apa

after

apa (1) prep. "after" (VT44:36), attested as a prefix in apacenyë and Apanónar, q.v. Variant ep- in epessë, q.v.; see epë for futher discussion. (According to VT44:36, apa was glossed "after" and also "before" in one late manuscript, but both meanings were rejected.) See also apa # 2 below. For Neo-Quenya purposes, apa should probably be ascribed the meaning "after", as in our most widely-published sources (compare Apanónar, "the After-born", as a name of Men in the Silmarillion). Variants pa, pá (VT44:36), but like apa these are also ascribed other meanings elsewhere; see separate entry. Apo (VT44:36) may be yet another variant of the word for "after".

apo

after

apo prep. ?"after" (see apa #1) (VT44:36)

cata

after

epe

after

apacen

noun. foresight, *(lit.) after-sight

As suggested by Helge Fauskanger (QQ/apacenyë), the literal meaning of this word is “after-sight”, that is knowledge of that which come after.

apanónar

collective name. After-born

A name of Men as the second-born children of Ilúvatar, after the Elves (S/103). It is a compound of apa “after” and nóna “born”, appearing only in the plural.

ceuranar

noun. new sun after solstice

A word appearing in notes from the late 1960s glossed “new sun after solstice” (VT48/7), a combination of Q. ceura “renewed” and Q. Anar “Sun”.

Apanónar

the after-born

Apanónar noun "the After-born", an Elvish name of Mortal Men as the Second-born of Ilúvatar (WJ:387)

ala

after, beyond

ala (5) prep. "after, beyond" (MC:221, 214; however, LotR-style Quenya has han and pella "beyond" and apa "after")

ceuranar

new sun after solstice

ceuranar ("k")noun "new sun after solstice" (VT48:7), apparently a compound ceura or ceurë + anar, q.v.

epessë

after-name

epessë noun "after-name", nickname, mostly given as a title of admiration or honour (PM:339, UT:266, VT49:12). Cf. essë "name" and epë above.

apa

preposition. after (of time)

epeni

conjunction. before, *after; before

epessë

noun. after-name

eru fai, sî, euva

*Eru (was) before, (is) now, will be (after)

nó

before (of time); at back (of place), before (of time); at back (of place); [ᴹQ.] yester-; [ᴱQ.] after (of place), behind; after (only of time); than

pó

preposition. before, in front (of place); after (of time)

ve

preposition. as, like, similar, after the manner [of], as, like, similar, after the manner [of]; [ᴹQ.] with

haia

adverb. afar, afar, [ᴹQ.] far (off), far away

The adverb ᴹQ. hāya “far off, far away” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KHAYA “far, distant, remote” (Ety/KHAYA; EtyAC/KHAYA). It reappeared as haiya “far” in a phrase from the Lament of Atalante of the 1940s: haiya vahaiya sín Atalante “far far away now (is) the Downfallen” (SD/247). It appeared again as haia in the first draft of Löa Yucainen from in 1958: Ai loar melle yassen ekkennen haia palantírielya yárie andavanwer “Alas beloved years in which looking afar I saw in the distance the ages long-departed” (CPT/1296). It is likely that háya, haiya, and haia are just variant spellings of the same word; compare Máya, Maiya vs. Maia.

apanaina-

verb. to regret, (lit.) after-lament

A neologism for “to regret” coined by Luinyelle on 2023-05-29 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of apa “after” and [ᴹQ.] naina- “to lament”, hence literally “after-lament”.

epemat

noun. dessert, (lit.) after-meal

A neologism coined by Luinyelle posted on 2024-01-14 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of epë “after” and [ᴹQ.] mat (matt-) “meal”.

apalúmë

noun. future, (lit.) after-time

Mairon

the admirable

Mairon, masc. name "the Admirable" (cf. adj. maira), said to be the original name of Sauron, changed when he was suborned by Melkor, "but he continued to call himself Mairon the Admirable, or Tar-mairon King Excellent, until after the downfall of Númenor" (PE17:183). Since Sauron had joined Melkor before the Elves came to Valinor and developed the Quenya language, we are perhaps to understand that Mairon is a translation by sense of Saurons original Valarin name, though Sauron himself may seem to have used the Elvish form in Middle-earth and on Númenor.

an

for

an (1) _conj. and prep. _"for" (Nam, RGEO:66), an cé mo quernë… "for if one turned…" (VT49:8), also used adverbially in the formula an + a noun to express "one more" (of the thing concerned: an quetta "a word more", PE17:91). The an of the phrase es sorni heruion an! "the Eagles of the Lords are at hand" (SD:290) however seems to denote motion towards (the speaker): the Eagles are coming. Etym has an, ana "to, towards" (NĀ1). The phrase an i falmalī _(PE17:127) is not clearly translated but seems to be a paraphrase of the word falmalinnar "upon the foaming waves" (Nam)_, suggesting that an can be used as a paraphrase of the allative ending (and if falmalī is seen as a Book Quenya accusative form because of the long final vowel, this is evidence that an governs the accusative case). In the "Arctic" sentence, an is translated "until". Regarding an as used in Namárië, various sources indicate that it means an "moreover, further(more), to proceed" (VT49:18-19) or ("properly") "further, plus, in addition" (PE17:69, 90). According to one late source (ca. 1966 or later), an "is very frequently used after a full stop, when an account or description is confirmed after a pause. So in Galadriels Elvish lament […]: An sí Tintallë, etc. [= For now the Kindler, etc…] This is translated by me for, side an is (as here) often in fact used when the additional matter provides an explanation of or reason for what has already been said". Related is the use of an + noun to express "one more"; here an is presumably accented, something the word would not normally be when used as a conjunction or preposition.

apa

on

apa (2) prep. denoting "on" with reference to contact of surfaces, especially vertical surface (in the sense in which a picture hangs on a wall). Apa is said to have this meaning in various Tolkien manuscripts (VT44:26), but apa is also used for "after" (see apa #1 above), and the two were probably never meant to coexist in a single variant of Quenya. The clash may be avoided by consistently using the variants pá, pa (q.v.) mentioned by Tolkien in the sense of apa #2. Another variant gives apa, pá "on (above but touching)" (VT49:18).

apacenyë

foresight

apacenyë is translated "foresight" in MR:216; yet the context and the form of the word itself clearly indicates that it is not a noun but actually the pl. form of an adjective *apacenya *"of foresight". The noun "foresight" is almost certainly apacen; cf. tercen "insight". (MR:216) The literal meaning of apacen is "aftersight", sc. knowledge of that which comes after. [Essi] apacenyë** "[names] of foresight", prophetic names given to a child by its mother (MR:216)

epë

before

epë prep. "before" ("in all relations but time", VT49:32), though the word was glossed "after" when first published (VT42:32; Bill Welden, the writer of the article in question, later presented this correction in VT44:38). The preposition can indeed express "after" when used of time, since the Eldar imagined future time (time that comes after the present) as being "before" them (VT49:12, 32); epë is in this respect a variant of apa, q.v. (Cf. VT49:22.) Compare epessë, q.v. Epë "before" may also be used in comparison (PE17:56, 57), apparently in much the same way as lá #2 (q.v.) (VT42:32)

nó

before

nó (3) prep. "before" (of time, compare nóvo), "at back" (of spatial relationships). In other conceptual phases, Tolkien also let the word have the opposite meaning "after" (of time) or "in front" (of space). (VT49:32).

opo

before, in front of

opo prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships); "after" (of time), also pó, po or pono, poto (VT49:12, VT44:36, evidently a variant of apa).

po

before, in front of

po, pó prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships) "after" (of time), also opo or pono, poto- (VT49:12, 32, VT44:36; evidently a variant of apa)

pá

on

pá, pa (1) prep. "on" with reference to contact of surfaces, especially vertical surface (in the sense in which a picture hangs on a wall); also used = "touching, as regards, concerning" (VT44:26). Another variant gives pá (and apa) with the meaning "on (above but touching)". (2) Variants of apa "after" (VT44:36), which preposition is in one source also ascribed the first meaning here discussed. For Neo-Quenya purposes, pá and pa may be used for "on" or "concerning", whereas apa is used for "after" (see entries for apa #1 and #2), or pa may also be seen as a shorter form of apa "after", as in the phrase yéni pa yéni *"years upon years" (VT44:36)

ta

then

ta (4) conj., said to be a reducted form of tá "then", used "before each new item in a series or list"; "if as often in English the equivalent of and was omitted, and placed only before a final item [e.g. Tom, Dick, and Harriet], this would in Quenya represent a discontinuity, and what followed after ta would be an addition of something overlooked or less important". (PE17:70) Hence the use of arta (ar ta, "and ta") for "et cetera"; in older language ta ta or just ta.

ve

as, like

ve (1) prep. "as, like" (Nam, RGEO:66, Markirya, MC:213, 214, VT27:20, 27, VT49:22); in Narqelion ve may mean either "in" or "as". Ve fírimor quetir *"as mortals say" (VT49:10), ve senwa (or senya) "as usual" (VT49:10). Followed by genitive, ve apparently expresses "after the manner of": ve quenderinwë coaron ("k") "after the manner of bodies of Elven-kind" (PE17:174). Tolkien variously derived Quenya ve from older wē, bē or vai(VT49:10, 32, PE17:189)

á

immediate time reference

a (3), also á, imperative particle. An imperative with "immediate time reference" is expressed by á in front of the verb (or "occasionally after it, sometimes before and after for emphasis"), with the verb following in "the simplest form also used for the uninflected aorist without specific time reference past or present or future" (PE17:93). Cf. a laita te, laita te! "[o] bless them, bless them!", á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!", literally "o rule Manwë!" (see laita, vala for reference); cf. also á carë "do[!]", á ricë "try!", á lirë "sing[!]", á menë "proceed[!]", a norë "run[!]" (PE17:92-93, notice short a in this example), á tula "come!" (VT43:14). In the last example, the verb tul- "come" receives an ending -a that probably represents the _suffixed form of the imperative particle, this apparently being an example of the imperative element occurring both "before and after" the verbal stem "for emphasis" (PE17:93)_. This ending may also appear on its own with no preceding a/á, as in the command queta "speak!" (PE17:138). Other examples of imperatives with suffixed -a include cena and tira (VT47:31, see cen-, tir-); the imperatives of these same verbs are however also attested as á tirë, á cenë (PE17:94) with the imperative particle remaining independent and the following verb appearing as an uninflected aorist stem. This aorist can be plural to indicate a 3rd person pl. subject: á ricir! "let them try!" (PE17:93). Alyë (VT43:17, VT44:9) seems to be the imperative particle a with the pronominal suffix -lyë "you, thou" suffixed to indicate the subject who is to carry out the command; attested in the phrase alyë anta "give thou" (elided aly' in VT43:11, since the next word begins in e-: aly' eterúna me, *"do thou deliver us"); presumably other pronominal suffixes could likewise be added. The particle a is also present in the negative imperatives ala, #ála or áva, q.v.

-vë

as, like

-vë, (3) apparently an ending used to derive adverbs from adjectives (see andavë under anda and oiavë under oia). May be related to the preposition ve "as, like".

Calainis

may

Calainis _("k")_noun "May" (LT1:252, 254; in Tolkien's later Quenya Lótessë)

Cermië

july

Cermië noun seventh month of the year, "July" (Appendix D)

Narquelië

october

Narquelië noun tenth month of the year, "October" (Appendix D); the word seems to mean "Fire-waning", "Sun-waning". Compare narquelion ("q"), q.v.

Narvinyë

january

Narvinyë noun first month of the year, "January". The word seems to mean "New Fire/Sun". (Appendix D)

Ringarë

december

Ringarë noun, the twelfth and last month of the year, "December" (Appendix D, SA:ring); the word seems to mean *"Cold-day".

Súlimë

march

Súlimë noun, third month of the year, "March". The word apparently means *"windy one" (Appendix D; SA:sûl; not capitalized in the latter source). Early "Qenya" has súlimë "wind" (LT1:266)

appa-

verb. touch

appa- vb. "touch" (in the literal sense; contrast #ap-, q.v.) (VT44:26)

avestalis

january

avestalis noun "January" (LT1:252; LotR-style Quenya has Narvinyë)

ca

behind, at back of place

ca, cata, cana prep? "behind, at back of place" (VT43:30)

cermië

noun. July

enar

adverb. tomorrow

entar

noun. tomorrow

enwa

tomorrow

enwa adv. "tomorrow" (QL:34)

fai; afea

adverb. before (of time)

han

beyond

han prep. "beyond" (compare the _postposition pella of similar meaning) (VT43:14)_

han

preposition. beyond

A word for “beyond” in the final version of the Átaremma prayer of the 1950s in the phrase Átaremma i ëa han Eä, equivalent to “our Father who art in Heaven” but more literally “✱who is beyond Creation” (VT43/12). This word also appeared with the gloss “beyond” in notes from around 1970 as a derivative of √HAN “add to, increase, enhance, honour (espec. by gift)” (VT43/14).

ier

as

ier prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably rejected in favour of sívë, q.v.). In an abandoned version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien used ier...ter for "as...so" (VT43:17).

opo

before, ahead, in front of

pella

beyond

pella "beyond", apparently a postposition rather than a preposition: Andúnë pella "beyond the West", elenillor pella "from beyond the stars" (Nam, RGEO:66, Markirya) In one version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien used pell' (evidently an elided form of pella) as a _preposition, but this version was abandoned (VT43:13)_

san

then

san (1) adv. "then" (MC:216; also twice in Narqelion), a "Qenya" term apparently replaced by tá in Tolkiens later conception. In his later Quenya, san would be the dative form of sa "it", hence "for it; to it".

sívë

as

sívë (1) prep. "as", apparently ve of similar meaning with the prefix sí- "this, here, now"; sívë therefore makes a comparison with something close, whereas tambë (q.v.) refers to something remote. Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17). Elided sív' in VT43:12, since the next word begins in the vowel e-.

tai

then

tai (3) adv. "then", also tá (which form may be preferred because tai has other meanings as well) (VT49:33)

tai

1lE adverb. then

tar

beyond

tar (2) prep. "beyond" (FS)

ten

for

ten (2) conj. "for", in Fíriel's Song; apparently replaced by an in LotR-style Quenya.

tá

then

tá 1) adv. "then" (VT49:11). Cf. ta #4.

tá

adverb. then, then, [ᴹQ.] at that time [past]

A word for “then” appearing in a list of demonstratives from 1968, a vowel-lengthened form of ta “that” (VT49/11). It reappeared in some notes from 1969 alongside a variant tai (VT49/33). ᴹQ. tá “then, at that time (past now)” appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948, where Tolkien indicated it was specifically used to refer to the past (PE23/109), as opposed to ᴹQ. en “then” referring to the future.

ya

as

ya (2) or yan, prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably abandoned in favour of sívë)

ye

as

[ye (3), also yé, prep. "as" (VT43:16, struck out; in the text in question Tolkien finally settled on sívë, q.v.)]

novárilë

noun. forenoon

A neologism for “forenoon” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-05-25 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of adjectival nöa “before” and an abstraction of árë “✱noontide”.

ab

preposition. after

cad

adverb. *after

abonnen

proper name. After-born

A term for Men as the second-born children of Ilúvatar, after the Elves, also attested in its plural form Eboennin (WJ/387). It seems to be a compound of ab “after” and onnen “born”.

-es

ending referring to persons or animals used after dh [= ð]

pl1. -is suff. fem. ending referring to persons or animals used after dh [= ð], th. >> -eth, -on

-or

ending referring to persons or animals used after n

pl1. -yr suff. masc. ending referring to persons or animals used after n. >> -on

abonnen

noun. after born

ab (prefix “after”) + onnen (p.p. of onna- “beget”)

cadlaer

noun. July, *After-summer

ab-

prefix. after, later

abonnen

noun/adjective. born later, born after

ab

after

#ab (only attested as a prefix, as in:)

ab

after

(only attested as a prefix, as in:)

aphad-

verb. to follow

A verb in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 glossed “follow”, derived from primitive ✶ap-pata “walk behind, on a track or path” (WJ/387), with primitive pp aspirating and then becoming voiceless spirants, with ph pronounced as a long [ff].

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had similarly formed G. obra- “follow; succeed” based on G. ob “after” (GL/62), precursor to S. ab “after”.

abor

noun. tomorrow, (lit.) after-day

abor

adjective. following, succeeding, close behind (of place), next behind or after (time or place)

cýranor

noun. new sun after solstice

A neologism coined by Echuidor posted on 2024-08-31 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of cŷr “renewed” and Anor “Sun”, equivalent to Q. ceuranar.

Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath

May they find peace after death.

This is a phrase that Legolas, Aragorn, And Gimli think that the hobbits are dead.

militha-

 verb. "to lust (after)"

thim

noun. milk (after separation)

abonnen

afterborn

pl. Ebennin (archaic "Eboennin" = Ebönnin, WJ:387), Elvish name of Men as the "Secondborn" of Eru. – If ab can be used as an independent preposition, it is probably followed by soft mutation.****

alae

interjection. (?) behold!

Uncertain meaning, but compare with Quenya ela! "imperative exclamation directing sight to an actually visible object" (WJ/362)

abonnen

noun/adjective. man, one born later than the Elves, a human being (elvish name for men)

aphad-

verb. to follow

In WJ/387, the verbal stem is given as aphad-, and the etymology as *ap-pata. If we follow the latter, the verb should perhaps read aphada-

athan

preposition. beyond

bo

preposition. on

cerveth

noun. july (month)

cerveth

noun. July

erin

preposition. on the

girithron

noun. december (month)

gwaeron

noun. march (month)

narbeleth

noun. october (month)

palan-

adverb. afar, abroad, far and wide

sui

conjunction. as, like

adel

behind

(adv. and prep) adel; as prep. probably followed by soft mutation.

adel

behind

; as prep. probably followed by soft mutation.

ammen

for us

(to us).

an

for

(prep.) an (+ nasal mutation), with article ni ”for the” (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

for

(adverbial prefix) an-

an

for

(+ nasal mutation), with article ’ni ”for the” (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

for the

(for) + i (the).

aphada

follow

aphada- (i aphada, in aphadar) (WJ:387)

athar

beyond

1. *athar (across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation. 2) (adverbial prefix) thar- (across, athwart, over)

athar

beyond

(across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation.

be

as

(like, according to). Followed by lenition? With article ben (followed by "mixed mutation" according to David Salo’s reconstruction)

be

like

(as, according to) Followed by lenition? With article ben (followed by "mixed mutation" according to David Salo’s reconstruction)

cerveth

july

Cerveth (na Gerveth, o Cherveth), also Cadlaer

cerveth

july

(na Gerveth, o Cherveth), also Cadlaer

girithron

december

Girithron (na **Irithron**)

girithron

december

(na ’Irithron)

gwaeron

march

Gwaeron (na **Waeron**)

gwaeron

march

(na ’Waeron)

hil-

verb. to follow

A neologism for “to follow” coined by Sami Paldanius in the VQP (VQP), derived from the root √KHIL of similar meaning. I prefer attested aphad- “follow”.

lothron

may

Lothron

lothron

may

narbeleth

october

Narbeleth

narbeleth

october

narwain

january

Narwain

narwain

january

or

on

(prep.) 1) or (above), with article erin ”on the” (followed by ”mixed mutation” according to David Salos reconstructions). Erin represents archaic örin. 2)

or

on

(above), with article erin ”on the” (followed by ”mixed mutation” according to David Salo’s reconstructions). Erin represents archaic örin.

ordolel

noun. tomorrow

po

on

po (lenited bo) (VT44:23)

po

on

(lenited bo) (VT44:23)

sui

as

1. prep. “like, as”) sui (VT44:23), 2) (prep.) be (like, according to). Followed by lenition? With article ben (followed by "mixed mutation" according to David Salos reconstruction)

sui

as

(VT44:23)

sui

like

(prep. ”as, like”) 1) sui (VT44:23), 2) #be (as, according to) Followed by lenition? With article ben (followed by "mixed mutation" according to David Salos reconstruction)

sui

like

(VT44:23)

thar

beyond

(across, athwart, over)

cad

adverb. *after

cadloer

noun. July, *After-summer

cathriw

noun. January, *After-winter

adel

preposition. behind, in rear (of)

athan

preposition. beyond

A word appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s in the name N. Bronwe athan Harthad “Endurance beyond Hope” (SD/62). According to Christopher Tolkien, the form athan is very unclear and uncertain (SD/70 note #6). It might instead be athar, which would be more compatible with the root √THAR “across, beyond” (PE17/14; Ety/THAR).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. {athron “further, beyond” >>} adron “further, beyond, over, on other side” based on G. {athra “across, athwart” >>} adr(a) “lying athwart; situated on far side” (GL/17). This hints that later athan “beyond” may be based on N. ath- “across” (Ety/AT(AT)).

cerfeth

noun. July

narbeleth

noun. October

nerwinien

noun. January

kā

root. after (later than) of time

A root appearing in notes from the late 1960s glossed “after (later than) of time”, appearing in variants √KĀ and √KATA (PE22/147), the latter perhaps being KA + TA. Although the root itself did not appear until very late in Tolkien’s writing, there are hints of it much earlier, with ᴹQ. kata “after” and ᴹQ. kato “afterwards” appearing in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 (PE22/124). Probably also related is S. cad which also likely meant “after”, appearing in drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices, notably in Cadlaer “July, ✱After-summer” vs. Eblaer “June, ✱Before-summer” (PM/136). There is also a set of preposition from the middle of the 1950s Q. ca-, cata, cana: “behind, at back of place” which may be related (VT43/29-30); Tolkien often used the same roots for both spatial and temporal relations.

katar

?. *after (later than) of time

patar

?. *after, behind of place

kata

root. after (later than) of time

nō

adverb. behind

apa

root. touch

lā̆

preposition/adverb. beyond

tyaz-

verb. like

-nud Reconstructed

preposition. on

A preposition attested only in the phrase “on us” in the Lament of Akallabêth, changing through the drafts as nēnum >> nēnu >> nēnud (SD/247, 312). Most authors identify -nud as the prepositional element (AAD/20, LGtAG, NBA/14), perhaps related to Q. nu “under”. If so, it may be a derivative of the Elvish roots √NŪ/UNU “under” or √NDU “down”, with a semantic shift to the meaning “on”.