Quenya 

-ne

i love

#-ne (4) "I", a 1st person pronominal suffix occurring in the word melánë "I love" (LR:61), but Tolkien later used -n or -nyë for this meaning (melin "I love", VT49:21). It may be that Tolkien at one point considered ne (or nye, inyë) as an independent emphatic pronoun "I", but this was struck out (VT49:49).

-nen

most nouns have an instrumental in -nen

-nen instrumental ending (pl. -inen, dual -nten, partitive pl. -línen). Attested in ambartanen, lírinen, lintieryanen, súrinen, parmanen; see ambar (#2), lírë, lintië, súrë, parma. Tolkien noted that "most nouns have an instrumental in -nen" (PE17:62), a wording suggesting that the form of the ending may vary; given the normal development ln > ld, it is possible that it would appear as *-den when added to a noun in -l (*macilden "with a sword").

-nen

suffix. instrumental

Quenya [PE17/062; PE21/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

a

cardinal. one

Quenya [PE 22:94; PE 22:124f] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

erëa

cardinal. one

erëa adj.? "one" or *"single", apparently an adjectival form (see er) (VT44:17)

min

cardinal. one

min numeral "one", also minë (VT45:34, VT48:6)

min

cardinal. one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first

Quenya [PE17/095; VT48/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

minë

cardinal. one

minë numeral "one", also min (MINI, VT45:34)

mir

cardinal. one

mir (2) cardinal "one" (LT1:260; in LotR-style Quenya rather minë)

nén

water

nén (nen-) noun "water" (NEN).

nén

noun. water, water, [ᴱQ.] river

The word for “water”, a derivative of the root √NEN of the same meaning (PE17/52; Ety/NEN). Its stem form was nen- (Ety/NEN) and its primitive form was given as ✶nē̆n, the vowel length variation due to distinct subjective nēn versus objective/inflected nĕn- in ancient monosyllables (PE21/64).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with two senses: “river” and (archaic) “†water”. Tolkien indicated the two senses were based on distinct roots: ᴱ√NEŘE [NEÐE] and ᴱ√NENE respectively, with two distinct stem forms nend- and nēn (QL/64-65). The Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa also mentions the forms nen (nēn-) “water” versus nen(d-) “river” (PME/64-65). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the mid-1920s Tolkien had both nēn “river” (PE15/76) and nēn “water” (PE15/78), but in the Early Qenya Grammar he had only nēn “water” (PE14/43, 72), also appearing as nen “water” in documents on The Valmaric Script from this period (PE14/110).

In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. nēn “water”, but in this document it had nēn- with long ē in its inflected forms as well (PE21/23). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, uninflected nén “water” had a stem form of nen- with short e (Ety/NEN), and the reasons for this variation was discussed in Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, the nominative/objective distinction noted above (PE21/64). This seems to be the paradigm Tolkien stuck with thereafter, as evidenced by S. nen “water” rather than ✱✱nîn.

Quenya [PE17/052; SA/nen] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ma

suffix. instrumental

Nénar

water

Nénar noun name of a star (or planet), evidently derived from nén "water" (Silm), tentatively identified with Uranus (MR:435)

Uinen

water

Uinen (Uinend-, as in dative Uinenden) fem. name, used of a Maia, spouse of Ossë (UY, NEN). Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:404), though it is also said that it contains -nen "water" (SA:nen); the latter explanation may be folk etymology. In the Etymologies, the name is derived from the same stem (UY) as uilë "long trailing plant, especially seaweed".

celusindi

river

celusindi _("k")_noun "river" (LT1:257; hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, where the terms sírë and sirya appear instead)

e

pronoun. one, (neut[er]) it, a thing, one, (neuter) it; [ᴹQ.] he, she

er

one, alone

er cardinal "one, alone" (ERE, VT48:6, VT49:54), in an early source also adv. "only, but, still" (LT1:269); Eru er "one God" (VT44:17; er was here emended by Tolkien from erëa, which seems to be an adjectival form *"one, single".)

hlóna

river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains

[hlóna (2) noun "a river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains" (VT48:27; the word is marked with a query and the note containing it rejected; it was apparently replaced by lón, q.v.)]

lelta-

send

#lelta- vb. "send", attested in the past tense with pronominal suffixes: leltanelyes "you sent him" (VT47:21)

lenta-

send

[#lenta- vb. "send", attested in the past tense with pronominal suffixes: lentanelyes "you sent him". Changed by Tolkien to #lelta-, q.v. (VT47:22, 21)]

lintië

swiftness, speed

lintië noun "swiftness, speed" derived from linta; also used as adverb "quickly", nornë lintië "he ran with swiftness", also more explicitly with pronominal suffixes and the instrumental ending -nen: lintieryanen "with his speed" (PE17:58)

menta-

send, cause to go

menta- (1) vb. "send, cause to go" (in a desired direction) (VT41:6, VT43:15). A similar-sounding primitive verb mentioned in PE17:93 is said to have past and perfect forms that would produce Quenya *mennë*, eménië, but here Tolkien seems to be discussing a distinct intransitive verb "go" and its Sindarin descendants, and Quenya menta- rather belongs to the causative (transitive) verbs which according to the same source has "weak" past-tense forms (in -, hence mentanë "sent", and likely ementië** as perfect "has sent").

mo

one, someone, anyone

mo, indefinite pronoun "one, someone, anyone" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 20, 26)

nen

river

nen noun "river" (LT1:248), "river, water" (LT1:262) (In Tolkien's later Quenya, nén with a long vowel means "water", but hardly "river" - that is sírë.)

ni

pronoun. me, I

Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/014; PE17/068; PE17/147; PE22/151; PE22/156; PE22/158; PE22/161; PE22/168; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT41/11; VT41/13; VT41/15; VT49/19; VT49/20; VT49/30; VT49/34; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nuinë

suffix. river

quén

one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman

quén (quen-, as in pl. queni; as final element in compounds -quen) noun "one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman", pl. queni = "persons", "(some) people", "they" with the most general meaning (as in "they [= people in general] say that..."). The element is combined with noun and adjective stems in old compounds to denote habitual occupations or functions, or to describe those having some notable (permanent) quality; examples include roquen, ciryaquen, arquen, q.v. Also in aiquen "whoever", ilquen "everybody" (WJ:361 cf. 360, 372).

sindi

river

sindi noun "river" (LT1:265; rather sírë in LotR-style Quenya)

sirya

river

#sirya noun "river", attested in the dual form siryat (VT47:11). Compare sírë.

sír

river

sír noun "river", shorter form of sirë (PE17:65, VT49:17)

sír(ë)

noun. river, river, [ᴱQ.] stream

The most common Quenya word for “river”, derived from the root √SIR “flow”.

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as ᴱQ. sīre “stream” as a derivative of ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] (QL/84), and this form and gloss also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/84). The form ᴹQ. siri- “river” appeared in the Declension of Nouns (DN) from the early 1930s, along with uninflected sire with short i and various inflected forms with siry- (PE21/10). The form sīre “river” with long ī appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√SIR “flow” (Ety/SIR; EtyAC/SIR). In several notes from the mid-1960s, it appeared in monosyllabic form sír (PE17/65) or sīr (VT49/17), but it had dual form siryat from the late 1960s implying a stem form of sirĭ- and a development similar to that of DN from the early 1930s (VT47/11).

Neo-Eldarin: Its form síre is probably better known and more commonly used in Neo-Quenya. For example this is the typical form in Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT).

Quenya [PE17/065; VT47/11; VT49/17] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sírë

river

sírë noun "river" (SIR, VT46:13), "stream" (LT1:265). Also short form sír, q.v.Compare #sirya.

huiva

adjective. murky, *(nearly) lightless

vanwalussë

noun. past tense

A neologism coined by Luinyelle and Orondil on 2023-08-10, a combination of vanwa “past” and [ᴺQ.] lussë “(verb) tense”.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

Primitive elvish

-nē

preposition. past suffix

Primitive elvish [PE18/101; PE18/106; PE22/131; VT49/30] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ne

pronoun. I, me

Primitive elvish [PE23/114; PE23/120] Group: Eldamo. Published by

imin

masculine name. One

Primitive elvish [NM/055; NM/060; WJ/380; WJ/421; WJI/Imin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

min

cardinal. one

Primitive elvish [NM/060; WJ/421] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-mē̆n

suffix. instrumental, with (which)

Primitive elvish [PE21/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nen

root. water, water, [ᴱ√] flow

A root connected to water and (to a lesser extent) rivers for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appearance was as ᴱ√NENE “flow” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though Tolkien marked both the root and the gloss with a “?”; it had derivatives like ᴱQ. nen “river, †water” and ᴱQ. nēnu “yellow water lily” (QL/65). Under this entry Tolkien noted that “nen water is perhaps different from nen river, which is from neře” (QL/65); elsewhere in QL Tolkien gave ᴱ√NERE² or ᴱ√NEŘE [NEÐE] as the basis for nen (nend-) “river”, a root he said was often confused with ᴱ√NESE “give to feed; feed, pasture; graze” (QL/66). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon he had G. nenn “(1) water, (2) river” and G. nendil “water fay” which were probably a blending of NENE and NEÐE, as well as G. nern “brook” from ✱nere¹ (GL/60), probably corresponding to ᴱ√NERE² from QL.

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had unglossed ᴹ√NEN with derivatives like ᴹQ. nén/N. nen “water” and ᴹQ. nelle “brook” (Ety/NEN), whereas ᴱ√NERE² and ᴱ√NEÐE from the 1910s seems to have been abandoned. The primitive form √NEN or nē̆n “water” continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s writings from the 1940s, 50s and 60s (PE17/52, 167; PE19/102; PE21/64, 79).

Primitive elvish [PE17/052; PE17/145; PE17/167; SA/nen] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nenda

noun. water

Primitive elvish [PE17/087] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ni

pronoun. I, me

Primitive elvish [PE17/068; PE17/130; PE17/168; PE22/152; PE23/069; PE23/113; PE23/114; PE23/119; PE23/120; PE23/131; VT49/50; VT49/52] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nē̆n

noun. water

Primitive elvish [PE19/102; PE21/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

min

cardinal. one

Noldorin [Ety/MINI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

celon

noun. river

Noldorin [Celon (name) Ety/363] Group: SINDICT. Published by

duirro

noun. river-bank

Noldorin [VT/46:10] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhorn

noun. quiet water

Noldorin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhorn

noun. anchorage, harbour

Noldorin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

Noldorin [Ety/373, VT/42:24-25, VT/48:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

noun. water (used of a lake, pool or lesser river)

Noldorin [Ety/376, S/435, UT/457, RC/327-328] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

noun. waterland

Noldorin [Ety/376, S/435, UT/457, RC/327-328] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

noun. water

Noldorin [Ety/NEN; PE21/58] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sirion

noun. great river

Noldorin [Sirion Ety/385] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sîr

noun. river

Noldorin [Ety/385, S/437, RC/384] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sîr

noun. river

Noldorin [Ety/SIR; RS/433] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Black Speech

ash

cardinal. one

Black Speech [LotR/0254; PE17/011] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ash

cardinal. one

Black Speech [PE17/11] Published by

Telerin 

er

cardinal. one

min

cardinal. one

Sindarin 

min

cardinal. one, one, [G.] single

Sindarin [PE17/095; VT42/25; VT48/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

min

cardinal. one

1) (number ”one” as the first in a series) min, mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”. 2) (number) êr, whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone); 3)

Sindarin [Parviphith] Published by

min

one

mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”.

pen

cardinal. one

(indefinite pronoun) (= somebody, anybody) pen (WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lords Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean *”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of *ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

pen

one

(WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lord’s Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean ✱”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of ✱ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

êr

one

whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone)

duin

noun. (long and large) river (having strong current)

Sindarin [S/430, LotR/F, TC/179, VT/48:24] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lorn

noun. quiet water

Sindarin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lorn

noun. anchorage, harbour

Sindarin [VT/45:29, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

Sindarin [Ety/373, VT/42:24-25, VT/48:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mîn

fraction. one (first of a series)

Sindarin [Ety/373, VT/42:24-25, VT/48:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

noun. water (used of a lake, pool or lesser river)

Sindarin [Ety/376, S/435, UT/457, RC/327-328] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

noun. waterland

Sindarin [Ety/376, S/435, UT/457, RC/327-328] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nen

water

{ĕ}_ n. _water, lake. Q. nén. >> nîn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:52:77] < NEN water. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

pen

pronoun. one, somebody, anybody

Usually enclitic and mutated as ben.2

Sindarin [WJ/376] Group: SINDICT. Published by

sîr

noun. river

Sindarin [Ety/385, S/437, RC/384] Group: SINDICT. Published by

celon

river

(i gelon, o chelon), pl. celyn (pl. i chelyn)

duin

river

(long, large river with strong current) duin (i dhuin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nuin) (VT48:24)

duin

large river

(i dhuin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nuin), coll. pl. duinath (Names:179, PM:54); compare the river-name Anduin, ”long river”.

eru

the one

isolated from

ethir

of a river

(estuary), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. ethiriath. Note: a homophone means "spy".

lind

river

”singer” may also be used of rivers (see

lorn

quiet water

(anchorage, haven, harbour), pl. lyrn (VT45:29).

nên

water

nên (lake, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn. FLOOD-WATER (or ”wash”) iôl (pl. ŷl) (RC:334, VT48:33).

nên

water

(lake, pool, stream, waterland), construct nen, pl. nîn.

sîr

river

1) (also = rill) sîr (i hîr, o sîr), in compounds sir- or -hir or -hír; no distinct pl. form except with article (i sîr), coll. pl. siriath. Note: sîr is also the adverb ”today”. 2) celon (i gelon, o chelon), pl. celyn (pl. i chelyn), 3) The word lind ”singer” may also be used of rivers (see . (WJ.309).

sîr

river

(i hîr, o sîr), in compounds sir- or -hir or -hír; no distinct pl. form except with article (i sîr), coll. pl. siriath. Note: sîr is also the adverb ”today”.


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!

Middle Primitive Elvish

-nē

suffix. past suffix

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE22/096; PE23/076; PE23/084; PE23/088; PE23/093] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ne

pronoun. I, me

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE23/076; PE23/088; PE23/093] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-mē̆n

suffix. instrumental, with (which)

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/65; PE21/68] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-s

pronoun. I, me

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE23/076] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kelun

noun. river

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ni

pronoun. I, me

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/NI²; EtyAC/NI²; PE21/61; PE21/65; PE22/092; PE22/094; PE22/095; PE23/074; PE23/076; PE23/096] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nē̆n

noun. water

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/55; PE21/58; PE21/62; PE21/64] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

-ine

suffix. noun suffix

Early Quenya [QL/043; QL/047; QL/052; QL/057; QL/058; QL/063; QL/072; QL/075; QL/082; QL/087; QL/095; QL/096] Group: Eldamo. Published by

el

adverb/adjective. one

mir

cardinal. one

Early Quenya [LT1A/Minethlos; PME/061; QL/061] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nen

noun. river, water

Early Quenya [LT1/248; LT1A/Koivië-néni; LT1A/Neni Erúmëar; PE14/043; PE14/072; PE14/110; PE15/14; PE15/76; PE15/78; PE16/138; PME/065; PME/066; QL/065; QL/066] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-lin

suffix. noun suffix

-lis

suffix. noun suffix

Early Quenya [QL/029; QL/032; QL/043; QL/057; QL/071; QL/077; QL/085] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-re

suffix. noun suffix

Early Quenya [QL/031; QL/055; QL/078; QL/091; QL/096] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-rin

suffix. noun suffix

Early Quenya [QL/035; QL/050] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sindi

noun. river

A noun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “river” derived from the root ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] (QL/84). The same word appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/84).

Early Quenya [LT1A/Kelusindi; LT1A/Sirion; PME/084; QL/084] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

-nen

suffix. instrumental

min

cardinal. one

Qenya [Ety/MINI; EtyAC/MINI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mine

cardinal. one

-ma

suffix. instrumental

ni

pronoun. I, me

Qenya [LR/072; PE21/61; PE22/092; PE22/097; PE22/104; PE22/115; PE22/118; PE22/119; PE22/120; PE22/121; PE22/122; PE22/123; PE22/125; PE22/127; PE23/073; PE23/074; PE23/075; PE23/076; PE23/077; PE23/078; PE23/079; PE23/081; PE23/084; PE23/085; PE23/088; PE23/091; PE23/092; PE23/093; PE23/097; PE23/098; PE23/099; PE23/102; PE23/103; PE23/104; PE23/108; SD/056] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nye

pronoun. me, I

Qenya [PE22/119; PE22/120; PE22/122; PE23/073; PE23/074; PE23/075; PE23/077; PE23/079; PE23/088; PE23/090; PE23/092; PE23/093; PE23/095; PE23/107] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nén

noun. water

Qenya [Ety/NEN; PE21/19; PE21/23; PE21/58; PE22/125] Group: Eldamo. Published by

síre

noun. river

Qenya [Ety/SIR; EtyAC/SIR; PE21/10] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

er

adjective. one

Gnomish [GL/32; LT1A/Tol Eressëa] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-la

suffix. noun suffix

-li

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/24; GL/28; GL/30; GL/32; GL/33; GL/34; GL/35; GL/36; GL/38; GL/40; GL/45; GL/68] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-od

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/25; GL/30; GL/31; GL/41; GL/42; PE13/110] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-on

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/38; GL/39] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-st

suffix. noun suffix

-thi

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/24; GL/33; GL/35; GL/39; GL/40; GL/42; GL/44; GL/45; GL/47; LT1A/Vána] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-wen

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GG/08; GL/19; GL/22; GL/24; GL/25; GL/29; GL/30; GL/31; GL/33; GL/35; GL/36; GL/38; GL/42; GL/43; GL/49; LT1A/Palúrien; PE13/114] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-weth

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/24; GL/38; GL/39; GL/44; GL/45] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-wi

suffix. noun suffix

Gnomish [GL/35; GL/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

asc

noun. water

A noun glossed “water” appearing in the Official Name List for the Lost Tales of the 1910s, probably based on the early root ᴱ√ASAKA which was used for words meaning “waterfall” (PE13/101).

sîr

noun. river

Gnomish [GL/67; LT1A/Sirion] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

er Reconstructed

cardinal. one

The Ilkorin word for “one” attested only in the name Ermabuin or Ermab(r)in “One-handed” (Ety/MAP).

celon

noun. river

A noun meaning “river” developed from the primitive form ᴹ✶kelun (Ety/KEL), where the [[ilk|final [un] became [on]]].

Conceptual Development: This word was initially marked as Noldorin.

Doriathrin [Ety/KEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

duil

noun. river

A noun meaning “river”, simply an elaboration of its root ᴹ√DUY (Ety/DUI).

Doriathrin [Ety/DUI; EtyAC/RAMBĀ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

lim

noun. water

A noun for “water” in the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s (PE13/123), probably an early manifestation of the root ᴹ√LIB “drip” from The Etymologies.

Early Noldorin [PE13/123] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

sīre

noun. river

Old Noldorin [Ety/SIR; EtyAC/SIR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Westron

nîn

noun. water

Westron [LotR/1138] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Valarin 

ul(l)u

noun. water

Valarin [WJ/400; WJ/401] Group: Eldamo. Published by