the hand – and sustained Cornish tin miners for a long day’s toil. Pronounced with a short 'a' sound.

A Cornish miner talking about pasties:

‘A wadn’ no good at all, time I got down to fifty fathoms a were scat to lembs [broken to bits]. The wans mawthor made wadn’ break if they’d faaled to the bottom of the shaft!’

Source: The Pasty Book by Hettie Merrick, Tor Mark Press, Redruth ©1995. ISBN 080253470

All I could think of when I first read this passage was the exchange between Merry and Pippin when they were captives of the Uruk-hai:

‘Lembas!’ whispered Pippin. ‘Lembas: I’ve got some. Have you? I don’t think they’ve taken anything but our swords.’

‘Yes, I had a packet in my pocket,’ answered Merry, ‘but it must be battered to crumbs. Anyway I can’t put my mouth in my pocket!’

Any comments on the source of the word lembas? I know there are lots of language experts on this forum. (If there's anything to this, Tolkien was making quite a good joke.)