Vala

power, god, angelic power

Vala (1) noun "Power, God, angelic power", pl. Valar or Vali (BAL, Appendix E, LT2:348), described as "angelic governors" or "angelic guardians" (Letters:354, 407). The Valar are a group of immensely powerful spirits guarding the world on behalf of its Creator; they are sometimes called Gods (as when Valacirca, q.v., is translated "Sickle of the Gods"), but this is strictly wrong according to Christian terminology: the Valar were created beings. The noun vala is also the name of tengwa #22 (Appendix E). Genitive plural Valion "of the Valar" (FS, MR:18); this form shows the pl. Vali, (irregular) alternative to Valar (the straightforward gen. pl. Valaron is also attested, PE17:175). Pl. allative valannar *"to/on the Valar" (LR:47, 56; SD:246). Feminine form Valië (Silm), in Tolkiens earlier material also Valdë; his early writings also list Valon or Valmo (q.v.) as specifically masc. forms. The gender-specific forms are not obligatory; thus in PE17:22 Varda is called a Vala (not a Valië), likewise Yavanna in PE17:93. Vala is properly or originally a verb "has power" (sc. over the matter of Eä, the universe), also used as a noun "a Power" _(WJ:403). The verb vala- "rule, order", exclusively used with reference to the Valar, is only attested in the sentences á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!" and Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar will be done" (WJ:404). However, Tolkien did not originally intend the word Valar to signify "powers"; in his early conception it apparently meant "the happy ones", cf. valto, vald- (LT2:348)_. For various compounds including the word Vala(r), see below.

balan

noun. Vala, divine power, divinity

balan

Vala

pl1. Belain** ** n. Vala.

balan

noun. Vala, Vala, [N.] Power, God

At one point (Let/427), Tolkien stated that the plural form Belain (and presumably its singular Balan) did not exist in Sindarin and its derivative Orbelain “Vala-day” was a phonetic translation of Q. Valanya. Elsewhere, though, Balan is well attested as a Sindarin word.

Cognates

• Q. Vala “(Angelic) Power, ‘God’, Authority, (Angelic) Power, Authority, God” ✧ PE17/048; SA/val

Derivations

• ✶Balaniā ✧ Let/427
• √BAL “power; powerful, mighty; have power” ✧ PE17/048; SA/val

Element in

• S. Balannor “Land of the Valar”
• S. Orbelain “*Day of the Valar, Friday” ✧ Let/427

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶Balaniā > Belain	[balanjā] > [balanja] > [balania] > [belenia] > [beleni] > [belein] > [belain]	✧ Let/427

rodon

noun. Vala

A Sindarin term for the Vala (PE17/33), appearing in its plural form S. Rodyn as one of the days of the week (LotR/1110) and also in the Sindarin name for Valinor: Dor-Rodyn (MR/200). It is derived from the prefixal form rod- of raud “noble” (PE17/118, 186). Its final element might be the augmentative suffix -on, perhaps literally meaning “✱Most Noble”. It could also be the agental suffix -on, as suggested by David Salo (GS/283), but that suffix is usually masculine (WJ/400), whereas Rodon seems to apply to all Valar.

Element in

• S. Dor-Rodyn “*Land of the Valar” ✧ MR/200
• S. Rodyn “alternate name of the last day of the Eldarin six-day week”

Elements

Word	Gloss
raud	“noble, eminent; lofty, high, tall; excellent”
-on	“augmentative suffix”

tûr

power

tûr (i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, mastery, control; master, victor, lord), pl. tuir (i thuir), coll. pl. túrath.

tûr

power

(i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, mastery, control; master, victor, lord), pl. t**uir (i th**uir), coll. pl. túrath.

balan

vala

(i Valan), pl. Belain (i Melain). In ”Noldorin”, the pl. form used with the article was "iMbelain" (LR:365 s.v. KIRIK).

rodon

vala

1) Rodon (pl. Rodyn, coll. pl. Rodonnath), 2) Balan (i Valan), pl. Belain (i Melain). In ”Noldorin”, the pl. form used with the article was "iMbelain" (LR:365 s.v. KIRIK).

rodon

vala

(pl. Rodyn, coll. pl. Rodonnath)

bâl

divine power

construct bal, pl. bail (divinity). Note: the word can also be used as an adj. "divine".

avalô

noun. Power, God

An Adûnaic noun translated as “God” or “Power” (SD/247, 305), the equivalent of (and possibly derived from) Q. Vala. It is probably pronounced [awalō], since the sound [w] in Adûnaic was sometime written “v” (SD/434). It frequently appeared in its plural or subjective plural forms Avalôi(m) “Powers, Gods”.

Conceptual Development: In early drafts of Adûnaic its plural was Avalâi with a long â instead of ô, perhaps indicating an earlier singular form Avalâ closer to Vala. Earlier still this word was given as plural Balāi, a more direct derivative of the Elvish root form ᴹ√BAL.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Vala “Power, God” ✧ SDI2/Avalôi

Element in

• Ad. Ar-Pharazônun azaggara Avalôiyada “[Ar-Pharazôn] was warring against [the] Powers” ✧ SD/247
• Ad. arpharazōn azgaranādu avalōi-{men >>}si “‽ was waging war‽ Powers on” ✧ SD/311
• Ad. Avalê “goddess”
• Ad. Avallôni “Haven of the Gods”
• Un. Avaltiri “Faithful”

¤kurwē

noun. power, ability

balan

noun. Vala, divine power, divinity

balan

noun. Power, God

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Vala “Power, God” ✧ Ety/BAL; Ety/BAL

Derivations

• On. Bala “Power, God” ✧ Ety/BAL
  • ᴹ✶balā “powerful; Power, God” ✧ Ety/BAL
  • ᴹ√BAL “*power” ✧ Ety/BAL
• ᴹ√BAL “*power” ✧ Ety/KIRIK

Element in

• N. Cerch iMbelain “Sickle of the Gods” ✧ Ety/KIRIK
• N. Nethwelein “Younger Gods” ✧ Ety/LEP
• N. Arvelain “*Day of the Valar”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. Bala > Balan	[Bala] > [Balan]	✧ Ety/BAL
On. Bala > Belein > Belen	[balani] > [beleni] > [belein] > [belen]	✧ Ety/BAL