Quenya 

epë

before

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 #2 (q.v.) (VT42:32)

before

(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).

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

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
HAN > han[han]✧ VT43/14

nóvo

previously, before

nóvo adv. "previously, before" (?) _(PE15:35). _Compare #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 , po or pono, poto (VT49:12, VT44:36, evidently a variant of apa).

po

before, in front of

po, 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

Quenya [PE 22:168] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

verb. was

was

Quenya [PE 19:48] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

was

vb. "was"; see #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 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).

was

vb. in pa.t. "was"; see #1.

engë

was

engë vb. "was", "existed", past tense of ëa, q.v. (VT43:38, VT49:29)

opo

before, ahead, in front of

Quenya [PE 22:168] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

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, (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

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

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

  • Q. potai “*therefore, (lit.) before which” ✧ VT49/12
  • Q. póna “forward” ✧ VT49/12

Variations

  • ✧ VT49/12; VT49/32
  • pono ✧ VT49/32
  • poto ✧ VT49/32
Quenya [VT49/12; VT49/32] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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 #1.

apa

preposition. after (of time)

Cognates

  • S. ab “after”

Derivations

  • PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place”

Element in

  • Q. apacen “foresight, *(lit.) after-sight”
  • ᴺQ. apalúmë “future, (lit.) after-time”
  • ᴺQ. apanaina- “to regret, (lit.) after-lament”
  • Q. Apanónar “After-born”
  • ᴺQ. apaquet- “to forebode, foretell, predict”
  • ᴺQ. apacíta- “to assume, make premature judgements”

Variations

  • apo ✧ VT44/36 (apo)
  • pa ✧ VT44/36
  • apa ✧ VT44/36 (apa)

nánë

was

nánë vb. "was", náner "were"; see #1

Sindarin 

eb

preposition. ?before

Cognates

  • Q. epë “after (of time), following; before (in all relations but time)”

Derivations

  • epe “after of time; after or behind of place”

Element in

  • S. Eblaer “June, ?Before-summer” ✧ PM/136

Variations

  • Eb ✧ PM/136 (Eb)

athan

preposition. beyond

Sindarin [SD/62] Group: SINDICT. Published by

alae

interjection. (?) behold!

Uncertain meaning, but compare with Quenya ela! "imperative exclamation directing sight to an actually visible object" (WJ/362)

Sindarin [UT/40] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ab

preposition. after

Cognates

  • Q. apa “after (of time)”

Derivations

  • PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place”

Element in

  • ᴺS. abgen- “to foresee, expect”
  • S. Abonnen “After-born” ✧ WJ/387
  • ᴺS. abor “tomorrow, (lit.) after-day”
  • S. aphad- “to follow”
  • ᴺS. avnedhor “afternoon”

Variations

  • Ab ✧ WJ/387 (Ab)

ab-

prefix. after, later

Sindarin [Abonnen WJ/387] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nî-

verb. was

Derivations

  • “was; then, ago, before”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

athar

beyond

1) *athar (across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation. 2) (adverbial prefix) thar- (across, athwart, over)

athar

beyond

(across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation.

thar

beyond

(across, athwart, over)

abonnen

afterborn

pl. Ebennin (archaic "Eboennin" = Ebönnin, WJ:387), Elvish name of Men as the "Secondborn" of Eru. – If ab can be used as an independent preposition, it is probably followed by soft mutation.****

ab

after

#ab (only attested as a prefix, as in:)

ab

after

(only attested as a prefix, as in:)

Adûnaic

ob Reconstructed

preposition. fore, *before

A prepositional element only attested in the late (1968) word obroth “fore-cutting” (PM/376), referring to the wake before a boat, so perhaps meaning “✱before”. It appears only as a suffix, but in the earlier Adûnaic grammar of Lowdham’s Report from the 1940s, Adûnaic prepositions are used as suffixes (SD/435). This preposition also differs from the earlier phonetic rules of Lowdham’s Report, which allow only long ] in Adûnaic words. If this preposition were used in the grammatical and phonetic context of Lowdham’s Report (Middle Adûnaic), it might be the suffix ✱-ôb. See the entry on conceptual-changes-in-late-Adûnaic for further discussion.

Cognates

  • Q. opo “before, in front (of place); after (of time)”

Element in

Primitive elvish

lā̆

preposition/adverb. beyond

Derivations

  • LAƷ “cross, pass over, go beyond” ✧ PE17/065

Derivatives

  • Q. “beyond, over, across, athwart” ✧ PE17/065; PE17/065

Element in

  • orlā “over” ✧ PE17/065
  • pelola “beyond (the boundary)” ✧ PE17/065

Variations

  • laŋa ✧ PE17/065
Primitive elvish [PE17/065] Group: Eldamo. Published by

adverb. was; then, ago, before

Derivatives

  • ᴺS. nî- “was”
Primitive elvish [PE22/131; VT47/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

khyar

?. *before, in front of place

Derivations

  • KHYĀ “before, in front of place” ✧ PE22/147
Primitive elvish [PE22/147] Group: Eldamo. Published by

khyā

root. before, in front of place

A root appearing in a list of roots for spatial and temporal directions from 1969, with a single unglossed (primitive?) derivative ✶khyar (PE22/147). Later in the same set of notes Tolkien seems to have reverted to earlier roots for these functions (PE22/168).

Derivatives

  • khyar “*before, in front of place” ✧ PE22/147
  • ᴺQ. hyámen “front”
Primitive elvish [PE22/147] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

eb

preposition. ?before

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶epe “after”

Element in

  • N. Ebloer “June, ?Before-summer” ✧ PM/136

Variations

  • Eb ✧ PM/136 (Eb)

athan

preposition. beyond

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
ath-“on both sides, across”

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Qenya 

kata

preposition. after

Cognates

  • N. cad “*after”

Derivations

  • “after (later than) of time”

Element in

Middle Primitive Elvish

epe

preposition. after

Derivatives

  • N. eb “?before”

Element in

  • ᴹ✶epe ndere “after the man” ✧ PE21/64

Variations

  • ĕpĕ ✧ PE21/64
Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/64] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

nóvo

adverb. *before

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
nóva“ahead, foremost, leading”

Variations

  • nōvo ✧ PE15/32
Early Quenya [PE15/32] Group: Eldamo. Published by

la

preposition. before; than

Derivations

  • ᴱ√LAHA “*open, extend”

Element in

Early Quenya [PE14/048; PE14/081; PE15/70; PE15/78] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ala

preposition. beyond, after; before

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ALA “spread‽”

Element in

  • Eq. ala fuin oilimaite “after the last night” ✧ MC/221; MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/072; PE16/072; PE16/072; PE16/074; PE16/074; PE16/074
  • Eq. ala hui oilimaite “*before the last night” ✧ PE16/077; PE16/077; PE16/077
  • Eq. aire móre ala tinwi “the old darkness beyond the stars” ✧ MC/214

Variations

  • ala ✧ MC/214; MC/221; MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/062; PE16/074; PE16/074; PE16/074; PE16/077; PE16/077; PE16/077
  • älä ✧ PE16/072; PE16/072; PE16/072
Early Quenya [MC/214; MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/072; PE16/074; PE16/077] Group: Eldamo. Published by