-s (2) ending for the mysterious case sometimes called "respective", actually probably a shorter variant of the locative in -ssë. Pl. -is, dual -tes, partitive pl. -lis.
Quenya
-ssë
-ssë
-s(së)
suffix. he, she, it; him, her, it
-ssë
respective
-ssë
at
-ssë (1) locative ending (compare the preposition se, sé "at", q.v.); in Lóriendessë, lúmessë, máriessë, yalúmessë (q.v. for reference); pl. -ssen in yassen, lúmissen, mahalmassen, símaryassen, tarmenissen, q.v. Pronouns take the simple ending -ssë, even if the pronoun is plural by its meaning (messë "on us", VT44:12). The part. pl. (-lissë or -lissen) and dual (-tsë) locative endings are known from the Plotz letter only.
-ssë
he loves himself
-ssë (2), 3rd person sg. reflexive ending, melissë "he loves himself", possibly also quernessë *"he turned (himself)" (VT49:20-21). Compare -ttë #2. The ending -ssë* seems prone to confusion with the locative ending; an alternative wording would be the analytical construction melis immo with a separate reflexive pronoun. Tolkien himself changed quernessë to quernes immo **(VT49:20-21).
-ssë
suffix. abstract noun
-ssë
suffix. locative ending
-ssë
suffix. himself, *herself, itself
-së
suffix. he, she, it
-tsë
-tsë
-tsë, dual locative ending (Plotz); see -ssë
-is
respective
-is ending for the plural form of an unidentified case, by some called "respective" or "short locative" (Plotz)
-ldë
you
-ldë (1) pronominal suffix "you", 2nd person pl. (VT49:51; carildë *"you do", VT49:16). This ending Tolkien revised from -llë in earlier sources (VT49:48, cf. PE17:69).
-llo
you
[-llo (2) "you", dual; abandoned pronominal ending. Also written -illo. (VT49:49)]
-llë
you
-llë (2) abandoned pronominal ending "you", 2nd person pl. (VT49:48); Tolkien later revised this ending to -ldë.
-lto
they
-lto, "Qenya" pronominal ending "they"; see -ltë
-ltë
they
-ltë, 3rd person pl. pronominal suffix, "they" (VT49:51; cariltë "they do", VT49:16, 17). It alternates with -ntë in Tolkiens manuscripts (VT49:17, 57). In his early material, the ending also appears as -lto, occurring in Fíriel's Song (meldielto "they are beloved" and cárielto "they made"), also in LT1:114: tulielto "they have come" (cf. VT49:57). Compare -lta, -ltya as the ending for "their".
-ltë
suffix. they
-lyë
you, thou
-l or -lyë (VT49:48, 51), pronominal endings for 2nd person sg. polite/formal "you, thou": caril or carilyë *"you do" (VT49:16), hamil "you judge" (VT42:33), anel "you were" (see ná #1); see -lyë for further examples. These endings may also be added to pronouns (etel/etelyë or mil, milyë; see et, mi). In one source, -l is rather used as a reduced affix denoting plural "you"; see heca! (WJ:364)
-më
suffix. abstract noun
-ndë
you
[#-ndë (2) pronominal suffix for dual "you", as in carindë *"you (two) do". Tolkien changed the ending to -stë (VT49:33)]
-ntyë
you
[-ntyë "you", abandonded pronominal ending for 2nd person pl. familiar (VT49:49)]
-ntë
they
-ntë "they", pronomimal ending, inflexion of 3rd person plural when no subject is previously mentioned (CO; see also VT49:49). This ending competes with -ltë (q.v.) in Tolkiens conception (VT49:57; for "they do", both carintë and cariltë are attested, VT49:16 vs. 17). The corresponding pronominal possessive suffix appears as -ntya or -nta in various sources.
-ntë
suffix. they
-nyë
i am come
-n (2), also -nyë, pronominal ending, 1st person sg. "I" (VT49:51), as in utúlien "I am come" (EO), cainen "I lay" (VT48:12-13), carin or carinyë "I do" (VT49:16), veryanen *"I married" (VT49:45). See also VT49:48. Long form -nye- with object ending -s "it" following in utúvienyes (see tuv-). A possible attestation of -n in object position ("me") is provided by the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where -n may be preceded by -sse- as a longer form of the 3rd person sg. ending -s (see -s #1).
-ro
he
-ro pronominal ending "he", in antaváro, q.v. In Tolkiens later Quenya, the ending -s covers both "he", "she" and "it".
-rë
suffix. abstract noun
-s
suffix. he, she, it
-stë
you
-stë "you", 2nd person dual pronominal ending (VT49:51, 53), e.g. caristë "the two of you do" (VT49:16). Tolkien first wrote carindë, but changed the ending (VT49:33). The ending -stë is derived from earlier -dde (VT49:46, 51). An archaic ending of similar form could also be the third person dual, "the two of them" (but see -ttë #1).
-ttë
they
-ttë (1) "they", dual 3rd person pronominal ending ("the two of them") (VT49:51), replacing (also within the legendarium) the older ending -stë (which was later used for the second person only). This older ending -stë corresponds to a possessive ending -sta "their" (VT49:16), but this was presumably likewise altered to *-tta as the new ending for dual "their" = "of the two of them".
-ttë
they love themselves
-ttë (2), 3rd person pl. reflexive ending, as in melittë "they love themselves" (VT49:21). This ending can hardly coexist with #1 above; an alternative wording would be the analytical construction *meliltë intë. Compare -ssë #2.
-tyë
you
-t (3) reduced pronominal affix of the 2. person, "you" (sg.), the long form being -tyë (both endings are listed in VT49:48). See heca regarding the example hecat (WJ:364). However, in a later source, Tolkien denies that -tyë has any short form (VT49:51, 57). The status of the ending -t is therefore doubtful.
-tyë
you, thou
-tyë pronominal ending "you, thou" (VT49:48, 51), 2nd person familiar/intimate: carityë *"you do" (VT49:16; the corresponding formal/polite ending is -l, -lyë, cf. PE17:135 where Tolkien states that hiruvalyë "thou shalt find" from Namárië would be hiruvatyë if the polite pronoun were replaced by the familiar one). Compare the independent pronoun tye. In VT49:51, Tolkien denies that the ending -tyë has any short form (see, however, -t # 3). Cf. natyë "you are"; see ná #1. Compare tye, -tya.
alyë
you
alyë imperative particle with ending -lyë "you"; see a #3.
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
essë
he
essë (2) pron? "he" (and also "she, it"?), possible emphatic 3rd sg. emphatic pronoun, attested in the sentence essë úpa nas "he is dumb" (PE17:126)
felca
adjective. [unglossed]
felehta-
verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine
An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.
finca
noun. [unglossed]
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
hríva
place name. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
ilcë
you
ilcë ("k") (2) *"you", emphatic pronoun of the 2nd person pl. familiar, apparently a form abandoned by Tolkien. An alternative form incë was also listed; a query appears between the forms (VT49:48).
incë
you
incë ("k") *"you", emphatic pronoun for 2nd person pl. familiar, apparently a form abandoned by Tolkien. It is listed as an alternative to ilcë in the source, a query appearing between the forms (VT49:48, 49). The word could also be read as intë (VT49:49)
insë
himself
insë "himself" and "herself", 3rd person sg. personal reflexive pronoun, apparently covering both genders, e.g. *tiris insë "(s)he watches him/herself" (but apparently the general reflexive pronoun immo may also be used, and it may even be preferable since the cluster ns seems unusual for Quenya). Compare insa, the corresponding impersonal form. Insë is derived from earlier imsë, a form that was possibly also used in Quenya (unless "imse" in Tolkien's manuscript is intended as an etymological form only, though it is not asterisked) (VT47:37)
le
you
le, pronominal element "you", (originally) the "reverential 2nd person sing" (RGEO:73, VT49:56). However, singular le was apparently altered to lye (q.v.), and le took on a plural significance (le for pl. "you" is apparently derived from de, the ancient 2nd person pl. stem, VT49:50-51). Stressed lé (VT49:51), dual let "the two of you" (ibid.). At certain points in Tolkiens conception, le was still sg. "thou" rather than pl. "you". It is attested as an ending in the imperative form antalë "give thou" (VT43:17); see anta-. The form ólë in VT43:29 apparently means *"with thee"; according to Tolkiens later system, it would rather mean "with you" (pl.) Compare aselyë "with thee" (sg.) in a later source (see as).
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
máriel
feminine name. [unglossed]
naue
?. [unglossed]
níva
?. [unglossed]
númessier
they are in the west
númessier vb. "they are in the west", a construction occurring in Fíriel's Song, evidently núme(n)-ssë-ie-r "west-in-are-they"; the stative-verb suffix -ië is probably not valid in LotR-style Quenya (FS)
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
se
he, she, it
se (1) pron. "he, she, it" also object "him, her, it", 3rd person sg. Used "of living things including plants" (VT49:37; the corresponding inaimate pronoun is sa). The pronoun comes directly from se as the original stem-form (VT49:50). Stressed form sé, VT49:51, attested in object position in melin sé "I love him" (VT49:21). Ósë "with him/her", VT43:29; see ó-. Long dative/allative sena "[to/for] him" or "at him", VT49:14, allative senna "to him/her" (VT49:45, 46). Compare the reflexive pronoun insë *"himself, herself".
se
at, in
se (2), also long sé, preposition "at, in" (VT43:30; compare the "locative prefix" se- possibly occurring in an early "Qenya" text, VT27:25)
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
súma
hollow cavity, bosom
súma noun "hollow cavity, bosom"; cf. súmaryassë "in her bosom" (súma-rya-ssë "bosom-her-in") in Markirya
ta
they, them
ta (3) pron. "they, them", an "impersonal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring "only to 'abstracts' or to things (such as inanimates) not by the Eldar regarded as persons" (VT43:20, cf. ta as an inanimate Common Eldarin plural pronoun, VT49:52). Compare te, q.v. The word ta occurring in some versions of Tolkien's Quenya Lord's Prayer may exemplify this use of ta as an "impersonal" plural pronoun: emmë avatyarir ta** "we forgive them" (VT43:8, 9; this refers to trespasses, not the trespassers). However, since Tolkien also wanted ta to mean "that" (see #1 above), he may seem to be somewhat dissatisfied with ta "they, them", introducing variant forms like tai (VT49:32) to free up ta as a sg. pronoun. In one document, tai was in turn altered to te (VT49:33), which could suggest that the distinction between animate and inanimate "they, them" was abandoned and the form te (q.v.) could be used for both. In some documents, Tolkien seems to use tar as the plural form (VT49:56 mentions this as an uncertain reading in a source where the word was struck out; compare ótar under ó**-).
tai
they, them
tai (2) pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl., used with reference to inanimates rather than persons or living things (VT49:32, see ta #3 above). Perhaps to avoid the clash with tai "that which", the pronoun tai "they, them" was altered to te in at least one manuscript (VT49:33), so that it would merge with the pronoun used of living beings and the distinction between animate and inanimate would be abandoned (see te).
te
they, them
te pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl. (VT49:51, LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308). The pronoun te represents an original stem-form (VT49:50). Dative ten, téna or tien "for them, to them" (q.v.) Stressed té (VT49:51). Ótë "with them", q.v. VT43:20 connects te "them" with a discussion of Common Eldarin pronominal stems (ca. 1940s), where te is the "personal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring to persons rather than abstracts or inanimates (which are denoted by ta instead; see, however, the entry ta #3 regarding the problems with this form, and the hints that te may possibly be used with reference to inanimates as well)). Also consider the reflexive pronoun intë "themselves", the final element of which is apparently this pronoun te; see also tú for the dual form.
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
toi
they
toi pron. "they" (FS; replaced by te in LotR-style Quenya?)
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
tye
you, thou, thee
tye pron. "you, thou, thee", 2nd person intimate/familar (LR:61, 70, Arct, VT49:36, 55), corresponding to formal/polite lye. According to VT49:51, tye was used as an endearment especially between lovers, and (grand)parents and children also used it to address one another ("to use the adult lye was more stern"). Tyenya "my tye", used = "dear kinsman" (VT49:51). The pronoun tye is derived from kie, sc. an original stem ki with an added -e(VT49:50). Stressed tyé; dual tyet "the two of you" (VT49:51 another note reproduced on the same page however states that tye has no dual form, and VT49:52 likewise states that the 2nd person familiar "never deleloped" dual or plural forms). Compare the reflexive pronoun intyë "yourself". Possibly related to the pronominal stem KE (2nd person sg.), if tye represents earlier *kye.
tú
they, them
tú pron. "they, them", 3rd person dual ("the two of them"), both "personal and neuter" (the pronoun can be used of persons and things alike). (VT49:51) Tolkien also considered tet for the same meaning, listing it alongside tú in one source (VT49:56), but this form was apparently abandoned.
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
ya
which, what
ya (1) relative pronoun "which, what" (attested in VT43:28, 34 and in the Arctic sentence), with locative suffix in Namárië: see #yassë. According to VT47:21, ya is impersonal, "which" rather than "who(m)" (compare the personal form ye). The dative form yan (q.v.) is however used for "to whom" (rather than "to which") in one text, indicating that Tolkien did not always distinguish between personal and impersonal forms. In the phrase lúmessë ya [variant: yá**] firuvammë, "in [the] hour that we shall die", the relative pronoun is not explicitly marked for case and is evidently understood to share the case of the preceding noun (hence not lúmessë yassë**... "in [the] hour in which"...) (VT43:27-28) Presumably, ya has the plural form *yar* (e.g. i nati yar hirnen** "the things that/which I found").
ya
pronoun. which, that (relative pronoun)
The basic relative pronoun in Quenya, mostly used in inflected forms such as: yassen tintilar i eleni “wherein the stars tremble” (LotR/377). See the entry on relative pronouns for further discusion.
Conceptual Development: The use of ᴱQ. ya as a relative pronoun dates back to the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/54), but for a period in the 1930s and 40s ᴹQ. ya was used more as a remote demonstrative (Ety/YA; PE23/96-98). See the entry on correlatives for more on this usage as of 1948.
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
-ssë (3) possible longer form of the 3rd person ending -s; see -s #1. Such an ending probably could not coexist with -ssë #2 above. In one source, Tolkien first queried, then deleted this ending (VT49:49).