Quenya 

a-

complete

a- (1) prefix occurring in the word Atalante, said to denote "complete". Probably just a prefixed stemvowel; cf. a root like ANÁR, said to be derived from NAR. (TALÁT)

a-

see

a- (2) a prefix occurring in the Markirya poem (Tolkien first used na-, then changed it). It may be prefixed to verbal stems following a noun that is the object of sense-verbs like "see" and "hear" when the verb it is prefixed to describes what happens to this noun, as in man cenuva lumbor ahosta[?] (changed from na-hosta), "who shall see the clouds gather?" (hosta = "gather").

a-

prefix. infinitive prefix

Element in

Variations

  • na- ✧ MC/223

an-

prefix. intensive prefix

Changes

  • an-an ✧ PE17/090

Cognates

  • S. an- “intensive prefix”

Derivations

  • andā “long, far” ✧ PE17/090
    • ANAD “long; far” ✧ PE17/090
  • am- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092
    • AMA “addition, increase, plus”
  • AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091
  • NA/ANA “to, towards; at side of, alongside, besides; moreover, in addition, plus” ✧ PE17/146; PE21/79

Element in

  • ᴺQ. amyára “elder”
  • Q. Anairë “*Holiest”
  • Q. Ancalimë “*Brightest (f.)”
  • Q. Ancalimon “*Brightest (m.)”
  • ᴺQ. anyára “elder, *senior”
  • Q. unqualë “death agony, death agony, torment, [ᴹQ.] agony, death” ✧ PE19/078

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
and(a) > an-[an-]✧ PE17/090
and(a) > anda-[anda-]✧ PE17/090
am > an[am-]✧ PE17/090
AMA > ama[ama-]✧ PE17/091
am > an[am-]✧ PE17/092
ANA/NĀ > an-[an-]✧ PE17/146
ANA/NA > an-[an-]✧ PE21/79

Variations

  • an ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/090; PE17/092; PE17/092
  • ana ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057
  • ana- ✧ PE17/056
  • añ- ✧ PE17/090
  • am ✧ PE17/090; PE17/091 (am)
  • anda- ✧ PE17/090
  • ama ✧ PE17/091 (ama)
  • ama- ✧ PE17/092
Quenya [Let/279; PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/090; PE17/091; PE17/092; PE17/146; PE19/078; PE21/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

na-

verb. na-

[na-] (3) a prefix occurring in the Markirya poem, changed by Tolkien to a-, q.v.

na-

prefix. infinitive prefix

sal-

verb. ?

Quenya [PE 22:133] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

am(a)-

prefix. intensive prefix

canta-

verb. ?

Derivations

  • KAN “cry aloud; (Q. only) command; lead, rule, cry aloud; (Q. only) command; lead, rule; [ᴹ√] dare”

sa

it

sa pron. "it", 3rd person sg, corresponding to the ending -s (VT49:30). Used of inanimate things or abstracts (VT49:37; plants are considered animate; see se). For sa as object, cf. the sentence ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (VT49:34). Stressed (VT49:51). Ósa "with it" (VT43:36). Also compare the reflexive pronoun insa "itself", q.v. In one text, sa is also defined as "that" (VT49:18); apparently Tolkien also at one point considered giving sa a plural significance, so that it meant *"they, them" of inanimate things, the counterpart of "personal" (VT49:51).

sa

pronoun. it

Quenya [PE 22:156] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tunta-

see, notice, perceive

tunta- "see, notice, perceive", pa.t. túne (QL:95)

cen-

see, behold

cen- ("k")vb. "see, behold", future tense cenuva ("kenuva") "shall see" in Markirya. Imperative cena ("k"), VT47:31.Also #cen = noun "sight" as the final element of some nouns (*apacen, tercen, q.v.) Compare the root KHEN-, KEN-, KYEN- "look at, see, observe, direct gaze" (VT45:21)

cenya

verb. see, perceive

Quenya [PE 22:103, 115; PE 22:155] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

cúna

bent, curved

cúna ("k") 1) adj. "bent, curved", from which is derived 2) cúna- vb. "bend", occurring with a- prefix (changed by Tolkien from a na-prefix) in Markirya. Here cúna- is intransitive; we do not know whether it can also be transitive "bend".

numba

bent, humped

numba adj. "bent, humped" (PE17:168)

véla

verb. see

véla (2) vb. "see" (Arct); present/continuative tense of a verbal stem #vel-? The context of the sentence where it occurs ("till I see you next") suggests that this is "see" in the sense of "meet".

>> yomenië

cautáron

bent

cautáron ("k") adj.?"bent" (MC:216; this is "Qenya")

locin

adjective. bent

Cognates

  • ᴺS. logren “curled, curly, *bending, looping”

Derivations

  • LOK “bend, loop, bend, loop, [ᴱ√] twine, twist, curl; [ᴹ√] great serpent, dragon” ✧ PE17/160

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
LOK > lokin[lokin]✧ PE17/160

Variations

  • lokin ✧ PE17/160

Sindarin 

an-

prefix. intensive prefix

Cognates

  • Q. an- “intensive prefix”

Element in

tíra-

verb. to see

Sindarin [tírad SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dha

?. ?

Changes

  • nođa ✧ PE22/165

Element in

  • S. inn dha v’im “I have a good mind (to do so), (lit.) there is an ‘inn’ in me” ✧ PE22/165

Variations

  • đa ✧ PE22/165
  • no ✧ PE22/165 (no)
Sindarin [PE22/165] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tírad

gerund noun. to see, for the seing

Sindarin [SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ten

pronoun. (?) it (as object)

Sindarin [caro den VT/44:21,25-6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cen

verb. see

cen- (i gên, i chenir), also tíra- (i díra, i thírar), the latter rather meaning “watch”. SEEING #cened (i gened) (sight), pl. cenid (i chenid) if there is a pl. Isolated from cenedril, see mirror, SEEING STONE *gwachaedir (*i 'wachaedir) (palantír), no distinct pl. form. except with article (in gwachaedir); coll. pl. ?gwachaediriath or ?gwachadirnath (the latter assuming that -dir is reduced from older -dirn) The form occurring in the primary source, gwahaedir, must represent the late Gondorian pronunciation with h for ch (PM:186)

cen

see

(i** gên, i** chenir), also tíra- (i** díra, i** thírar), the latter rather meaning “watch”.

cened

seeing

(i gened) (sight), pl. cenid (i chenid) if there is a pl. Isolated from cenedril, see MIRROR.

cûn

bent

cûn (bowed, bowshaped), lenited gûn; pl. cuin

cûn

bent

(bowed, bowshaped), lenited gûn; pl. cuin

ed

pronoun. *it

Element in

Variations

  • ed ✧ VT50/15

en

?. ?

@@@ In VT50/13 Carl Hostetter suggested this might be an indicative passive voice marker en, vs. subjunctive passive voice marker aen.

Element in

Variations

  • en ✧ VT50/13
Sindarin [VT50/13] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ingildon

place name. ?

Changes

  • IngildonBarad Nimras ✧ WJI/Barad Nimras
  • IngildonBarad Nimras ✧ WJI/Ingildon
Sindarin [WJI/Barad Nimras; WJI/Ingildon] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ha

it

ha, han, hana. (The distinctions between these forms are unclear. Possibly ha is the nominative, whereas han is the accusative. Hana could be an emphatic form. It may be that these pronouns as ”N” rather than Sindarin proper.)

ha

it

han, hana. *(The distinctions between these forms are unclear. Possibly ha is the nominative, whereas han is the accusative. Hana could be an emphatic form. It may be that these pronouns as ”N” rather than Sindarin proper.)*

pant

complete

pant (lenited bant; pl. paint) (full, whole); COMPLETELY, see

pant

complete

(lenited bant; pl. paint) (full, whole);

nuitha

prevent from coming to completion

(i nuitha, in nuithar) (stunt; stop short; not allow to continue) (WJ:413)

gwachaedir

seeing stone

(i ’wachaedir) (palantír), no distinct pl. form. except with article (in gwachaedir); coll. pl. ?gwachaediriath or ?gwachadirnath (the latter assuming that -dir is reduced from older -dirn) The form occurring in the primary source, gwahaedir, must represent the late Gondorian pronunciation with h for ch (PM:186) ****

Adûnaic

a

pronoun. *it

A pronominal prefix, most likely the neuter singular pronoun “it”, appearing in the word ayadda “[it] went” in the sentence adûn izindi batân tâidô ayadda “the road west [it] once went straight” (SD/247). See the entry on pronominal-prefixes for more discussion.

Variations

  • a- ✧ SD/247

Primitive elvish

am-

prefix. intensive prefix

Derivations

  • AMA “addition, increase, plus”

Derivatives

  • Q. amba “more” ✧ PE17/090
  • Q. an- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092

Variations

  • am ✧ PE17/090; PE17/092; PE17/092
  • an- ✧ PE17/092
  • ✧ PE17/092
Primitive elvish [PE17/090; PE17/092] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

a-

prefix. intensive prefix

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶a- ✧ EtyAC/N
    • ᴹ√A “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/N

Element in

  • N. afarch “arid, very dry” ✧ EtyAC/N
  • N. ongol “stench” ✧ EtyAC/N

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶a- > a[a]✧ EtyAC/N

Variations

  • a ✧ EtyAC/N

ha

pronoun. it

Noldorin [Ety/385, LotR/II:IV, X/EI] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ha

pronoun. it

Derivations

  • ᴹ√S “demonstrative stem” ✧ Ety/S

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√S > ha[sa] > [ha]✧ Ety/S

Variations

  • hana ✧ Ety/S
Noldorin [Ety/S; TI/182] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cen-

verb. to see

Noldorin [cenedril TI/184] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hana

pronoun. it

Noldorin [Ety/385, LotR/II:IV, X/EI] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hana

pronoun. it


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!

Undetermined

bel

place name. ?

Element in

Variations

  • bel ✧ RC/018 (S. bel)
  • Bel- ✧ UT/247
Undetermined [RC/018; UT/247; VT42/15] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive adûnaic

nak

root. ?

An otherwise unexplained root that Tolkien used to illustrate the processes of Primitive Adûnaic word formation (SD/422-3). It may have no real meaning. Even if it were, certainly only a few of its derivatives could be real words in Classical Adûnaic.

Variations

  • NAK- ✧ SD/422
Primitive adûnaic [SD/422; SD/423] Group: Eldamo. Published by

asad

root. ?

An otherwise unexplained root Tolkien gave to illustrate a pronunciation example (SD/421). It may not be a real root. If it is real, it is either a biconsonantal-root with vowel-prefixion or a triconsonantal-root with a lost initial consonant such as ] or ].

Derivatives

  • Ad. asdi “[unglossed]” ✧ SD/421
Primitive adûnaic [SD/421] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sapad

root. ?

An otherwise unexplained root Tolkien gave to illustrate a pronunciation example. It may not be a real root.

Derivatives

  • Ad. sapda “[unglossed]” ✧ SD/421
Primitive adûnaic [SD/421] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

an-

prefix. intensive prefix

Derivations

  • ᴹ√A “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/A
  • ᴹ√N- “intensive” ✧ EtyAC/N; PE19/055

Element in

  • ᴹQ. ampano “building (especially of wood), wooden hall, construction, edifice” ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ᴹQ. Ankale “Radiant-one, Sun, (lit.) The Very Bright” ✧ EtyAC/A; EtyAC/N
  • ᴹQ. antaro “high mountain, peak, high mountain, peak, *(lit.) great height” ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ᴹQ. parka “dry; thirsty” ✧ EtyAC/A
  • ᴹQ. tára “lofty, high” ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ᴹQ. unqale “death agony, agony, death” ✧ EtyAC/N

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√A > an[an-]✧ EtyAC/A
ᴹ√N- > an-[ṇd-] > [and-]✧ EtyAC/N
ᴹ√N- > um[ṃb-] > [umb-]✧ EtyAC/N
ᴹ√N- > [ŋ̣g-] > [iŋg-]✧ EtyAC/N
ᴹ√nŏ- > > > an[ṇd-] > [and-]✧ PE19/055

Variations

  • an ✧ EtyAC/A; PE18/042; PE19/055
  • am ✧ EtyAC/A; PE18/042; PE19/055
  • ✧ EtyAC/A; PE19/055
  • um ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ✧ PE18/042
Qenya [EtyAC/A; EtyAC/N; PE18/042; PE19/055] Group: Eldamo. Published by

the

pronoun. it

Element in

Qenya [PE22/119; PE22/123] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

a-

prefix. complete

Derivations

  • ᴹ√A “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/TALÁT

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Atalante “Downfall(en)” ✧ Ety/TALÁT
  • ᴹQ. atalta- “to collapse, fall in, fall down, slip down in ruin” ✧ Ety/TALÁT

Variations

  • a- ✧ Ety/TALÁT; EtyAC/TALÁT
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/TALÁT; EtyAC/TALÁT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

a-

prefix. a-

Derivations

  • ᴹ√A “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/N

Derivatives

  • N. a- “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/N

Variations

  • a- ✧ EtyAC/N
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/N] Group: Eldamo. Published by

a

root. intensive prefix

An “intensive” root addition described by Tolkien in The Etymologies from the 1930s (EtyAC/A). It was one of two basic intensive mechanisms, along with the (syllabic) prefixed N- (EtyAC/N). The prefixed vowel a- seems to have been used originally in Primitive Elvish when the base vowel was a, and similarly with E and I (EtyAC/E; Ety/I²); whether this was also true of the vowels o, u is unclear, as Tolkien didn’t mention them. These various vocalic intensifications were frequently accompanied by dynamic lengthening (doubling), with the example given by Tolkien being: ᴹ✶parkā “dry” → ᴹ✶apparkā “very dry, arid” (> N. afarch).

In the case of e- and i-, the examples were dero, dise → ᴹ✶Endero, ᴹ✶Indise “groom, bride”; these examples indicate that other kinds of consonant fortifications were possible, in this case nasalization of stops, which often replaced consonant-doubling for voiced stops in Primitive Elvish.

Specifically in the case of a-, however, it seems it could be used as a general intensive that “was distinct in origin, though similar in function, to the prefixed basic vowel”. Why this was true of a- alone is not clear, but there seems to have been some complex interplay between the vocalic intensives and the intensives derived from syllabic initial ṇ-, with the net result that the intensive prefix in Q. became an-, am-, añ-, depending on the initial consonant.

See the entry on the Quenya comparative for a more detailed discussion of the conceptual development of intensives in Eldarin.

Derivatives

  • ᴹ✶a- “complete” ✧ EtyAC/TALÁT
  • ᴹ✶a- ✧ EtyAC/N
    • N. a- “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/N
  • ᴹQ. an- “intensive prefix” ✧ EtyAC/A

Element in

  • ᴹ✶angosse “horror” ✧ EtyAC/GOS
  • ᴹ✶oññol- “strong smell” ✧ EtyAC/A
  • ᴹ✶parkā “dry” ✧ EtyAC/A

Variations

  • a ✧ EtyAC/GOS
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/A; EtyAC/GOS; EtyAC/N; EtyAC/TALÁT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

karpa

root. ?

Derivatives

Variations

  • karpa ✧ PE18/066
Middle Primitive Elvish [PE18/066] Group: Eldamo. Published by

e

root. intensive prefix

Element in

  • ᴹ✶Endero “(?virile) young bridegroom” ✧ EtyAC/E
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/E] Group: Eldamo. Published by

i

root. intensive prefix

Element in

  • ᴹ✶Indise “bride” ✧ Ety/I²
  • ᴹ✶Ithil “moon” ✧ Ety/I²

Variations

  • I ✧ Ety/I²; EtyAC/I²
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/I²; EtyAC/I²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

a-

pronoun. it, they; 3rd-person pronoun

Element in

  • G. a·laithra nin “I forget it, *(lit.) it slips for me” ✧ GL/52

Variations

  • ✧ GL/52; PE13/097; PE13/097
Gnomish [GL/52; PE13/097] Group: Eldamo. Published by

a-

prefix. ?

Element in

  • G. abair “victory”
  • G. abont “back; backwards”
  • G. aglar “glory”
  • G. agrech “contempt”
  • G. agrectha- “to despise, contemn”
  • G. arog “swift, rushing, torrential”
  • G. alewthion “having fingers”
  • G. alepthog “fingered, having fingers”
  • G. amabwed “having hands”
  • G. abod “again; in return, in exchange; back”

Variations

  • ✧ GL/17

Early Noldorin

hanach

?. ?

Element in

Early Noldorin [MC/217] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

a-

prefix. it; 3rd sg. neut. pronoun

a-

prefix. *intensive prefix

Element in

  • Eq. atempa “(strong) dislike” ✧ QL/030
  • Eq. avealta- “to resemble closely”
  • Eq. avíka “very much alike”

Variations

  • a- ✧ QL/030
Early Quenya [QL/030] Group: Eldamo. Published by

a

pronoun. it

Element in

Early Quenya [PE14/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ha

pronoun. it; 3rd sg. neut. pronoun

Element in

  • Eq. (h)áva “*its; 3rd sg. neut. possessive emphatic” ✧ PE14/052
  • Eq. ha·matsir “one eats it, it is eaten” ✧ PE14/056; PE14/085
  • Eq. (h)a·tule “it comes (some definite thing)” ✧ PE14/052
  • Eq. ha·tule “it (some definite thing) comes” ✧ PE14/085
  • Eq. hu·karne ha min “he did it first (i.e. either before anyone else did so, or before he did anything else)” ✧ PE14/084
  • Eq. hea “it (emphatic); 3rd sg. neut. pronoun” ✧ PE14/052
  • Eq. ha- “*its; 3rd sg. neut. possessive” ✧ PE14/052
  • Eq. unlunke naiqe yu vaile·na ar elle ha men ambostuva “*he pulled his sword from the sheath and drove it into the breast” ✧ PE16/146

Variations

  • ha- ✧ PE14/052; PE14/085
  • a- ✧ PE14/052
  • (h)a ✧ PE14/052
Early Quenya [PE14/052; PE14/053; PE14/056; PE14/084; PE14/085; PE16/146] Group: Eldamo. Published by