erinqua

single, alone

erinqua adj. "single, alone" (VT42:10)

erya

single, sole

erya adj. "single, sole" (ERE)

rea

adjective. single

rëa

adjective. single

Derivations

• ✶rē “single item take out of a (long) series” ✧ PE22/158
  • √ER “one, single, alone, one, single, alone; [ᴹ√] be alone, deprived; [ᴱ√] remain alone” ✧ PE22/158

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶rē > rëa	[rea]	✧ PE22/158

enna

first

[enna adj. "first" (VT45:12)]

esta

first

esta (2) adj. "first" (ESE/ESET); this entry was marked with a query. The word Yestarë (q.v.) "Beginning-day" in LotR suggests that Tolkien decided to change the stem in question to _YESE/YESET_. We could then read *yesta for esta (but later this became a noun "beginning" rather than an adj. "first", PE17:120) and also prefix a y to the other words derived from ESE/ESET (essë* > yessë, essëa > yessëa). Estanossë noun "the firstborn", read likewise Yestanossë** (*Yestanessi?) but in a later text, Tolkien used Minnónar (q.v.) for "the Firstborn" as a name of the Elves, and this form may be preferred. _(In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word _Estanossë is cited as "Estanesse", but according to VT45:12, the second-to-last vowel is actually o in Tolkien's manuscript.)

inga

first

inga (2) adj. "first" (ING)

minya

first

minya adj. "first" (MINI) (cf. Minyatur, Minyon); "eminent, prominent" (VT42:24, 25). Minyar "Firsts", the original name of the Vanyar (or rather the direct Quenya descendant of the original Primitive Quendian name) (WJ:380)

setta

first

[setta, setya adj. "first" (possibly also "primary", but Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible) (VT46:13)]

erui

adjective. single, alone

The proper word for first in Sindarin was minui

erui

adjective. first (incorrect use by the Gondorians)

The proper word for first in Sindarin was minui

erui

place name. Erui

A river in Gondor. It seems to be a combination of er “one” with the adjective suffix -ui, but in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor Tolkien stated that: “it cannot be used for ‘first’ ... er was not used in counting series: it meant ‘one, single, alone’” (VT42/10). Tolkien further indicated it was not the usual adjective for “alone”, which was ereb, but it nevertheless got its name because it was short and swift and the only major Gondorian river without a tributary. Perhaps it was a pseudo-Sindarin name, assembled by less knowledgable Gondorians like the region name Arnen.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Ereg “First” (TI/312, WR/436).

Element in

• S. Ethraid Erui “Crossings of Erui”

Elements

Word	Gloss
er	“one, alone”
-ui	“-ful, having quality, adjective suffix; possibility, suitability [as verbal suffix], *-able”

er

adjective. single

er-

prefix. alone, one

mein

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

mein

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/10

minui

ordinal. first

minui

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

ned

noun. first, *one more; first; *during

This word replaced the preposition uin “of the” in the third version of the King’s Letter, appearing in the phrase nelchaenen ned Echuir “the thirty-first day of Stirring”. Both Carl Hostetter (VT31/30) and David Salo (SG/229) theorized that this replacement has a similar prepositional function, from either √NOT “count” or √NED “middle”. Fiona Jallings suggested it might be a temporal preposition, with sense “during” (FJNS/349).

On VT47/40, note 67, Patrick Wynne suggested that this word might be a cognate of the newly published Quenya word net(ë) “one more”. This theory is supported by the most likely interpretation of nelchaenen. This word seems to mean “thirtieth” rather than “thirty-first”, and Patrick Wynne suggested that nelchaenen ned means “thirtieth and one more” = “thirty-first”. I find this theory the most compelling, and use it here.

Element in

• S. a Pherhael ar am Meril suilad uin aran o Minas Tirith nelchaenen ned Echuir “to Samwise and Rose the King’s greeting from Minas Tirith, the thirty-first day of Stirring” ✧ SD/129
• ᴺS. neman “when, (lit.) during what”

main

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

minai

adjective. single, distinct, unique

erui

first

(single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

erui

alone

erui (first, single). No distinct pl. form. Also eriol (pl. erioel); archaic *eriaul.

erui

alone

(first, single). No distinct pl. form. Also eriol (pl. erioel); archaic ✱eriaul.

erui

single

erui (first, alone). No distinct pl. form. 3) minai (distinct, unique), lenited vinai; pl. mini

erui

single

(first, alone). No distinct pl. form. 3) minai (distinct, unique), lenited vinai; pl. mini**

er

alone

(adjectival prefix) er- (one, lone)

er

alone

(one, lone)

er

single

1) er (pl. ir) (VT48:6), 2)

er

single

(pl. ir) (VT48:6)

minui

first

1) minui (lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form), 2) mîn (lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”; 3) erui (single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

(lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form)

mîn

first

(lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”

minya

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

minya

ordinal. first

Derivatives

• S. main “prime, chief, pre-eminent” ✧ VT42/25

er-

prefix. alone, one

ereg

place name. First

Earlier name for the river S. Erui from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, apparently a Noldorin word meaning ereg “first” (TI/312, WR/436).

Changes

• Ereg → Erui “First” ✧ TI/312
• Ereg → Erui ✧ WRI/Erui

ereg

adjective. first

Element in

• N. Ereg “First” ✧ TI/312

Elements

Word	Gloss
er	“one, alone”
-eg	“suffix for ordinal numbers”

Variations

• Ereg ✧ TI/312

edhen

adjective. first

Cognates

• ᴹQ. enna “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Derivations

• ᴹ✶edenā “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
  • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶edenā > eðen	[edenā] > [edena] > [eðena] > [eðen]	✧ EtyAC/EDE

Variations

• eðen ✧ EtyAC/EDE (eðen)

minei

adjective. single, distinct, unique