-wë

person

-wë a suffix occurring in many personal names, generally but not exclusively masculine (Elenwë is the sole certain example of a fem. name with this ending); it is derived from a stem simply meaning "person" (PM:340, WJ:399). In Etym, -wë is simply defined as an element that is frequent in masculine names, and it is there derived from a stem (WEG) having to do with "(manly) vigour".

-o

person, somebody

-o (2), also -ó, "a person, somebody", pronominal suffix (PM:340)

nassë

person, an individual

nassë (1) "a person, an individual" (VT49:30). Also translated "true-being" (pl. nasser is attested), the inner "true" being of a person. With a pronominal suffix in the form nassentar "their true-being" (PE17:175, cf. -nta #2), in the source referring to the "true" spiritual nature of the Valar, as hidden within their visible shapes. The word nassentar would seem to be plural, *"their true-beings". Not to be confused with the verb nassë/násë "he/she is"; see ná #1.

Námo

person, somebody

námo (2) noun "a person, somebody" (PM:340 writers may prefer the synonym quén to avoid confusion with # 1)

yuitë

adjective. dual

An adjective for “dual”, a combination of yu- “both” and the suffix -itë. Also used as a grammatical term.

Elements

Word	Gloss
yu-	“both, both, [ᴱQ.] twice”

-wi

-wi

suff. . This gloss was rejected.

-we

suffix. person, being, individual, person, being, individual; [N.] masculine suffix

A name suffix in Sindarin, largely used in names adapted from Quenya, such as Manwe or Bronwe, the latter an adaptation of Q. Voronwë. However, the true cognate of the Quenya name suffix -wë is -u, as in S. Elu the later form of Elwë. This -u is not an active name suffix in Sindarin, though, and survives only in a few ancient names like Elu.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s this suffix was G. -weg and was used broadly in names such as G. Manweg (GL/56) as well as an agental suffix in words like G. finweg “craftsman” (GL/35). This early version seems to be the suffixal form of G. gweg “man” (GL/44). The suffix was often paired with its feminine equivalent G. -win such as G. gothweg “warrior” vs. G. gothwin “amazon” (GL/42), or G. faronweg vs. G. faronwin for a male and female “foreigner” (GL/34).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s this suffix became N. -we derived from primitive ᴹ✶-wego under the root ᴹ√WEG “(manly) vigour”, which in Noldorin was distinct in origin from ᴹQ. -we which was (mostly) based on an ancient abstract suffix ᴹ✶-wē (Ety/WEG). Pure Quenya names like Finwe retained their form when used in Noldorin, but there were also some native Noldorin names with this suffix such as N. Bronwe < ON. Bronwega.

Tolkien revisited this suffix in various notes from the late 1950s and gave it a similar origin, with the caveat that all of the “native” names from the stories had become adaptations from Quenya. As Tolkien described it in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957:

> In Sindarin adoption of Quenya names (as Voronwe > Bronweg) -we was sometimes used to represent -we, which historically had become w or u (as in Elu = Elwe). But this S -we is of distinct origin, √WEG-, live, be active. Hence ✱wego(n), living creature: Q weo, veo, S gwê. Cf. ✱weg-tē, activity, occupation (PE17/189).

In an earlier but rejected version of this note, Tolkien instead gave the root form as √WEK with Sindarin suffix -weg, perhaps a brief flirtation with restoring the Gnomish form of the suffix (PE17/190).

Changes

• weg → -we ✧ PE17/189
• weg → -we “a person or being” ✧ PE17/189

Cognates

• Q. -wë “ancient name suffix (usually but not always masculine)” ✧ PE17/189

Derivations

• √WĒ/EWE “person, being, individual” ✧ PE17/189; PE17/190
• √WEG “live, be active, live, be active; [ᴹ√] (manly) vigour” ✧ PE17/189; PE17/190
• ✶wegō “a person of male nature (and fëa); ruler” ✧ PE17/190
  • √WEG “live, be active, live, be active; [ᴹ√] (manly) vigour” ✧ PE17/190

Element in

• S. Bronwe “*Endurance” ✧ PE17/189; PE17/189; PE17/190
• S. Manwe ✧ PE17/189; PE17/190

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√WĒ > -wi	[-wē] > [-wī]	✧ PE17/189
√WEG > -we	[-wego] > [-weɣo] > [-weɣ] > [-we]	✧ PE17/189
√WEK > weg	[-wekā] > [-weka] > [-wek] > [-weg]	✧ PE17/190
√WE > wekā > weg	[-wekā] > [-weka] > [-wek] > [-weg]	✧ PE17/190
✶wegū̆/wego > -wē/wĕ	[-wego] > [-weɣo] > [-weɣ] > [-we]	✧ PE17/190

Variations

• -wi ✧ PE17/189 (-wi)
• weg ✧ PE17/190 (weg); PE17/190
• -wē/wĕ ✧ PE17/190 (-wē/wĕ)

-ad

suffix. dual

The Sindarin dual was almost certainly derived from the same primitive form ✶ata as the Quenya dual ending -t, indicating this ending was ancient in form. The other Quenya dual, -u, would not have been active in Sindarin since final vowels were lost.

Tolkien stated (Let/427) that this ending was archaic and lost, but did not state when it disappeared. The ending may have still been active in the First Age. The ending appears in the day-name Orgaladhad “Day of the Two Trees”. Since the Sindar had no direct experience with the trees, this word was likely adopted from its Quenya cognate Aldúya when the Noldor and Sindar were reunited.

Cognates

• Q. -t “dual ending”

Derivations

• ✶ata “numerative dual ending”

Element in

• S. Methiriad “?End of Two Rivers”
• S. nobad “thumb and index finger as a pair, *(lit.) pickers”

Variations

• -d ✧ Let/427

we

root. dual

A primitive “dual” element mentioned in notes on numbers from the late 1960s, contributing to the forms of primitive ✶enekwe “six” and ✶yun(e)kwe “twelve” in the Quenya branch of Elvish, as well as the ancient 1st person inclusive pronoun ✶ñwe (VT48/10). It was probably related to the ancient dual suffix ✶-ū (Let/427). It was also likely a later iteration the dual root ᴱ√WI from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s which was likewise connected to dual U (QL/33). This early root was mentioned in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon as ᴱ✶u̯i (GL/45).

Variations

• we ✧ VT48/10

wē/ewe

root. person, being, individual

A root mentioned in notes from the late 1950s having to do with “persons” serving as the basis for the suffix Q. -wë common in ancient Quenya names (PE17/189-90). In The Etymologies of the 1930s this suffix had two variants: masculine ᴹQ. -we derived from root ᴹ√WEG “(manly) vigour”, but also abstract ᴹQ. -we derived from unrelated ᴹ✶-wē (Ety/WEG). The suffix was masculine in some later notes as well, where Tolkien said “√WEG, WEƷ, √NES, NETH- referred to masculinity and femininity apart from sex and so could refer to the Valar and Maiar” (PE17/190), but this etymology was rejected and in its place Tolkien wrote: “√WE ? WEƷ ‘person’, individual (only used of Elves and Men), thus origin of -we in Quenya names as Manwe, Voronwe” (PE17/189). In Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 Tolkien wrote:

> -we in Quenya names (Manwe, etc.). This is in origin a separate word √WĒ (WE’E ?), from its form an ancient element of Eldarin vocabulary. Probably related to Q ve “as, like”; vëa “seeming, apparent”; vávea, ovéa “(con)similar, alike”. In Sindarin adoption of Quenya names (as Voronwe > Bronweg) -we was sometimes used to represent -we, which historically had become w or u (as in Elu = Elwe). But this S -we is of distinct origin, √WEG- “live, be active”. Hence ✱wego(n) “living creature”: Q weo, vëo, S gwê (PE17/189).

In these Quenya Notes, √WĒ as a name element was distinct from √WEG “active”, and neither were distinctly masculine. The initial version of this note glossed √WE as “a person or being” (PE17/190), but in revision Tolkien connected it to Q. ve “as, like” (PE17/189). The interpretation of the suffix -we as gender-neutral was mentioned again in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 where Tolkien said it was derived from √EWE “person” (PM/340). However, the only feminine name where this element appeared was Q. Elenwë the wife of Turgon (S/90, PM/345), and most of the names with this element were both masculine and ancient.

See the entry on √WEG for more on the evolution of earlier, largely masculine, forms.

Derivatives

• ✶-wē “person; male suffix” ✧ PM/340
  • Q. -wë “ancient name suffix (usually but not always masculine)” ✧ PM/340
• Q. véra “personal, private, own” ✧ PM/340
• Q. -wë “ancient name suffix (usually but not always masculine)” ✧ PE17/189; PE17/189
• S. gwaith “people; region, people, [ᴱN.] men, folk; [N.] manhood; man-power, troop of able bodied men, host, regiment; [S.] region” ✧ PE17/190
• S. -u “a person or being” ✧ PE17/190
• S. -we “person, being, individual, person, being, individual; [N.] masculine suffix” ✧ PE17/189; PE17/190
• T. evë “a person, somebody (unnamed)” ✧ PM/340

Element in

• Q. eo “person, somebody (unnamed)” ✧ PM/340
• S. Elu ✧ PE17/189

Variations

• WĒ ✧ PE17/189 (WĒ); PE17/189
• WEƷ ✧ PE17/189 (WEƷ)
• WE ✧ PE17/190
• EWE ✧ PM/340

mō

noun. person

Derivatives

• Q. mo “one, anyone, someone, somebody”

Element in

• ✶Elmō “Venus”