Vala (1) noun "Power, God, angelic power", pl. Valar or Vali (BAL, Appendix E, LT2:348), described as "angelic governors" or "angelic guardians" (Letters:354, 407). The Valar are a group of immensely powerful spirits guarding the world on behalf of its Creator; they are sometimes called Gods (as when Valacirca, q.v., is translated "Sickle of the Gods"), but this is strictly wrong according to Christian terminology: the Valar were created beings. The noun vala is also the name of tengwa #22 (Appendix E). Genitive plural Valion "of the Valar" (FS, MR:18); this form shows the pl. Vali, (irregular) alternative to Valar (the straightforward gen. pl. Valaron is also attested, PE17:175). Pl. allative valannar *"to/on the Valar" (LR:47, 56; SD:246). Feminine form Valië (Silm), in Tolkiens earlier material also Valdë; his early writings also list Valon or Valmo (q.v.) as specifically masc. forms. The gender-specific forms are not obligatory; thus in PE17:22 Varda is called a Vala (not a Valië), likewise Yavanna in PE17:93. Vala is properly or originally a verb "has power" (sc. over the matter of Eä, the universe), also used as a noun "a Power" _(WJ:403). The verb vala- "rule, order", exclusively used with reference to the Valar, is only attested in the sentences á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!" and Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar will be done" (WJ:404). However, Tolkien did not originally intend the word Valar to signify "powers"; in his early conception it apparently meant "the happy ones", cf. valto, vald- (LT2:348)_. For various compounds including the word Vala(r), see below.
Quenya
Aino
god
aino
noun. god
Vala
power, god, angelic power
Valandil
god-friend, *vala-friend
Valandil masc. name, "God-friend, *Vala-friend" (Appendix A, UT:210, translated in LR:60)
a aina fairë, eru órava (o)messë
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us
The eighth line of Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12). The first word is the vocative a “O” followed by aina fairë = “holy spirit”. The fourth word Eru is Tolkien’s usual Quenya name for God. The phrase órava (o)messe “have mercy on us” is essentially the same as in the first line; see that entry for discussion.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> a Aina Fairë, Eru órava (o)me-sse = “✱o Holy Spirit, God have-mercy us-on”
Conceptual Development: As in the first line, Tolkien first used the dative ómen for “on us” before revising it to the locative (o)messe (VT44/12, notes on line 8).
a aina neldië eru er órava (o)messë
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us
The ninth line of Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12). The first word is the vocative a “O” followed by aina Neldië = “holy Trinity”. The fourth word Eru is Tolkien’s usual Quenya name for God. The fifth word is er “one”, emphasizing the one-ness of the Trinity. The phrase órava (o)messe “have mercy on us” was abbreviated o.o. in the original, but presumably was the same as in earlier lines of the prayer; see the entry for the first line for discussion.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> a Aina Neldië Eru Er órava (o)me-sse = “✱o Holy Trinity, God one have-mercy us-on”
Conceptual Development: Tolkien first wrote an adjectival form Erea before changing it to Er as a way of emphasizing the one-ness of the Trinity (VT44/17).
a eruion mardorunando, eru órava (o)messë
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
The seventh line of Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12). The first word is the vocative a “O” followed by Eruion, a name for Christ as the “Son of God”. The third word Mardorunando seems to be a translation of “Redeemer of the World”. The fourth word Eru is Tolkien’s usual Quenya name for God. The phrase órava (o)messe “have mercy on us” is essentially the same as in the first line; see that entry for discussion.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> a Eru-ion Mard-o-runando, Eru órava (o)me-sse = “✱o God-son world-of-redeemer, God have-mercy us-on”
Conceptual Development: Tolkien began two incomplete forms Io >> Yón before settling on Eruion. As in the first line, Tolkien first used the dative ómen for “on us” before revising it to the locative (o)messe (VT44/12, notes on line 7).
aina eruontarië
Holy Mother of God
The eleventh line of Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12). The first word is aina “holy” followed by Eruontarië, a name of Mary as the genetrix (female begetter) of God. As pointed out by Wynne, Smith and Hostetter, this word is used to translate Latin “genetrix”, where as Latin “mater” is translated by amil(lë) (VT44/8).
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> Aina Eruontarië = “✱Holy God-genetrix”
ainu
noun. holy one, spirit, holy one, angelic spirit (m.); [ᴱQ.] (pagan) god
airë maría eruo ontaril
Holy Mary, Mother of God
The fifth line of Aia María, Tolkien’s translation of the Ave Maria prayer. The first word airë “holy” is either an adjective or a form of address applied to the second word, María: the Quenyarized form of “Mary”. The third word Eruo “of God” is the genitive form of Eru “God”. The last word ontaril “mother” seems to be a feminine form of ᴹQ. ontaro “begetter, parent” (as suggested by the Wynne, Smith and Hostetter, VT43/32). If so, Eruo ontaril more literally means “✱genetrix (female begetter) of God”.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> Airë María Eru-o ontaril = “✱holy Mary God-of genetrix”
Conceptual Development: In the second version of the prayer, Tolkien used {Aini >>} aina (II) for “holy” instead of aire (I, III-IV). In the first two versions of the prayer Tolkien used Eruamillë (I-II) for “Mother of God”, a compound of Eru “God” and amil(lë) “mother”.
|  I  | II |III|IV| |Aire|{Aini >>} Aina|Aire| |María| |Eruamille|Eruo| | |ontaril|
alcar mi tarmenel na erun
glory [be] to God in the highest
The first line of Alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun, Tolkien’s translation of the Gloria in Excelsis Deo prayer. The first word is alcar “glory”, followed by mi Tarmenel “in the highest”, more literally “✱in High-heaven”. The fourth na word is the imperative of the verb ná- “to be”. The last word Erun “to God” is the dative form of Eru “God”.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> alcar mi Tar-menel na Eru-n = “✱glory in High-heaven be God-to”
Conceptual Development: In version I, Tolkien first wrote tarmenissen, apparently the locative plural of tarmen “?high place”, perhaps meaning “?in high places”. He revised this into an assimilated locative tarmenelde of Tarmenel.
In version II he first wrote the allative form Erunna “✱towards God” before changing to the dative form Erun “to God”, also used in version II.
In version III he only wrote the word alcar. For this reason, the phrase in this entry is derived from version II.
|  I  |II|III| |alcar| |{tarmenissen >>} tarmenelde|mi tarmenel|...| |na Erun|{Erunna >>} na Erun| |
atar meneldëa eru órava (o)messë
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us
The sixth line of Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto prayer (VT44/12). The first word is the noun atar “father”. The second word meneldea is the assimilated locative form menelde of menel “heaven”, with an adjective suffix -a added to give the sense “of Heaven”; a similar construction was used in versions IIb-IV of the first line of the *Átaremma* prayer (VT43/10-11). The third word Eru is Tolkien’s usual Quenya name for God. The phrase órava (o)messe “have mercy on us” is essentially the same as in the first line of this prayer; see that entry for discussion.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> Atar menel-de-a Eru (o)me-sse = “✱Father heaven-in-of God have-mercy us-on”
Conceptual Development: As in the first line, Tolkien first used the dative ómen for “on us” before revising it to the locative (o)messe (VT44/12, notes on line 6).
eru
noun. The One, God
eru-indonen
by the will of God
eruamillë
feminine name. *Mother of God
A title for Mary as the Mother of God in early drafts of Aia María, Tolkien’s translation of the Ave Maria prayer (VT43/26-7), and also as a rejected word in Ortírielyanna, Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Sub Tuum Praesidium (VT44/5). It is a compound of Eru “God” and amil(lë) “mother”. In later drafts of Aia María, this name was replaced by the term Eruo ontaril (VT43/27-28), and in the translation of other prayers he used the name Eruontarië of similar meaning.
eruanna
proper name. [God’s] Grace
eruhin
proper name. Child of Eru (God)
A name for Elves and Men as children of Eru (God), frequently appearing in its plural form Eruhíni (Let/189, MR/320, WJ/403). It is a compound of Eru “God” and a suffixal form -hin of hína “child” (SA/híni).
Conceptual Development: This name first appeared in the tales of the Fall of Númenor from the 1940s as the Adûnaic word #Êruhin, attested only in its plural forms Êruhîn(im) (SD/247-8, 311). See that entry for further discussion of its early history.
eruion
masculine name. *Son of God
A name of Yésus (Jesus) as the Son of God in Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto (VT44/12). It is a compound of Eru “God” and the patronymic suffix -ion “-son”.
erulissë
proper name. [God’s] Grace
A term for God’s grace in early drafts of Aia María, Tolkien’s translation of the Ave Maria prayer (VT43/27-8). It is a compound of Eru “God” and lissë “grace”. In later drafts of Aia María, this name was replaced by the term Eruanna (VT43/27-28). It is attested only in the instrumental form erulissenen “✱[by means] of [God’s] grace”.
eruontarië
feminine name. *Mother of God, (lit.) God-genetrix
A title for Mary as the Mother of God in Ortírielyanna (VT44/5), Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Sub Tuum Praesidium, as well as Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Litany of Loreto (VT44/12). It appeared in both the forms Eruontarië (VT44/12) and Eruontari (VT44/5). It is a compound of Eru “God” and the word ontarië “✱mother, genetrix”. In the final drafts of Aia María, Tolkien’s translation of the Ave Maria prayer, he used the similar term Eruo ontaril (VT43/27-28).
Conceptual Development: In earlier versions of these prayers, Tolkien used the name Eruamillë of similar meaning.
erusēn
collective name. Children of God
A variant form of Eruhin appearing in a few places (MR/423, RGEO/66). Its final element may be related to the root ᴹ√SEL(D) “child”. The similar word Melkorsēni “Children of Melkor” appears to have the same final element (MR/423). It is possible that Tolkien introduced the variation so that the Sindarin form would be S. Eruhîn, resembling the earlier Adûnaic form Ad. Êruhîn.
nai eru tye mánata
God bless you
ortírielyanna rucimmë, aina eruontari
we fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God
The first line of Ortírielyanna, Tolkien’s translation of the Sub Tuum Praesidium prayer. The first word Ortírielyanna “to thy patronage” is 2nd-person-polite (-lya “thy”) ablative (-nna “to”) form of ortírië “patronage”. The second word rucimmë “we fly” is the 1st-person-plural-exclusive inflection (-mmë “we”) of the verb ruc- “flee”. The third word is aina “holy” and the last word is Eruontari, a name of Mary as the genetrix (female begetter) of the Son of God.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> ortírie-lya-nna ruci-mme, Aina Eru-ontari = “✱patronage-thy-to flee-we, Holy God-genetrix”.
Conceptual Development: The first word was initially written Ortírielyanne (with final e instead of a), but Wynne, Smith and Hostetter suggested this is probably a slip (VT44/5). The third word was initially written Aini >> Aina. Tolkien considered several different Quenya translations for “Mother of God”; ignoring incomplete forms, the development was Eruamillë >> Eruontarië >> Eruontari.
vala
noun. (Angelic) Power, ‘God’, Authority, (Angelic) Power, Authority, God
erutercáno
noun. prophet, (lit.) God-herald
Aino noun "god", within Tolkien's mythos a synonym of Ainu (but since Aino is basically only a personalized form of aina "holy", hence "holy one", it could be used as a general word for "god") (PE15:72)