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".

apa

but

apa (3) conj. "but": melinyes apa la hé "I love him but not him" (another) (VT49:15)

apa

conjunction. but

Element in

• Q. melin sé apa lanyë hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15
• Q. melinyes apa la hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15

Variations

• apa ✧ VT49/15

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).

apa

preposition. after (of time)

Cognates

• S. ab “after”

Derivations

• √PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place”

Element in

• Q. apacen “foresight, *(lit.) after-sight”
• ᴺQ. apalúmë “future, (lit.) after-time”
• ᴺQ. apanaina- “to regret, (lit.) after-lament”
• Q. Apanónar “After-born”
• ᴺQ. apaquet- “to forebode, foretell, predict”
• ᴺQ. apacíta- “to assume, make premature judgements”

Variations

• apo ✧ VT44/36 (apo)
• pa ✧ VT44/36
• apa ✧ VT44/36 (apa)

apa

preposition. touching, against, on (above but touching)

appa-

touch

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

ala

after, beyond

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

ana

to

ana (1) prep. "to" (VT49:35), "as preposition _ana _is used when purely _dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that the preposition ana can be used instead of the dative ending -n (#1, q.v.) Also as prefix: ana- "to, towards" (NĀ1); an (q.v.) is used with this meaning in one source (PE17:127)_

apo

after

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

ná

but, on the contrary, on the other hand

ná (2), also nán, conj. "but, on the contrary, on the other hand" (NDAN; the form nan, q.v., is probably to be preferred to avoid confusion with ná "is", *nán "I am").

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)

pá

preposition. touching, against, on (above but touching); as regards, concerning, touching, against, on (above but touching); as regards, concerning, [ᴹQ.] about

Derivations

• √PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place” ✧ VT44/26

Element in

• ᴺQ. pan “*since, because”
• Q. pan “since” ✧ VT49/18 (pan*)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√apa > apa	[apa]	✧ VT44/26

Variations

• apa ✧ VT44/26; VT44/26; VT49/18
• pā̆ ✧ VT44/26
• apo ✧ VT44/33
• pa ✧ VT44/33
• pā ✧ VT49/18

anat

but

anat conj. "but" (VT43:23; possibly an ephemeral form)

cata

after

na

to, towards

na (2) prep. "to, towards", possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for clarity writers may use the synonym ana instead (NĀ1). Originally, Tolkien glossed na as "at, by, near"; the new meaning entered together with the synonyms an, ana (VT45:36).

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)

epe

after

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)

mal

but

mal conj. "but" (VT43:23)

mal

conjunction. but

Element in

• Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23

nan

but

nan conj. "but" (FS); the Etymologies also gives ná, nán (NDAN), but these words may be confused with forms of the verb "to be", so nan should perhaps be preferred, unless for "but" one uses the wholly distinct word mal. In Tolkien's later Quenya, it may be that he introduced new words for "but" to free up nan for another meaning (perhaps the adverb "back", compare the prefix nan-).

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).

opo

before, ahead, in front of

-nna

to

-n (1) dative ending, originating as a reduced form of -nă "to", related to the allative ending -nna (VT49:14). Attested in nin, men, ten, enyalien, Erun, airefëan, tárin, yondon (q.v.) and also added to the English name Elaine (Elainen) in a book dedication to Elaine Griffiths (VT49:40). The longer dative ending -na is also attested in connection with some pronouns, such as sena, téna, véna (q.v.), also in the noun mariéna from márië "goodness" (PE17:59). Pl. -in (as in hínin, see hína), partitive pl. -lin, dual -nt (Plotz). The preposition ana (#1) is said to be used "when purely dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that it can replace the dative ending, e.g. *ana Eru instead of Erun for "to God". In some of Tolkiens earlier material, the ending -n (or -en) expressed genitive rather than dative, but he later decided that the genitive ending was to be -o (cf. such a revision as Yénië Valinóren becoming Yénië Valinórëo, MR:200).

-nna

to, at, upon

-nna "to, at, upon", allative ending, originating from -na "to" with fortified n, VT49:14. Attested in cilyanna, coraryanna, Endorenna, Elendilenna, númenórenna, parma-restalyanna, rénna, senna, tielyanna, q.v. If a noun ends in -n already, the ending -nna merges with it, as in Amanna, formenna, Elenna, númenna, rómenna as the allative forms of Aman, formen, elen, númen, rómen (q.v.). Plural -nnar in mannar, valannar, q.v.

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).

nó

but

nó (2) conj. "but" (VT41:13)

nó

conjunction. but

ono

but

ono conj. "but" (VT43:23, VT44:5/9)

ono

conjunction. but

Changes

• anat → one “*but” ✧ VT43/23

Element in

• Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23; VT43/23; VT43/23; VT43/23
• Q. ono alyë eterúna me illumë ilya raxellor “but deliver us always from all dangers” ✧ VT44/09
• Q. orë nin caritas nó namin alasaila “I would like / feel moved to do so but judge it unwise” ✧ VT41/13

Variations

• nō ✧ VT41/13
• anat ✧ VT43/23 (anat)
• one ✧ VT43/23

onë

but

onë conj. "but" (VT43:23)

onë

conjunction. but

ab

preposition. after

Cognates

• Q. apa “after (of time)”

Derivations

• √PĀ/APA “touch; after, behind of place”

Element in

• ᴺS. abgen- “to foresee, expect”
• S. Abonnen “After-born” ✧ WJ/387
• ᴺS. abor “tomorrow, (lit.) after-day”
• S. aphad- “to follow”
• ᴺS. avnedhor “afternoon”

Variations

• Ab ✧ WJ/387 (Ab)

an

preposition. to, towards, for

With suffixed article and elision in aglar'ni Pheriannath

an

to

_ prep. _to, for. naur an edraith ammen! 'fire [be] for rescue/saving for us'. aglar an|i Pheriannath  'glory to all the Halflings'.

na

to

e _ prep. _to, towards (of spacetime). n' before vowels. >> nan 2

na

preposition. to

prep. to Na-chaered palan-díriel lit. "To-distance (remote) after-gazing" >> na-chaered, nan 2

ab-

prefix. after, later

bo

preposition. on

erin

preposition. on the

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.

ab

after

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

ab

after

(only attested as a prefix, as in:)

an

to

(prep.) an (+ nasal mutation), with article ni "to the" (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

to

(adverbial prefix) an-. 3)

po

on

po (lenited bo) (VT44:23)

po

on

(lenited bo) (VT44:23)

ach

conjunction. but

[it] appears that ach is the contrastive coordinating conjunction 'but'.

ach

conjunction. but

[it] appears that ach is the contrastive coordinating conjunction 'but'.

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.****

u

preposition. to

Element in

• Bs. Uglúk u bagronk sha pushdug Saruman-glob búbhosh skai “Uglúk to the cesspool, sha! the dungfilth, the great Saruman-fool, skai; Uglúk to torture chamber with stinking Saruman-filth, dung-heap, skai” ✧ LotR/0445; PE17/078; PM/083

-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”.

Cognates

• Q. nu “under, beneath”

Derivations

• √NDU “down, under, below; sink, descend, go down, down, under, below; sink, descend, go down, [ᴹ√] set (of Sun)”

Element in

• Ad. agannâlô burôda nênud “[the] death-shadow [is] heavy on us” ✧ SD/247; SD/312
• Ad. agannūlo burudan nēnum “death-shade heavy-is on-us” ✧ SD/312
• Ad. zâira nênud “longing (is) on us” ✧ SD/247

Variations

• -num ✧ SD/312
• -nu ✧ SD/312

apa

root. touch

pā/apa

root. touch; after, behind of place

This root and ones like it were used for various spatial and temporal relationships during Tolkien’s life. Perhaps the earliest iteration in this chain of developments was the root ᴱ√PE “at, by” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives like ᴱQ. penasta “being near at hand, support, backing” and ᴱQ. peanta- “give into one’s hands, give instructions to, enjoin” (QL/72). In Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s Tolkien gave primitive ᴱ✶apa > ᴱN. ó “to, on” and ᴱT. pa, presumably of the same meaning (PE13/151). In a late note of unclear date Tolkien wrote:

> √apa “touch” (not with fingers but of the contact of surfaces, esp. vertical surface). So prep. apa, pa “touching, against”. In Q. this, espec. in form pā̆ is used as prep. = touching, as regards, concerning. Also the verb ape is used fig. as to touch one, concern, affect. In literal sense [touch] the strengthened weak verb appa is mostly used (VT44/26).

In another note from this period Tolkien glossed apa as “above but touching” (VT44/26).

In other words from the 1950s and 60s, apa- is given the temporal sense “after”, most notably in Q. Apanónar/S. Abonnen “After-born” (WJ/386-387), the former appearing in the published version of The Silmarillion (S/103). It was also used temporally in Q. apacenyë “of foresight” (MR/216). In a table of spatial and temporal roots from 1969, Tolkien gave √PĀ/PATA “after, behind of place” (PE22/147) and in another 1969 note Tolkien glossed apa, pā as both “before of time” and “after (later than)”, with both being deleted (VT44/36). Other similar roots in the semantic space of “after” include √EPE and √OPO.

Neo-Eldarin: As indicated by the discussion above, Tolkien’s treatment spatial and temporal prepositional elements was wildly inconsistent. √APA was one of the elements Tolkien used for “before” and “after”, but also as “on” or “touching”. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, the most useful definition of √PĀ/APA is “touch”, for which we have no other good late roots, so I would assume this was its primary meaning. I generally prefer ✶epe for “after (of time); before (of space)” and ✶nō for its opposite. However, I think apa- might be a euphonic variant of epe-, perhaps limited to “after” of time, to justify Q. Apanónar/S. Abonnen “After-born”.

Derivatives

• ✶patar “*after, behind of place” ✧ PE22/147
• Q. ap- “to touch one, concern, affect” ✧ VT44/26
• Q. apa “after (of time)”
• Q. appa- “to touch” ✧ VT44/26
• Q. pá “touching, against, on (above but touching); as regards, concerning, touching, against, on (above but touching); as regards, concerning, [ᴹQ.] about” ✧ VT44/26
• S. ab “after”
• ᴺS. apha- “to touch”

Element in

• ✶ap-pata “to walk behind on a track or path”

Variations

• PĀ ✧ PE22/147
• PATA ✧ PE22/147
• apa ✧ VT44/26

heltha-

verb. to strip

The form helta- in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/46:14