nó (3) prep. "before" (of time, compare nóvo), "at back" (of spatial relationships). In other conceptual phases, Tolkien also let the word have the opposite meaning "after" (of time) or "in front" (of space). (VT49:32).
Quenya
epë
before
nó
before
han
beyond
han prep. "beyond" (compare the _postposition pella of similar meaning) (VT43:14)_
han
preposition. beyond
Derivations
- √HAN “add to, increase, enhance, enrich, honour (especially by gift); give” ✧ VT43/14
Element in
- Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/14
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √HAN > han [han] ✧ VT43/14
nóvo
previously, before
nóvo adv. "previously, before" (?) _(PE15:35). _Compare nó #3.
pella
beyond
pella "beyond", apparently a postposition rather than a preposition: Andúnë pella "beyond the West", elenillor pella "from beyond the stars" (Nam, RGEO:66, Markirya) In one version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien used pell' (evidently an elided form of pella) as a _preposition, but this version was abandoned (VT43:13)_
tar
beyond
tar (2) prep. "beyond" (FS)
opo
before, in front of
opo prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships); "after" (of time), also pó, po or pono, poto (VT49:12, VT44:36, evidently a variant of apa).
po
before, in front of
po, pó prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships) "after" (of time), also opo or pono, poto- (VT49:12, 32, VT44:36; evidently a variant of apa)
epe
after
né
verb. was
was
né
was
né vb. "was"; see ná #1. Also used as interjection "yes" when the meaning is "it was so, it was as you say/ask" (VT49:31). Pl. nér "were", dual nét (VT49:30). Nésë "he was" (VT49:29), though Tolkien elsewhere stated that né did not "take any inflection of person" (VT49:31), pronominal endings rather being added to ane- (the form anes *he was" is attested). Anda né "long ago" (VT49:31).
né
was
né vb. in pa.t. "was"; see ná #1.
engë
was
engë vb. "was", "existed", past tense of ëa, q.v. (VT43:38, VT49:29)
opo
before, ahead, in front of
apa
after
apa (1) prep. "after" (VT44:36), attested as a prefix in apacenyë and Apanónar, q.v. Variant ep- in epessë, q.v.; see epë for futher discussion. (According to VT44:36, apa was glossed "after" and also "before" in one late manuscript, but both meanings were rejected.) See also apa # 2 below. For Neo-Quenya purposes, apa should probably be ascribed the meaning "after", as in our most widely-published sources (compare Apanónar, "the After-born", as a name of Men in the Silmarillion). Variants pa, pá (VT44:36), but like apa these are also ascribed other meanings elsewhere; see separate entry. Apo (VT44:36) may be yet another variant of the word for "after".
apo
after
apo prep. ?"after" (see apa #1) (VT44:36)
cata
after
ala
after, beyond
ala (5) prep. "after, beyond" (MC:221, 214; however, LotR-style Quenya has han and pella "beyond" and apa "after")
opo
preposition. before, in front (of place); after (of time)
Cognates
- Ad. ob “fore, *before”
Derivations
- √OPO “before of place, ahead, in front”
Element in
Variations
- pō ✧ VT49/12; VT49/32
- pono ✧ VT49/32
- poto ✧ VT49/32
pó
preposition. before, in front (of place); after (of time)
ane-
was
#ane-, form of copula "was" when pronominal endings follow: anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28, 29); see ná #1.
apa
preposition. after (of time)
Cognates
- S. ab “after”
Derivations
- √PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place”
Element in
Variations
- apo ✧ VT44/36 (
apo)- pa ✧ VT44/36
- apa ✧ VT44/36 (
apa)
nánë
was
nánë vb. "was", náner "were"; see ná #1
epë prep. "before" ("in all relations but time", VT49:32), though the word was glossed "after" when first published (VT42:32; Bill Welden, the writer of the article in question, later presented this correction in VT44:38). The preposition can indeed express "after" when used of time, since the Eldar imagined future time (time that comes after the present) as being "before" them (VT49:12, 32); epë is in this respect a variant of apa, q.v. (Cf. VT49:22.) Compare epessë, q.v. Epë "before" may also be used in comparison (PE17:56, 57), apparently in much the same way as lá #2 (q.v.) (VT42:32)