coromindo

cupola, dome

coromindo ("k")noun "cupola, dome" (KOR)

-ndor

land

-ndor, final element in compounds: "land" (Letters:308, UT:253)

ando

gate

ando (1) noun "gate", also name of tengwa #5 (AD, Appendix E). A deleted entry in the Etymologies gave Ando Lómen, evidently "Door of Night" (VT45:28; notice "Qenya" genitive in -n rather than -o as in LotR-style Quenya)

andon

great gate

andon noun "great gate" (andond-, as in pl. andondi) (AD)

mando

custody, safe keeping

mando noun "custody, safe keeping" (MR:350) or "prison, duress" (in Mandos, see below, also compare Angamando being translated 'Iron-Gaol') (SA:band). A variant #manda occurs in the place-name Angamanda (see Angamando). Personal name Mando "the Imprisoner or Binder", usually lengthened Mandos. In a deleted version of the entry MBAD of the Etymologies, Tolkien gave mando the meaning "doomsman, judge" instead of "custody" (MBAD (ÑGUR, GOS/GOTH, SPAN), VT45:33)

mordo

warrior, hero

mordo (2) noun "warrior, hero" (LT1:268 - probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

nordo

oak

nordo noun "oak" (PE17:25), possibly replacing norno (q.v.) in a pre-LotR source.

toldo

cardinal. eight

The Quenya number “eight” derived from the root √TOLOD, probably from primitive ✱✶tolodō, with the middle vowel lost due to the Quenya syncope.

Conceptual Development: The earliest attested Qenya word for “eight” was ᴱQ. umna in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/75), but when Tolkien composed the number lists in the Early Qenya Grammar from the 1920s, it was revised to ᴱQ. tolto (PE14/49, 82). In The Etymologies from the 1930s it remained ᴹQ. tolto from the root ᴹ√TOLOT (Ety/TOL¹-OTH/OT).

When Tolkien revisited the Elvish number system in the 1960s, he first used tolto (VT47/32), but he later changed the t to a d in both the Quenya form and the root (VT48/6).

Neo-Quenya: I personally prefer toldo as the Quenya word for “eight”, but some Neo-Quenya writers use the older (and perhaps better known) tolto. It seems Tolkien had considerable trouble deciding on the primitive root for “eight”, so any of these forms could be valid (VT47/31).

tundo

hill, mound

tundo noun "hill, mound" (TUN)

nordo

noun. oak

A word for “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25), possibly introduced to avoid conflict with Norno “Dwarf” (WJ/388). Its Sindarin cognate was S. norð, indicating derivation from primitive ✱nordō. See the entry Q. norno for earlier forms of the word.

-ndor

suffix. land, country

hindo

noun. [unglossed]

ahtar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

In notes from around 1959 Tolkien had a verb akkar- or ahtar-, cognate to S. achar- “do back, react; requite; avenge” as combination of √AT “back” (related to √AT-TA “two”) and √KAR “do” (PE17/166). This etymology was rejected when Tolkien decided that, as a prefix, at- meant “re- of the same or other agent in repeating (more or less similarly) a previous action” and in Q. “only in literal sense of second time, double”. It was thus not suitable for “avenge”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think ᴺQ. ahtar- can be salvaged in the more limited sense “to do back, react”.

car-

verb. to do, make, to do, make, [ᴹQ.] build

Car- is the Quenya verb for “do, make”, derived from the root √KAR of the same meaning, and was very well established in Tolkien’s mind. ᴱQ. karin “I do, make” dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), and appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writings thereafter. Tolkien frequently used car- in examples of conjugating basic verbs, so the inflections of car- are pretty representative of Tolkien’s evolving notations of the Quenya verb system.

The English verb “do” has many specialized functions, such as in the formation of questions like “do you want to go?”. Quenya car- does not share many of those functions. Quenya car- serves as a “generic action” verb, in some sense acting like verbal pronoun, which can be substituted for a more specific verb. For example, in phrases like A carnë ta yallë B (carnë) “A did that as / like B (did)” (PE17/74) or ecuva nin carë sa nöa “I may do that tomorrow” (VT49/20), the verb car- is a placeholder for the specific action done, in the same way that ta and sa is a pronominal placeholder for the action as a noun.

The English verb “do” often requires a generic object like “it”, but that is not the case for Quenya car-: consider English “don’t do it” [with object] vs. Quenya áva carë [without object] (WJ/371) or the Quenya phrase á carë ancárië “try harder” (PE17/94), more literally “✱do [it] with more doing”. When car- has a specific direct object, it generally has the sense “make” or “build”, as in ma caruvalwë ohta “shall we make war” (PE22/161) or i carir quettar ómainen “those who form [make] words with voices” (WJ/391).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. karin “I make, build” under the root ᴹ√KAR {“make, do” >>} “make, build, construct” (Ety/KAR), and in this period kar- was more often glossed “make” rather than “do”, such as in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948. It could be that in the 1930s and 40s this verb was more limited in sense than it was earlier and later.

accar-

do back; react; requite, avenge

accar- vb. "do back; react; requite, avenge" (PE17:166). Also ahtar-. (The note containing this form was struck out, but the related Sindarin word acharn "vengeance" appears in the narratives.)

ahtar-

do back; react; requite, avenge

ahtar- "do back; react; requite, avenge" (PE17:166). Also accar-. (The note containing this form was struck out, but the related Sindarin word acharn "vengeance" appears in the narratives.)

car-

make, do, build, form

car- (1) vb. "make, do, build, form" (1st pers. aorist carin "I make, build"; the aorist is listed with all pronominal endings in VT49:16, also in pl. and dual forms carir, carit). Regarding the form carize- (PE17:128), see -s #1. Pa.t. carnë (KAR, PE17:74, 144). The infinitival aorist stem carë ("k") (by Patrick Wynne called a "general aorist infinitive" in VT49:34) occurs in ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (VT49:34), also in áva carë "don't do it" (WJ:371) and uin carë (PE17:68); in the last example Tolkien calls carë an example of the "simplest aorist infinitive", the same source referring to carië as the "general infinitive" of the same verb. Pl. aorist carir "form" in the phrase i carir quettar ("k") "those who form words" (WJ:391, cf. VT49:16), continuative cára, future caruva (PE17:144), carita ("k"), infinitive/gerund "to do" or "doing" (VT42:33), with suffixes caritas "to do it" or "doing it", caritalya(s) "your doing (it)" in VT41:13,17, VT42:33. Past participle #carna, q.v.; VT43:15 also gives the long form carina ("k"), read perhaps *cárina. (Carima as a passive participle may be a mistake, VT43:15.) PE17:68 refers to a "simple past passive participle" of the form carinwa ("kari-nwa"). "Rare" past participle active (?) cárienwa* ("k") "having done" (PE17:68), unless this is also a kind of passive participle (the wording of the source is unclear). Some alternative forms in Fíriel's Song: past tense cárë ("káre") "made"; this may still be an alternative to the better-attested form carnë (LR:362) even in LotR-style Quenya. Cf. ohtacárë "war-made", made war (see #ohtacar-). Also cárië with various suffixes: cárier ("kárier") is translated "they made"; in LotR-style Quenya this could be seen as an augmentless perfect, hence "they have made", "they" being simply the plural ending -r. The literal meaning of cárielto* ("k") must also be "they made" (cf. -lto). Derived adjectives urcárima and urcarnë "hard to make / do", urucarin "made with difficulty" (PE17:154), saucarya "evil-doing" (PE17:68).

finya-

to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)

finya- (2) vb. "to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)" (PE17:181)

finya-

verb. to do/make a thing (with fine work)

A verb in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 glossed “to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)”, derived from the root √PHIN “clever, fine, delicate” (PE17/181).

úa

do not thou lead us

úa, with 1st person suffix úalyë, imperative particle á, a combined with the negation ú- to express a prohibition (úalyë mittanya me, *"do not thou lead us", VT43:9, 21-22). However, Tolkien apparently abandoned úa in favour of ala, alalyë, q.v. (later he also used the form áva for "don't"). Compare ua.

úcar-

to sin, trespass; to do wrong

#úcar- vb. "to sin, trespass; to do wrong" (pl. aorist úcarer in VT43:12, we would rather expect úcarir, a form seemingly indicated by an emendation in one variant of the text in question, VT43:21). The verb is car- "do" with the prefix ú-, here suggesting something morally bad ("do wrong") rather than simple negation.

indu-

verb. to will, do on purpose

vá

adverb/interjection. will not, do not, shall not

áva carë

Don’t do it

úcar-

verb. *to trespass, do wrong, sin

accar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

car-

verb. do, make

cárima

adjective. feasible, possible (to do)

indu-

verb. will, do on purpose

ála

particle. do not

á tule

do come!

carina

adjective. done, done, [ᴹQ.] made, [ᴱQ.] finished

This is the passive participle of the verb Q. car- “to do, make” and thus means “done, made”. In later writings, it appeared as an element in Q. lacarina “undone” (PE22/156) and in some versions of Quenya prayers from the 1950s in the phrase: na carina mendelya “thy will be done” (VT43/8-9).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. karina was glossed “finished” under the early root ᴱ√KARA “do, make” (QL/45), but in this period it seems to be an ordinary adjective rather than a passive participle of the verb. ᴹQ. karina was a passive participle in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948, where it was glossed “made” (PE22/111).

Neo-Quenya: The meanings “done” vs. “made” depend on context. It could mean “made” in phrases like nauco-carina macil “a dwarf-made sword”, but in ordinary use it mostly likely has the sense “done, finished, ✱complete” as in samin i carina macil “I have the done/finished sword”.

carië

noun. doing, making

A noun for “doing” (PE22/152) or “making” (PE22/99), which is simply the gerund (verbal noun) of the verb car- “to do, make”.

áva

don't!

áva, avá (the latter stressed on the final syllable) "Don't!", negative imperative particle (compare ala, #ála). Cf. ávan "I won't" (also ván, ványë); áva carë! ("k") "don't do it!" (WJ:371)

atalantë

proper name. Downfall(en)

A Quenya name of Númenor after its fall into the sea (S/281), it is simply the noun atalantë “collapse, downfall” used as a name (MC/223).

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Atalante appeared in the earliest tales of the fall of Númenor (LR/11, 25), usually in this form though at least once appearing as Atalantie (Let/347). Its resemblance to the name Atlantis was intentional (Let/347), created as part of the background for Tolkien’s (unfinished) time-travel story about Atlantis: “The Lost Road” (LR/36-104).

atendëa

proper name. double-middle

The name of the leap-days used to adjust the Númenórean calendar in the 1st edition of The Lord of the Rings (RC/728). It is a combination of at(a)- “double”, endë “middle” and the adjective suffix -a. In the 2nd edition, the name was changed to the enderi (LotR/1108).

fendë

noun. door

A word appearing as {phende >>} fende “door” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (PE22/166 and note #112). The deleted variant probably indicates its primitive form.

Conceptual Development: The earliest “door” word was ᴱQ. posta in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root {ᴱ√PONO >>} ᴱ√BOÐO (QL/75). Another precursor was ᴹQ. fenda “threshold” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√PHEN (Ety/PHEN). In notes from December 1959 (D59) Tolkien gave Q. fenna as a derivative of √PHEN and cognate to S. fen, all meaning “door” (PE17/181).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer 1969 fendë as the word for “door”, but I think [ᴹQ.] fenda “threshold” might remain viable as a separate derivative of the root.

lestanórë

place name. Doriath, *(lit.) Land of the Girdle

Given as the Quenya name of Doriath in the essay Quendi and Eldar from 1959-60, attested only in its genitive form Lestanórëo in the phrase Elwe, Aran Lestanórëo “Elwe, King of Doriath” (WJ/369). Its final element is certainly nórë “land”. Its initial element lesta resembles S. lest “girdle” in the name S. Lest Melian “Girdle of Melian” and may have a similar meaning. In the earlier poem Fíriel’s Song from the 1930s, the instrumental form lestanen of ᴹQ. lesta was translated “in measure” (LR/72), though it isn’t clear whether the meaning “measure” remained valid when Quendi and Eldar was written.

Conceptual Development: The name ᴱQ. Artanor was given as the equivalent to the precursor of Doriath: G. Dor Athro “Land Beyond” (LT2A/Artanor).

röa

noun. dog

A word for “dog” appearing in 1968 notes on monosyllabic primitive Elvish nouns (VT47/35). Of the primitive forms, Tolkien first gave ✶wā(w) “dog” and ✶grā “bear”, but ✶wā(w) was struck through and the gloss of ✶grā was changed to “dog”, after which Tolkien wrote Q. roa “dog” (VT47/36). He seems to have been disatisfied with this derivation, however, going on to write a number of primitive animal roots in the upper margin, including ✶yarr- “dog”.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. roa “a wild beast” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from primitive ᴱ✶raw̯a under the early root ᴱ√RAVA or ᴱ√RAẆA (QL/79).

Neo-Quenya: Giving Tolkien’s vacillations on these 1968 forms, I’d stick to the better known ᴹQ. huo as the common word for “dog” in (Neo) Quenya, which is the word used in Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT).

telluma

noun. dome, cupola, vault

A word for a “vault” or “dome” in the Namárië poem (LotR/377; RGEO/58). In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, Tolkien said telluma “dome, cupola” was an alteration of telumë under the influence of the Valarin word Val. delgūmā “dome”, used “especially the ‘Dome of Varda’ over Valinor, but also applied to the domes of the mansion of Manwe and Varda upon Taniquetil” (WJ/399, 411). As such, this word may not have been in common use, being applicable only to the “holy domes” of the Valar.

Lestanórë

doriath

Lestanórë place-name "Doriath", gen. Lestanórëo (WJ:369). If this name means the same as the Sindarin name Doriath, "Land of the Fence", #lesta ought to mean "fence" here (but it is obviously not a cognate of the Sindarin term iâth "fence").It may mean "girdle"; compare Sindarin Lest Melian as a name of the Girdle of Melian (WJ:XXX), suggesting*"Girdle-land" as the meaning of Lestanórë.

Máhan

doom ring

Máhan (pl. Máhani attested in WJ:402), noun: one of the eight chiefs of the Valar (adopted and adapted from Valarin, but usually translated as Aratar). Máhanaxar the "Doom Ring" of Aman; adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399)

asarta

noun. leech, doctor, doctor, leech

A word for “leech, doctor” in rough notes from 1969 given as aþarta, asartar, where the second word is hard to read and might be a plural form (PE22/166 notes #110). Slightly above this Tolkien had {aþumo >>} Q. aþar(o) “doctor, leech”. These words appear in the context of a discussion of the root √HATHA > Q. haþa- “to treat (medically)”, but given the lack of initial h these “doctor” words may instead be derived from the associated root √ATHA “be willing, agree; assist”, which appeared in the same set of pages (PE22/166 notes #109). Alternately, they may reflect vacillations on Tolkien’s part for the primitive developments for these words.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume these “doctor” words result from a blending of √HATH and √ATH, aided by words like the healing herb asëa. After the change of þ > s, they would be pronounced asarta and asar(o).

atalantë

downfall, overthrow, especially as name [atalantë] of the [downfallen] land of númenor

atalantë noun "downfall, overthrow, especially as name [Atalantë] of the [downfallen] land of Númenor" (DAT/DANT, TALÁT, Akallabêth, SD:247, 310; also LR:47, VT45:26). Variant atalantië "Downfall", said to be a normal noun-formation in Quenya (Letters:347, footnote). From the common noun atalantë "collapse, downfall" is derived the adj. atalantëa "ruinous, downfallen", pl. atalantië in Markirya (changed to sg. atalantëa this change does not make immediate sense, since the adjective undoubtedly modifies a plural noun, but Tolkien does not always let adjectives agree in number).

atatya

double

atatya vb? adj.? "double" (VT42:26)

atendëa

double-middle

atendëa noun "double-middle", name of the two enderi or middle-days that occurred in leap-years according to the calendar of Imladris (Appendix D, first edition of LotR)

atwa

double

atwa adj. "double" (AT(AT) )

cucua

dove

cucua ("k")noun "dove" (KŪ; in the Etymologies as printed in LR, Tolkien's manuscript was misread as two distinct words **cu and **cua; see VT45:24. According to the same source, an ephemeral word for "dove" was indeed cua, but Tolkien changed it to cucua.)

cáro

doer, actor, agent

[cáro] ("k")noun "doer, actor, agent" (KAR; replaced by tyaro). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the accent of the word cáro was omitted (VT45:19).

fenna

door

fenna noun "door" (PE17:45, 181)

huo

dog

huo noun "dog" (KHUG, see KHUGAN; cf. hú, huan). Also roa.

manar

doom, final end, fate, fortune

manar noun "doom, final end, fate, fortune" (usually = final bliss) (MANAD (under MAN), VT45:32)

mandë

doom, final end, fate, fortune

mandë (1) noun "doom, final end, fate, fortune" (usually = final bliss) (MANAD, under MAN)

maxë

dough

maxë ("ks") noun "dough" (MASAG, VT45:32)

nún

down below, underneath

nún 1) adv. "down below, underneath" (NŪ)

rithil-anamo

place name. Doom-ring

A translation of the Valarin name Māχananaškād, more commonly known by its direct adaptation into Quenya: Q. Máhanaxar (WJ/401). The presence of the sound “th” in Rithil-Anamo means this name must be either archaic or from the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya. The name is translated “Doom-ring”, but the etymology of its elements is unclear. The second element may be related to the verb nam- “to judge”, but nothing similar to the first element appears elsewhere in the published material.

roa

dog

roa noun "dog" (VT47:35). Also huo.

saucarë

doing or making a thing very badly

saucarë noun "doing or making a thing very badly" (PE17:183)

tanta

double

tanta (2) (prob. adj.) "double" (TATA)

telluma

dome, copula

telluma noun "dome, copula", especially the "Dome of Varda" over Valinor, but also applied to the domes of the mansion of Manwë and Varda upon Taniquetil. Adopted from Valarin _delgūmā under the influence of pure Quenya telumë (WJ:399, 411). Pl. tellumar is attested (Nam, RGEO:66)_.

telumë

dome, roof, canopy

telumë noun "dome, roof, canopy" (TEL/TELU, WJ:411 cf. 399; see also telluma); "firmament" (MC:214), inflected telumen in MC:221 (the latter is "Qenya"). Telumehtar "warrior of the sky", older name of Menelmacar = Orion (Appendix E, TEL/TELU, WJ:411); Telumendil *"Sky-friend", name of a constellation (Silm)

tixë

dot, tiny mark, point

tixë ("ks")noun "dot, tiny mark, point" (TIK)

turindura

adjective. done necessarily

An adjectival[?] form of the word turindo “purposeful mind, strong will” appearing in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969, having the (idiomatic?) meaning “done necessarily” (PE22/165).

tyaro

doer, actor, agent

tyaro noun "doer, actor, agent" (KAR)

umbar

noun. doom

doom

undu

down, under, beneath

undu adv. (and prep.?) "down, under, beneath" (UNU, VT46:20); prefixundu- "down", in undulávë "down-licked" = covered. (Nam)

untúpa

down-roofs

untúpa vb. "down-roofs" = covers (perhaps for *undutúpa-, cf. undu-). Present tense of untup- with lengthening of the stem vowel and the suffix -a (cf. síla "shines" from sil-)

uscarë

doing wrong

uscarë (þ) noun "doing wrong" (PE17:151). Also uxarë. Cf. úcarë.

uxarë

doing wrong

uxarë noun "doing wrong" (PE17:151). Also uscarë. Cf. úcarë.

attindo

noun. doubt, (lit.) two mind

at(a)-

prefix. double, second time, double, [repeat a] second time; [ᴱQ.] bi-, twi-; [ᴹQ.] back, again, re-

áva

particle. don’t, negative imperative

andorya-

verb. to land, dock

A neologism coined by Parmandil and Arael, posted on 2023-11-21 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a verb form of [ᴺQ.] andorië “landing (place), dock”.

asar(o)

noun. doctor, leech

atatya

adjective. double

nunna

adverb. down

undu

preposition/adverb. down, under, down, under, [ᴹQ.] beneath

uxarë

noun. doing wrong, doing wrong, *misdeed

andorië

noun. landing (place), dock

A neologism coined by Parmandil and Arael, posted on 2023-11-21 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of an(a) “to, towards” and an abstract form of nór (nor-) “land”.

asar(o)

noun. doctor, leech

carila

participle. doing

carë mára quí tyarë naxa

doing good may cause evil

fende

noun. door

fenna

noun. door

saucarë

noun. doing or making a thing very badly

tixe

noun. dot

turindura

adjective. done necessarily

undu

down

uscarë

noun. doing wrong

-carë

suffix. action, doing, making

An element meaning “action, doing, making” attested in words like lacarë “not-doing, inaction” (PE22/154), loicarë “mistaken action” (PE17/151), and saucarë “doing or making a thing very badly” (PE17/183), clearly based on √KAR “do, make”. It seems to be the infinitival form of the corresponding verb car-, but Tolkien stated in notes from the late 1960s that such a form was not infinitival when combined with other prefixes (PE22/154).

Conceptual Development: The English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s had the similar form ᴱQ. karo “act, action, deed” (PE15/68, 71), also mentioned in the Early Qenya Grammar with the gloss “deed” (PE14/45, 75).

Neo-Quenya: In theory the independent form carë could also be a noun meaning “action”, but more likely it is just the infinitive “to do, to make”, and the proper independent noun is carda “deed, ✱action”.

atalantë

noun. collapse, downfall

A noun for “collapse, downfall” mentioned in notes for the Markirya poem of the 1950s along with its adjectival form atalantëa (MC/223), likely derived from the root √TALAT. It is also used as one of the names of Númenor: Atalantë “Downfall(en)” (S/281; Let/347).

It seems Tolkien originally based this noun on the past tense of the verb [ᴹQ.] atalta- “collapse, fall in” (Ety/TALÁT); the past form atalante “down-fell” appears in various versions of the ᴹQ. Lament of Atalante from the 1930s and 40s (LR/47, 56; SD/247, 249, 310). This form was also mentioned as an (archaic?) “perfective” past tense atalante “slipped down, fell in ruin” [vs. ordinary past talante “slipped, slid”] of the talat-stem verb talta- in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from around 1950 (TQ2), though the notes where it appeared were rejected (PE18/88 note #83).

atalantëa

adjective. ruinous, downfallen

An adjective translated “fallen” in the phrase atalantëa mindonnar “upon fallen towers” in the Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222). In notes associated with the poem Tolkien gave it the glosses “ruinous, downfallen” as an adjectival form of atalantë “collapse, downfall” (MC/223). In the poem itself, Tolkien revised it to its plural form atalantië before reverting it back to atalantëa.

Conceptual Development: In the Oilima Markirya version of the poem from around 1930, Tolkien used ᴱQ. lanta for “fallen” instead; see that entry for discussion.

pí

noun. small insect, fly, small insect, fly, *mite, gnat; [ᴱQ.] speck, spot, dot, mote

A noun for a “small insect, fly” appearing in notes from 1968 as an example of a primitive monosyllabic noun that survived in modern Quenya (VT47/35). Its primitive form was originally glossed “small bird”. I think it might apply to other tiny insects like mites or gnats, based on its conceptual precursors. Likely it is related to the root √PI(N) for tiny things.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had ᴱQ. pī “speck, spot, dot, mote” and ᴱQ. pin or pink “a little thing, mite”, the latter also serving as a diminutive ending, all under the early roots ᴱ√PINI, ᴱ√PIKI, or ᴱ√PĪ (QL/73). It is unclear whether or not ᴱQ. pin(k) “mite” could refer to an insect or only a tiny thing. In the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. mí “fly” (PE21/40).

Anamo

of doom

Anamo noun in genitive "of doom" in Rithil-Anamo "Ring of Doom" (q.v.) Since the reference is to a place (a circle) where judgement was passed, this seems to be "doom" in the sense of "juridical decision" or "(legal) justice". The nominative "doom" may be *anan, with stem anam- (since the root would be NAM as in nam- "to judge", námo* noun "judge"). Alternatively, but less probably, the nominative may be anama**.

Rithil-Anamo

ring of doom

Rithil-Anamo place name "Ring of Doom", translation of the foreign word Máhanaxar that was adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:401). Compare Anamo, q.v. Presumably *Risil-Anamo in Exilic Quenya, since the digraph th of rithil must represent the spirant þ (expressed by the letter súlë, older thúlë, in Tengwar writing).

ambar

fate, doom

ambar (2) noun "fate, doom" (variant of umbar?) in Turambar (SA:amarth); stem ambart- (PE17:66), instrumental ambartanen "by doom" (Silm ch. 21, UT:138, PE17:66). The early "Qenya" lexicon has ambar "Fate", also amarto (LT2:348)

atalantëa

ruinous, downfallen

atalantëa adj. "ruinous, downfallen"; see atalantë

ataquanta-

refall, fall second time, double fall

ataquanta- vb. "refall, fall second time, double fall" (sic in PE17:166). The correct gloss must be "refill, fill second time, double fill", which would connect with the verb quanta- "fill" and also make rather better sense.

lumbë

gloom, shadow

lumbë noun "gloom, shadow" (LUM)

pendë

slope, downslope, declivity

pendë noun "slope, downslope, declivity" (PEN/PÉNED), "steep incline, hill side" (PE17:24)

pica

small spot, dot

pica (1) ("k")noun "small spot, dot" (PIK)

tatya-

to double

tatya- vb. "to double" (TATA)

tehtelë

scriptures, documents

*tehtelë noun "scriptures, documents" (updated from "Qenya" tektele) (QL:90)

telumë

noun. roof, canopy; heaven, sky, roof, canopy, [ᴹQ.] vault, dome (of heaven); [Q.] heaven, sky, [ᴱQ.] firmament

A word for “roof, canopy” appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 derived from √TELU “roof in, put the crown on a building” (WJ/399, 411). Tolkien said it “was probably one of the earliest Quendian words for the heavens, the firmament, before the increase of their knowledge, and the invention of the Eldarin word Menel” (WJ/411). As such, it was only used for “heavens” metaphorically, in mythical names like Telumehtar “Warrior of the Sky”, the Quenya name of the Orion constellation (LotR/1113; WJ/411).

Conceptual Development: The first precursor to this word seems to be ᴱQ. telimbo “canopy, often used = sky” under the early root ᴱ√TELE “cover in” (QL/90). This became ᴱQ. telume “heavens, vault of heaven, firmament” in Qenya poems written around 1930 (MC/214, 221; PE16/142). In the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. telume “vault, heaven” (PE21/16) and in The Etymologies of the 1930s it was glossed “dome, (especially) dome of heaven” under the root ᴹ√TEL(U) (Ety/TEL).

umbar

fate, doom

umbar (umbart-, as in dat.sg. umbarten) noun "fate, doom" (MBARAT), also name of tengwa #6 (Appendix E).Cf. Umbarto. In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, umbar was the name of letter #18 (VT45:33), which tengwa Tolkien would later call malta instead changing its Quenya value from mb to m. In the word Tarumbar "King of the World" (q.v.), umbar appears to be a variant of Ambar (q.v.) instead.

limba

drop

limba noun "a drop" (LIB1)

mára

adjective. good, proper, good, proper; [ᴹQ.] useful, fit, good (of things), [ᴱQ.] excellent; mighty, power, doughty

ataquanta-

verb. *to refill, fill a second time, double fill

@@@ revised glosses suggested by Helge Fauskanger (QQ/ataquanta)

tur-

verb. to master, conquer, dominate, win, to master, conquer, dominate, win; [ᴹQ.] to control, govern, *rule; to wield; [ᴱQ.] can, to be able

umbar

noun. fate, doom, curse

ambar

noun. fate, doom, fate, doom, [ᴱQ.] lot

carie

making, doing

Ma istanyel?

t# `B81D5Ì$jÀ interrogative. Do I know you?

Translates officially as: Do I know (formal) you?

sarrer-

verb. to do something useless or futile, to waste effort, (lit.) sow stone

A neologism for “to do something useless or futile, to waste effort” coined by Chaered posted on 2025-06-22 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of sar “stone” and rer- “sow”.

ahtar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

cas

noun. head, head, [ᴱQ.] top, summit

This is the Quenya word for “head”, with a stem form of car- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final. This word can refer to the head of people and animals, as well as the metaphorical “head” (or top) of other things, in much the same way that Q. tál “foot” can refer to their base.

Conceptual Development: This word was established very early in Tolkien’s writing, being derived from the root ᴱ√KASA “head” all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), but its exact form varied as Tolkien changed his mind on the phonetic development of s in Quenya. Its form in the Qenya Lexicon was in fact ᴱQ. kar (kas-), since in Early Qenya period medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26). This kar (kas-) was the usual word for head in the 1910s and 20s, but in the typescript version of the Early Qenya Grammar Tolkien instead revised it to ᴱQ. kas (kast-) “head” (PE14/72 and note #5).

In noun declensions from the late 1920s and early 1930s, Tolkien instead had cas (car-), reflecting a conceptual shift in the phonologic development of s (PE13/112-113; PE21/22). However, for reasons unclear, the form ᴹQ. kár (kas-) was restored in The Etymologies written around 1937 under the root ᴹ√KAS “head” (Ety/KEM), despite s > z > r being the normal medial phonetic development in this period (PE19/33). This abnormal form slipped into The Lord of the Rings itself as part of the name Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm” (LotR/1038).

Tolkien generally used the form cas for “head” in his later writings (PE19/103; PE23/49; VT49/17), but in his notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien was forced to contrive another explanation for Eldacar:

> What is -kar in names. How could it stand for helm? E.g. as stem ✱kāsā (√KAS, head) would give kāra, but in compound forms -kāsă > -kas. Would not an ă be lost before voicing of s or at least before z > r (PE17/114).

In this note Tolkien considered having Q. carma “helm” < kas-mā, but discarded the idea since he felt karma “tool or weapon” < KAR “do, make” + mā was the more likely meaning. He then said “Eldă|kāzā in compounds to -kār(ă) > -kar” despite its phonological implausibility, and indeed kāza/kára appeared in a discussion of helms within 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD: PE17/188).

In Tolkien’s earlier writings the word kas was also frequently translated “top”, such as the glosses “head, top” in Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/79), “top, summit” in the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s (PE15/78), and the early-1930s allative form kasta “up (to the top)” (PE21/22).

Neo-Quenya: I would assume this second meaning “top” survived in Tolkien’s later conception of the language, analogous to English “head of the stairs”. Unlike English, I would not assume cas could be used for “front”, as in “head of the line”.

-da

draught, the amount drunk

-da suffix used to derive nouns denoting the result of an action, like yulda "draught, the amount drunk" (the stem YUL is here given the meaning "drink"). (PE17:68) Cf. also carda "deed" (q.v.) vs. the verb car- "do".

-ina

general 'passive' participle

-ina ending for what Tolkien called "general 'passive' participle" (VT43:15); compare nótina "counted", rácina "broken", hastaina "marred" (q.v.). The stem-vowel is usually lengthened when the ending is added to the stem of a primary verb (as in the two first examples above), though the lengthening fails to occur (or is not denoted) in carina as the passive participle of car- "make, do" (VT43:15).

-lmë

we

-lmë 1st person pl. pronominal ending: "we" (VT49:38; 51 carilmë *"we do", VT49:16). It was originally intended to be inclusive "we" (VT49:48), including the person(s) spoken to, but by 1965 Tolkien made this the ending for exclusive "we" instead (cf. the changed definition of the corresponding possessive ending -lma, see above). _(VT49:38) Exemplified in laituvalmet "we shall bless them" (lait-uva-lme-t "bless-shall-we-them") (the meaning apparently changed from inclusive to exclusive "we", VT49:55), see also nalmë under ná# 1. (LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308_)

-lwë

we

-lwë, later -lvë, pronominal ending "we" (VT49:51), 1st person pl. inclusive ending, occurring in the verbs carilwë "we do" (VT49:16) and navilwë (see #nav-). The ending became -lvë in later, Exilic Quenya (VT49:51). See -lv-.

-mmë

we

-mmë "we", 1st person dual exclusive pronominal ending: "I and one other" (compare the inclusive dual form -ngwë or -nquë). First written -immë in one source (VT49:57). Carimmë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16, cf. VT43:6). At an earlier conceptual stage, the ending was already exclusive, but plural rather than dual: vammë "we won't" (WJ:371), firuvammë "we will die" (VT43:34), etemmë ?"out of us" (VT43:36); see also VT49:48, 49, 55. Also compare the corresponding emphatic pronoun emmë (q.v.). The ending -lmë replaced -mmë in its former (plural exclusive) sense. In some early material, -mmë was apparently used as an ending for plural inclusive "we" (VT49:55).

-ngwë

we

-ngwë "we", 1st person dual inclusive pronominal ending: "thou and I" (compare the exclusive dual form -mmë). Caringwë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16). One source lists the ending as "-inke > -inque" instead (VT49:51, 53, 57; "inke" was apparently Old Quenya). In an earlier pronoun table reproduced in VT49:48, the ending -ngwë is listed as an alternative to -lmë, which Tolkien at the time used as the plural inclusive ending (a later revision made it plural exclusive).

-ya

elvish

-ya (5) adjectival ending, as in the word Quenya "Elvish" itself; when added to a verbal stem it may derive a kind of short active participle, as in melumatya "honey-eating" (mat- "eat"), saucarya "evil-doing" (car- "do"). (PE17:68)

ala

not

ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation lá, -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see lá #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix -më (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in álamë tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.

attat

2 fathers or neighbours

-t (1) dual ending, on nouns denoting a _pair of something: attat "2 fathers or neighbours" (VT48:19; see _atto), máryat "her (pair of) hands" (Nam), siryat "two rivers" (VT47:11), ciriat "2 ships" (Letters:427 read ciryat as in the Plotz Letter?), maquat "group of ten" (from maqua, meaning among other things "group of five") (VT47:7), nápat "thumb and index as a pair" (VT48:5), also compare met "us two" as the dual form of me "us" (Nam, VT47:11). Other dual endings known from the Plotz letter: genitive -to, possessive -twa, dative -nt, locative -tsë, allative -nta, ablative -lto, instrumental -nten, plus -tes as a possible short locative. It may be that these endings only apply to nouns that would have nominative dual forms in -t, and that nouns preferring the alternative dual ending -u would simply add the otherwise "singular" case endings to this vowel, e.g. *Alduo rather than ?Alduto as the genitive form of "Two Trees" (Aldu). The ending -t is also used as a verbal inflection, corresponding to pl. -r (elen atta siluvat**, "two stars shall shine", VT49:45; the verb carit** "do" would also be used with a dual subject, VT49:16; cf. also the endings listed in VT49:48, 50).

carnë

red

carnë adj. "red", "scarlet, red" (SA:caran, PE17:154, MC:214, KARÁN - spelt with a k in the two latter sources), not to be confused with the past tense of car- "do, make". Stem carni- as in Carnimírië, Carnistir.

felehta-

verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine

An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.

lá

no, not

lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.

me

we, us

me (1) 1st person pl. exclusive pronoun "we, us" (VT49:51; VT43:23, VT44:9). This pronoun preserves the original stem-form (VT49:50). Stressed mé (VT49:51). Cf. also mel-lumna "us-is-heavy", sc. *"is heavy for us" (LR:47, mel- is evidently an assimilated form of men "for us", dative of me; the form men is attested by itself, VT43:21). For me as object, cf. álamë** "do not [do something to] us", negative imperative particle with object pronoun suffixed (VT43:19: álamë tulya, "do not lead us"), ámen** "do [something for] us", imperative particle with dative pronoun suffixed (ámen apsenë "forgive us", VT43:12, 18). Dual exclusive met "we/us (two)" (Nam, VT49:51), "you and me" (VT47:11; the latter translation would make met an inclusive pronoun, though it is elsewhere suggested that it is rather exclusive: "him/her and me", corresponding to wet [q.v.] as the true inclusive dual form). Rá men or rámen "for us/on our behalf", see rá. Locative messë "on us", VT44:12 (also with prefix o, ó- ?"with" in the same source). See also ménë, ómë.

melehta

adjective. mighty

An adjective for “mighty” derived from the root √MBELEK in a page of notes having to do with “large & small” words, probably from the late 1960s (PE17/115), apparently from the primitive form ✱✶mbelektā (with [kt] > [ht]). A variant form meletya appears with the 2nd-plural possessive suffix -lda as Meletyalda “your mighty” in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/369), likely from the primitive form ✱✶mbelekya (with [kj] > [tj]). This variant form has a more typical primitive adjective suffix ✶-ya, but is inconsistent with the attested Sindarin cognate S. belaith, so I’d stick with melehta for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

ontamo

mason (sculptor)

ontamo noun "mason (sculptor)" (PE17:107-108); this is a compound on(do) "stone" + tamo "smith".

ric-

try, put forth effort, strive, endeavour

#ric- ("k") (1) vb. "try, put forth effort, strive, endeavour" (PE17:93, 94, 167), imperative á ricë "try!", pl. á ricir "let them try", á rice am(a)ricië "try harder!" (or more idiomatically á carë (sí) ancarië, lit. *"do (now) with more doing!"

vá

i will not!

vá exclamation "I will not!" or "Do not!", interjection accompanied by a "jerk back of head" (PE17:145). It was inflected only in the 1st person sing. and 1st person pl. exclusive: ván, ványë "I won't!", vammë "we won't" (WJ:371, PE17:143; read *valmë in Second Edition Quenya, after Tolkien revised the pronominal suffixes in the sixties).

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.

fendassë

noun. doorway, gateway

A neologism for “doorway, gateway” created by Boris Shapiro in PPQ (PPQ) from the early 2000s, an elaboration of [ᴹQ.] fenda “threshold” and equivalent to S. fennas.

fennatir

noun. door-watcher

A neologism coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), a combination of fenna “door” and tir “watch[er]”.

finëa

adjective. downy, hairy [specifically fine, light hair]

A neologism for “downy, hairy” (more specifically referring fine, light hair) coined by Paul Strack in 2018 for Eldamo as a replacement for ᴱQ. tilinya of the same meaning. This Early Qenya word was based on ᴱQ. til (tiln-) “single hair”, and finëa is likewise an adjectival form of finë “single hair”.

hanúva

adjective. doughty, *manly

toli

noun. doll, puppet

pellopë

noun. donkey, ass

A neologism coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), a combination of Q. per- “half” and the root ᴹ√LOP sometimes used for “horse” words.

liscornë

noun. any sweet fried bread, doughnut

A neologism for “doughnut” or any “sweet fried bread irrespective of shape” coined by Orondil posted on 2024-05-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of lissë “sweet” and [ᴱQ.] cornë “loaf”. This word also could mean “cake”, but for that we have a different neologism lissimbas.

hanúvië

noun. manhood, doughtyness

mardaitë

adjective. homely, domestic

celvë

noun. hind, deer, doe

A neologism coined by Vyacheslav Stepanov and Luinyelle on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on 2022-02-13 based on primitive ✶kel(e)bē of the same meaning.

herulatsë

noun. estate, domain

A neologism coined by Arael in the “Neologism of the Day” (NotD) series on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) posted at 2023-06-08, a combination of √KHER “possess, rule” and [ᴺQ.] latsë “area”.

hlintë

noun. fluff, down, soft stuff

A neologism coined by Röandil on 2023-07-25 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) inspired by ᴱQ. lint (linty-) of the same meaning, but reconceived as a derivative of ᴹ√SLIN “✱delicate”, from primitive ✱slinti.

malma

noun. pulp, paste, mash, mush; dough, grume

tehtalë

noun. art of writing, script; writings, documents, papers, scriptures

lóminórë

place name. *Echoing Land

Quenya name of Dor-lómin (WJ/145). It is probably a combination of the North Sindarin word NS. lómin “echoing” with Q. nórë “land”. The Quenya word for “echoing” is elsewhere given as [ᴹQ.] lámina (Ety/LAM).

lanta-

verb. to fall, to fall; [ᴱQ.] to drop

The Quenya verb for “to fall”, dating all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though in that document it had the form ᴱQ. lant- and the additional gloss “drop” (QL/51). In the Qenya Lexicon it was derived from the early root ᴱ√LANTAN [LṆTṆ], but in The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien changed the root {ᴹ√LANTA >>} ᴹ√DA(N)T “fall down” as the basis for ᴹQ. lanta- “to fall” (Ety/DAT; EtyAC/LANTA). Q. lanta- “fall” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings as well (MC/222; PE17/62; VT49/47), most notably in the Namárië poem in its first phrase: ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen “ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind” (LotR/377).

The word lanta was occasionally used as a noun for “a fall”; see that entry for discussion.

Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writings, lanta- was used only for intransitive “fall”. However, we have no Quenya verbs for transitive “drop” other than 1910s ᴱQ. lant-, so I would assume that lanta- can be used this way as well for purposes of Neo-Quenya (QL/51). For example, lantan “I fall” vs. lantan i macil “I drop [make fall] the sword”.

lantë

noun. fall

A noun for “fall” appearing as an element of the title Noldolantë “Fall of the Noldor” (S/87).

Neo-Quenya: The word lasse-lanta “leaf-fall” (LotR/1107) indicates the noun for “a fall” should be lanta, which is also how the noun appears in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/DAT). However, there is an alternate form lassewinta “leaf fall” in drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices (PM/376) where the second element seems to be the infinitive of the verb winta-, so perhaps lasselanta also includes the infinitive of the verb lanta- “to fall”.

The form lantë more strongly resembles other Quenya nouns, which more often end in -e rather than -a. As such, I prefer lantë over lanta as the independent noun for “a fall”.

lomba

adjective. blind

A word for “blind” in a deleted paragraph of notes from 1969, derived from the root √DOM “dark” (PE22/153 note #50). This paragraph was deleted because of Tolkien’s shifting thoughts on the behavior of the prefix la-, so I think [ᴺQ.] lomba “blind” may remain viable for purposes of Neo-Quenya. I think this word may refer to temporary blindness, as opposed to lacenítë for one who is permanently unable to see.

norno

noun. oak

A word appearing as norno “oak” in both The Etymologies of the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s derived from primitive ✶[[p|dor[o]no]] and the root ᴹ√DORON (PE19/80; Ety/DÓRON). The appearance of an initial n- is unusual, since generally [[aq|initial [d] became [l]]] in Ancient Quenya. But sometimes ancient [[aq|initial [d] assimilated to following nasal]] instead, as was the case with this word.

Conceptual Development: Variants of this word date all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which had ᴱQ. nor (norn-) “oak” and ᴱQ. norne “oak-tree” under the early root ᴱ√NOŘO [NDOÐO?] (QL/67). The form ᴱQ. norne “oak” was mentioned in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/140), but it became ᴹQ. norno in The Etymologies of the 1930s, as noted above.

Neo-Quenya: Tolkien introduced words Q. nordo and S. norð “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25), possibly to avoid conflict with Norno “Dwarf” (WJ/388). I prefer the form norno “oak” as better-established and more etymologically interesting.

norno

noun. Dwarf

A word for a Dwarf (WJ/388), a personalized form of the adjective norna “stiff, tough” (WJ/413), patterned after S. dorn.

nór

noun. land

A term for “land” as in “(dry) land as opposed to the sea”, mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/413) and again in notes from around 1968 (PE17/106-107).

Possible Etymology: In the Quendi and Eldar essay this term was derived from primitive ✶ndōro, but in the aforementioned 1968 notes Tolkien clarified that its stem form was nŏr-. This means it was probably derived from ancient ✱ndŏr-, where the long vowel in the uninflected form was inherited from the Common Eldarin subjective form ✱ndōr, a phenomenon also seen in words like nér (ner-) “man”. I prefer this second derivation, as it makes the independent word more distinct from the suffixal form -ndor or -nóre used in the names of countries.

ontamo

noun. mason (sculptor), mason, sculptor

A word a “mason (sculptor)” in notes from the late 1960s, a combination of ondo “stone” and tamo “smith” (PE17/107-108).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this word mainly for stone craftsmen = “mason”. For a stone artist = “sculptor” I would use ondomaitar.

umbarto

masculine name. Fated

A name given by Nerdanel to one of her youngest children when Fëanor insisted she given them distinct names, though she did not say to which it applied (PM/353). It is a masculinized form of umbar “fate, doom”. Fëanor altered it to the less ominous sounding Ambarto.

Casar

dwarf

Casar ("k")noun "Dwarf", pl. Casari or Casári, partitive plural Casalli. Adapted from Dwarvish Khazâd. Casarrondo place-name "Khazad-dûm", Moria (WJ:388, 389; pl. Casári also in WJ:402)

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.

alda

tree

alda noun "tree" (GALAD, GÁLAD, SA, Nam, RGEO:66, LR:41, SD:302, LT1:249, LT2:340, VT39:7), also name of tengwa #28 (Appendix E). Pl. aldar in Narqelion; gen. pl. aldaron "of trees" in Namárië. Etymology of alda, see Letters:426 and UT:266-7. The latter source states that primitive ¤galadā, whence Quenya alda, originally applied to stouter and more spreading trees such as oaks or beeches, while straighter and more slender trees such as birches were called ¤ornē, Quenya ornë - but this distinction was not always observed in Quenya, and it seems that alda became the general word. According to PE17:25, primitive galada (sic) referred to "a plant (large) and was a general term". Place-name Aldalómë ""tree-night" or "tree-shade-night" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in PE17:82); Aldarion masc. name, *"Son of (the) Trees" (Appendix A), Tar-Aldarion a Númenorean King (UT:210). Aldaron a name of Oromë (Silm); aldinga "tree-top" (VT47:28), aldarembina (pl. aldarembinë attested) adj. "tree-tangled", the cognate of Sindarin galadhremmin**(PM:17:26).Aldúya fourth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the Trees (Appendix D). The word seems to include Aldu, a dual form referring to the Two Trees. The Númenóreans altered the name to Aldëa (presumably < aldajā), referring to one tree (the White) only. The dual Aldu seems to occur also in Aldudénië** "Lament for the Two Trees" (a strange word, since Quenya does not permit intervocalic d as in this word perhaps the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya did) (Silm)

ambar

a-mbar

ambar (1) ("a-mbar") noun "oikumenē [Greek: the earth as the human habitation], Earth, world" (MBAR), stem ambar- (PE17:66), related to and associated with mar "home, dwelling" (VT45:33); in VT46:13 the latter glosses are possibly also ascribed to the word ambar itself (the wording is not clear). The form ambaren also listed in the Etymologies was presumably intended as the genitive singular at the time of writing (in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be the dative singular); in the printed version in LR, the misreading "ambaron" appears (see VT45:33). Ambar-metta noun "the end of the world" (EO); spelt ambarmetta in VT44:36. The element #umbar in Tarumbar "King of the World" (q.v.) would seem to be a variant of ambar, just like ambar #2 "doom" also alternates with umbar (see below).

ata

again

ata adv. "again", also prefix ata-, at- "back, again, re-; second time, double" (AT(AT), PE17:166, cf. ataquanta-, ataquetië) or "two" (PE17:166), also "ambi-" as in ataformaitë, q.v.

atalta-

collapse, fall in

atalta- vb. "collapse, fall in" (TALÁT), weak pa.t. ataltanë "down-fell, fell down" in LR:47 and SD:247, but strong past tense atalantë "down-fell" in LR:56

cár

head

cár (cas-) ("k")noun "head" (KAS).The given stem-form appears doubtful within the phonological framework of LotR-style Quenya. Probably we should read cas with stem car- (PE14:69 indeed reads "kas head, pl. kari", and VT49:17 quotes the sg. "kas" from a post-LotR source). Compare other forms found in late sources: hlas "ear" with stem hlar- (PE17:62) and olos "dream", pl. olori (UT:396). In Tolkiens early "Qenya", post-vocalic -s became -r at the end of words but was preserved when another vowel followed. His later scheme either lets -r appear in both positions, or reverses the scenario altogether (hence olos, olor-). It would seem that the forms cár, cas- were distractedly carried over into the Etymologies from the Qenya Lexicon (kar, kas-, QL:45) even though they presuppose an earlier version of the phonology. An apparent variant form in late material, cára from earlier cáza ("k"), however fits the later phonology since intervocalic s would become z > r (PE17:188).

har-

sit, stay

har- vb. "sit, stay", pl. present hárar in CO (i hárar "those who sit, those who are sitting"). Imperative hara in the phrase (hara) máriessë "(stay) in happiness" (PE17:162). According to VT45:20, har- "sit" is derived from a stem KHAD which Tolkien abandoned in the Etymologies, but since CO is later than Etym, he may seem to have restored KHAD. If so, the past tense of har- would be *handë.

lantar

fall

-r plural ending used on verbs with a plural subject (VT49:48, 50, 51), e.g. lantar "fall" in Namárië (with the plural subject lassi "leaves"), or unduláver as the pl. form of undulávë "licked down, covered" (PE17:72). The ending is sometimes missing where we might expect it; for instance, the verb tarnë "stood" has multiple subjects and yet does not appear as *tarner in PE17:71.

lantë

fall

#lantë (1) noun "fall" in Noldolantë, q.v. Also lanta.

laumë

no indeed not, on the contrary

laumë < lá umë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions")This is a combination of the negation lá "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)

lá umë

no indeed not, on the contrary

lá umë > laumë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions"). This is a combination of the negation lá "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

mahalma

throne

mahalma noun "throne", nominative pl. mahalmar "thrones" and locative pl. mahalmassen in CO. Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:399)

masta

cake or loaf

masta noun "cake or loaf" (PE17:52), in an earlier source defined as "bread" (MBAS, PM:404; later sources have massa or massë for this meaning). Mastamma "our bread" in Tolkiens translatation of the Lords Prayer (VT43:18). In the Etymologies, Tolkien emended the gloss of masta from "dough" to "bread" (VT45:33).

mistë

noun. drizzle, drizzle, [ᴹQ.] fine rain

A word for “drizzle” (PE19/101) or “light rain” (Ety/MIZD) from primitive ✶mizdē, illustrating how ancient zd became st in Quenya.

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word was ᴱQ. mirde “mist” derived from primitive ᴱ✶mẓđē in the Early Qenya Phonology of the 1910s (PE12/14). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, this became ᴱQ. mie derived from primitive ✶míye as a cognate to ᴱN. midh “mist, drizzle” (PE13/150). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹQ. miste “fine rain”, already with the derivation given above and with cognate N. mîdh “dew” (Ety/MIZD). The form miste reappeared in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s with the same derivation and Sindarin cognate S. míð but with gloss “drizzle” (PE19/101).

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

nasar

red

nasar adj. "red" (in Vanyarin Quenya only). Adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399)

nev-

try

nev- vb. "try" (PE17:167; Tolkien in the source expresses uncertainty as to whether this word should be adopted or not)

norno

oak

norno (1) noun "oak" (DÓRON); a later source has nordo (PE17:25)

nórë

land

nórë noun "land" (associated with a particular people) (WJ:413), "country, land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live, race, clan" (NŌ, NDOR, BAL), also used = "race, tribe, people" (SA:dôr, PE17:169; however, the normal word for "people" is lië). Early "Qenya" hasnórë "native land, nation, family, country" (in compounds -nor) (LT1:272)

ornë

tree

ornë noun "tree" _(Letters:308, SD:302: "when smaller and more slender like a birch or rowan", Etym stem ÓR-NI: "tree, high isolated tree"). For the etymology, see Letters:426; for (original) difference in meaning between ornë and alda, see alda. In ornemalin "tree-yellow"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... (LotR2:III ch. 4; cf. Letters:308), also as final element in malinornë "yellow-tree, mallorn" (q.v.) Masc. name Ornendil *"Tree-friend" (Appendix A)_, compound Ornelië "tree-folk" (Quenya name of the Galadhrim, the tree-people of Lórien) (TI:239).

putta

stop

putta noun "stop" (in punctuation) _(PUT; see PUS). _According to VT46:10, a dot under a letter is intended, possibly indicating that the consonant is not followed by a vowel; cf. VT46:33 and see VT49:38, 40 regarding an actual example of such punctuation in a Tengwar sample.

tolto

cardinal. eight

tolto cardinal "eight" (TOL1-OTH/OT), variant toldo (VT48:6). Ordinal toltëa "eighth" (VT42:31), with variant toldëa (VT42:25) to go with toldo.

turu-

master, defeat, have victory over

turu- (1) vb. "master, defeat, have victory over" (PE17:113, not clearly said to be Quenya, but the Q name Turucundo "Victory-prince" is listed immediately afterwards). Compare tur-; cf. also *turúna.

man

pronoun. who, who; [ᴹQ.] what

The most common Quenya word for “who”, most notably appearing in the Namárië poem in the phrase sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “who now shall refill the cup for me?” (LotR/377). It is based on the interrogative element ma (PE17/68). Man might be a general interrogative element “who, what, which”; at one point Tolkien said man was a reduction of mana before vowels (PE23/135). However, in the Markirya, man was used for “who” before consonants, such as man tiruva fána cirya “Who shall heed a white ship?” (MC/222).

In writings from the 1930s and 40s, man was used for “what” (LR/59, 72) or as a general interrogative marker (PE23/99). However, it was used for “who” in the versions of the Oilima Markirya from around 1930 (MC/213-214).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mostly use man in the sense “who”, before both consonants and vowels. For “what” I would use mana, and as a general interrogative marker I’d use ma. In cases where you want an unambiguous word for “who = what person”, I would use mamo.

alda

noun. tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch

The basic Quenya word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. alda “tree” appeared under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). Tolkien seems to have switched its derivation to ✱galadā in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹQ. alda “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD of the same meaning (Ety/GALAD). See also ornë “(tall) tree” for a discussion of another similar word.

Conceptual Development: There were a few instances where the word alda had a different meaning. In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, alda was glossed “branch” (PE16/139). In notes from 1959 Tolkien said “✱galadā, originally only large flourishing plant, as tree, and especially one that flowered, Q alda, S galað; the general word for ‘tree’ was Q orne ‘upstanding plant’ (PE17/153)”. But in its numerous appearance elsewhere, alda was simply a general word for “tree”.

hanwa

noun. seat, seat, *chair

A noun in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) written in 1969, given as hanw̃a “seat” and derived from primitive ✶khadmā where dm became nm [χanmā] and then nw (PE22/148). Early iterations of this word also meant “chair”, so this word may have that meaning as well.

Conceptual Development: The earliest “seat” words were ᴱQ. sōra {“seat, throne” >>} “seat” and ᴱQ. sonda “seat, chair” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SOŘO [SOÐO] (QL/85-86). Tolkien revised the root to ᴱ√SORO (ÐORO) after which the form sonda was deleted. In the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa Tolkien had only ᴱQ. sonda “seat” (PME/86).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. handa “chair” under the root ᴹ√KHAD, but Tolkien revised the root to ᴹ√KHAM “sit” and the Quenya form to ᴹQ. hamma “chair” (Ety/KHAM; EtyAC/KHAM). Tolkien then introduced a new root ᴹ√KHAM “call to, summon”, saying that “KHAM sit (replacing KHAD, cancelled)”, so apparently the root for “sit” reverted back to KHAD. This is supported by the 1969 “seat” word hanwa seen above.

ohtar

masculine name. Warrior

The squire of Isildur (LotR/243, UT/272). This name is simply the word ohtar “warrior” used as a name. Since it is a name out of legend, this name might have originally been the man’s title instead of his name, with his true name now lost (UT/282, note #17).

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √NĀ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

> √NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

> As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√NĀ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

háro

?. [unglossed]

lá-

verb. to not be

á

particle. imperative particle

atta

cardinal. two

cairë

?. [unglossed]

casar

noun. Dwarf

cuv-

verb. to conceal, to conceal, *hide

ohtar

noun. warrior

quessë

noun. feather

The Quenya word for “feather” and the name of tengwa #4 [z] (LotR/1122).

Conceptual Development: Some similar words appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√QASA: ᴱQ. qasil “arrow-feather, arrow” and ᴱQ. qasilla “tuft, nodding spray, tassel, plume” (QL/76); quasil was only glossed “arrow” in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/76). ᴹQ. qesse “feather” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KWES (Ety/KWES), already the name of tengwa #4 (EtyAC/KWES). It was also the name of this tengwa in notes on the Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 1940s (PE22/22, 51, 61), and remained so into the published version of The Lord of the Rings.

qui

conjunction. if

toldëa

ordinal. eighth

lomba

adjective. blind

nolpa

noun. mole

-nor

suffix. land, country

Amarië

good

Amarië fem. name; perhaps derived from mára "good" with prefixing of the stem-vowel and the feminine ending -ië (Silm)

Ender

bridegroom

Ender noun "bridegroom", surname of Tulkas (NDER, TULUK, VT45:11). The form Enderō(VT45:11) is defined as "[?virile] young bridegroom"; Tolkien's gloss was not entirely legible. But this would seem to be an archaic form, because of the long final -ō (later Quenya *Endero).

Endien

autumn

Endien noun, alternative term for "autumn" (PM:135). In the Etymologies, the word Endien was assigned a quite different meaning: "Midyear, Midyear week", in the calendar of Valinor a week outside the months, between the sixth and seventh months, dedicated to the Trees; also called Aldalemnar (YEN, LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK)

Naira

vast, wide, empty

naira (2) adj. "vast, wide, empty" (PE17:27)

Nauco

dwarf

Nauco ("k")noun "Dwarf" (capitalized in WJ:388, but not in Etym, stem NAUK). Naucalië (not *Naucolië) the "Dwarf-people" as a whole. Nauco is a personalized form of the adjective nauca "stunted" (itself sometimes used as a noun "dwarf"); pl. naucor (PE17:45). See also Picinaucor.

Naucon

dwarf

Naucon (Naucond-, as in the pl. Naucondi) noun "dwarf", variant of Nauco (PE17:45; not capitalized in the source)

Tindómisel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

Túna

hill, mound

Túna (also Tún) place-name, used of the hill on which Tirion was built (Silm, TUN, KOR), derived from a stem (TUN) apparently meaning simply *"hill, mound".

Umbarto

fated

Umbarto masc. name, "Fated", mother-name (never used in narrative) of Telufinwë = Amras. The ominous name was altered to Ambarto by Fëanor. (PM:353-354)

Yón

region, any (fairly extensive) region between obstacles such as rivers or mountains

yón (2), variant of yondë, q.v. Defined as "a region, any (fairly extensive) region _between obstacles such as rivers or mountains" (PE17:43)_

aira

red, copper-coloured, ruddy

aira (1) adj. "red, copper-coloured, ruddy" (GAY)

ala-

not

ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.

ala-

good

ala- (3), also al-, a prefix expressing "good" or "well" (PE17:146), as in alaquenta (q.v.) Whether Tolkien imagined this ending to coexist with the negative prefix of the same form (#2 above) is unclear and perhaps dubious.

alda

noun. tree

amarto

fate

amarto noun "Fate" (also ambar) (LT2:348; in LotR-style Quenya rather umbar, umbart-)

ambo

hill, rising ground

ambo noun "hill, rising ground" (Markirya, PE17:92), "mount" (PE17:157), allative pl. ambonnar "upon hills" in Markirya (ruxal' ambonnar "upon crumbling hills") According to VT45:5, ambo was added to the Etymologies as a marginal note.

ambona

noun. hill

amun

hill

amun (amund-) noun "hill" (LT2:335; in Tolkien's later Quenya ambo)

amya-

verb. [unglossed]

arra

adjective. [unglossed]

ataltare

noun. collapse

atta

cardinal. two

atta (1) cardinal "two" (AT(AT), Letters:427, VT42:26, 27, VT48:6, 19). Elen atta "two stars" (VT49:44); notice how a noun is indeclinable before this numeral, and any case endings are "singular" and added to the numeral rather than the noun, e.g. genitive elen atto "of two stars" (VT49:45). Attalyar "Bipeds" (sg. *Attalya) = Petty-dwarves (from Sindarin Tad-dail) (WJ:389). A word atta_ "again" was struck out; see the entry _TAT in Etym and cf. ata in this list.

cambë

noun. hand, (hollow of) hand

carne (carni-)

adjective. red

cas

head

cas ("k")"head" (VT49:17), cf. also deleted [cas] ("k")noun "top, summit" (VT45:19). This noun should evidently have the stem-form car-. See cár.

casta

cause

casta (2) noun "cause" (reason) (QL:43)

cendë

point

cendë noun "point" (PE16:96)

cendë

noun. point

conta-

verb. [unglossed]

corima

round

corima _("k")_adj. "round" (LT1:257; rather corna in Tolkien's later Quenya)

corna

round, globed

corna ("k")adj. "round, globed" (KOR)

cuita-

verb. to live

A word appearing as Q. kuita “live” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969, most notably in the phrase kuita’r pare “live and learn”, derived from the root √KUY “live” (PE22/154, 156).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer to use √KUY for “wake” (NM/274) and √KOY for “live”; see those roots for discussion. As such, I would use Q. coita- for “to live” and would assume ᴺQ. cuita- means to “to waken, rouse”, as did its primitive form from the 1950s: ✶kuitā- (PE22/136). I further assume cuita- “to waken, rouse” is a transitive/causative verb (taking a direct object) based on the long ā in this primitive form, with a past tense cuitane “woke, roused”.

cára

noun. head

cé

conjunction. if

cúma

noun. [unglossed]

emmë

we

emmë (2) pron. "we", emphatic pronoun; dative emmen (VT43:12, 20). In the source this pronoun is intended as the 1st person plural exclusive; later Tolkien changed the corresponding pronominal ending from -mmë to -lmë, and the plural emphatic pronoun would likewise change from emmë to *elmë. Since the ending -mmë was redefined as a dualexclusive pronoun, the form emmë may still be valid as such, as a dual emphatic pronoun "we" = "(s)he and I".

enquanta-

refill

enquanta- vb. "refill" (PE17:167), enquantuva vb. "shall refill" (Nam); cf. see en-, quat-, quanta-

farnë

dwelling

#farnë (2) noun "dwelling", in orofarnë (as translated in Letters:224, but in other notes of Tolkiens the word was interpreted "any growing thing or plant", PE17:83)

felca

adjective. [unglossed]

fenda

threshold

fenda noun "threshold" (PHEN)

finca

noun. [unglossed]

foina

hidden

foina adj. "hidden" (LT2:340)

fur-

to conceal, to lie

fur- vb. "to conceal, to lie" (LT2:340) Read perhaps *hur- in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya, since Tolkien decided that fu- tended to become hu-.

furin

hidden, concealed

furin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also hurin, which form may be preferred in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya) (LT2:340)

ham-

sit

ham- (1) vb. "sit" (KHAM)

har-

verb. dwell, abide, reside permanently

harma

wolf

[harma (2) noun "wolf" (3ARAM). The gloss "hound" was inserted, but then deleted (VT45:17)]

hendas

?. [unglossed]

hindë

noun. [unglossed]

holdë

noun. [unglossed]

hos

folk

hos noun "folk" (LT2:340)

hríva

place name. [unglossed]

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

hurin

hidden, concealed

hurin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also furin) (LT2:340)

il-

verb. no, *un-

il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.

iqui

conjunction. if

iqui

conjunction. if

la

no, not

la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)

laira

shady

laira adj. "shady" (DAY)

lala

no indeed not, on the contrary

lala (3) negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)

lanta

fall

lanta (1) noun "a fall" (DAT/DANT (TALÁT) ), also lantë.

lanta-

fall

lanta- (2) "fall" (DAT/DANT (TALÁT), Narqelion, VT45:26, VT49:54); lantar aorist tense pl. (Nam, RGEO:66); pl. pa.t. lantaner "fell" (pl.) (SD:246); lantier "they fell", a plural past tense of lanta- "fall" occurring in LR:47; read probably lantaner in LotR-style Quenya, as in SD:246. Also sg. lantië "fell" (LR:56); read likewise *lantanë? (The forms in -ier, -ië seem to be properly perfects.) Future tense lantuva, VT49:47. Participle lantala "falling" (with locative ending: lantalassë) in Markirya.

lantë

falling

lantë (2) adj.? participle? "falling" (MC:214; this is "Qenya" - in Tolkien's later Quenya lantala)

lau

no indeed not, on the contrary

lau negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)

lingi-

verb. [unglossed]

lom-

hide

lom- vb. "hide" (LT1:255; given in the form lomir "I hide"; read *lomin if the word is to be adapted to LotR-style Quenya.)

lomba

secret

lomba adj.or noun "secret" (LT1:255)

luimë

flood

luimë noun "flood" (VT48:23, 30; the additional glosses "floodwater, flooded land" were struck out, VT48:30), "flood, high tide" (VT48:24, 30). According to VT48:30, partially illegible glosses in Tolkien's manuscript may also suggest that luimë can be used for any tide, or for the spring tide (the maximum tide just after a new or full moon).

lumba

gloomy

lumba (2) adj. "gloomy" (PE17:72)

lumba

adjective. gloomy

A word for “gloomy” appearing in some Notes on Galadriel’s Song (NGS) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, an adjective form of lumbo “gloom” (PE17/72).

lár

league

lár (1) noun "league", a linear measure, 5000 rangar (q.v.). A ranga was approximately 38 inches, so a lár was "5277 yards, two feet and four inches [ca. 4826 m], supposing the equivalence to be exact" - close enough to our league of 5280 yards to justify this translation. The basic meaning of lár is "pause"; in marches a brief halt was made for each league. (UT:285)

lélë

noun. will

lírë

song

lírë noun "song", stem #líri- in the instrumental form lírinen "in [the] song" or *"by [the] song" (Nam, RGEO:67)

lírë

noun. song

lómëa

gloomy

#lómëa adj. "gloomy"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

lóna

island, remote land difficult to reach

lóna (2) noun "island, remote land difficult to reach" (LONO (AWA) ). Obsoleted by #1 above?

lún

deep

lún adj.??? a word of obscure meaning, perhaps "deep" as used of water (VT48:28)

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

lúto

flood

lúto noun "flood" (LT1:249)

mahalma

noun. throne

A noun for “throne” in the phrase nai tiruvantes i hárar mahalmassen mi Númen “in the keeping of those who sit upon thrones of the West” (UT/305, 317). In the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, Tolkien said that mahalma was derived from Valarin maχallām of the same meaning and was “properly one of the seats of the Valar” (WJ/399). As such, this word is unlikely to be used for an ordinary “throne”, which instead would be tarhanwa.

mahtar

warrior

mahtar noun "warrior" (MAK; original gloss "swordsman", VT45:32)

mai

if

mai (2) conj. "if" (PE14:59 cf. VT49:20; possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for "if", Tolkien later used qui)

maitya

?. [unglossed]

malsa

?. [unglossed]

man

who

man pron. "who" (Nam, RGEO:67, FS, LR:59, Markirya, MC:213, 214); cf. PM:357 note 18, where a reference is made to the Eldarin interrogative element ma, man). However, man is translated "what" in LR:59: man-ië? "what is it?" (LR:59; the stative-verb suffix -ië_ is hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya) _Either Tolkien later adjusted the meaning of the word, or man covers both "who" and "what". Cf. also mana, manen.

mandu

abyss

mandu noun "abyss" (MC:214; this is "Qenya" - Tolkien's later Quenya has undumë)

marda

dwelling

marda noun "dwelling" (PE17:107)

marta

fate

marta (3) noun "fate" (VT45:33, VT46:13) Cf. marto.

massa

bread

#massa noun "bread" (massamma "our bread", VT43:18); massánië "breadgiver", used as a title of the highest woman among any Elvish people, since she had the keeping and gift of the coimas (lembas). Also simply translated "Lady" (PM:404)

massa

noun. bread

A word for “bread” appearing as massa (VT43/12) or massë (PE17/52) in Tolkien’s later writings, most notably as an element in Q. massánië “breadgiver” (PM/404). It was in competition with, and possibly replaced, the word masta “bread”. The distinction between the two was discussed in notes from 1960s (PE17/52):

> Assume a Primitive Eldarin derivation ✱mbassē “(baked) bread”. The other derivatives were ✱mbasta with short final, an infinitive or verbal noun formation denoting a single action of the stem .. and ✱mbazdā denoting the passive result of the action, and when used substantivally a single product of this: mbazda would thus mean baked or a baked thing ... In Quenya we have masse “bread” as a material, and masta “a cake or loaf” (zd > st).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I prefer to use massa as the typical word for “bread” rather than massë, to avoid conflict with other words like [ᴹQ.] masse “where”. I would also use masta as a more general word for baked goods, including bread but also other baked things like cakes and loafs.

massë

bread

massë noun "bread" (as a material), variant of massa, q.v. (PE17:52). Notice that *massë has also been extrapolated as a question-word "where?"

massë

noun. bread

masta

noun. bread

mehtar

noun. warrior

melehta

mighty

melehta adj. "mighty" (PE17:115), cf. meletya

meletya

mighty

#meletya adj. "mighty", isolated from meletyalda adjective with suffix "your mighty" = "your majesty" (see -lda; meletya = *"mighty"). In full Aran Meletyalda "king your mighty" = "your majesty" (WJ:369). Compare melehta.

meletya

adjective. mighty

melya-

verb. [unglossed], *to be in love

men

who

men (3) pron. "who", evidently a misreading or miswriting for man (MC:221, in Markirya)

mendë

will

#mendë noun "will", only attested in mendelya "thy will" (VT43:15)

mentë

point, end

mentë noun "point, end" (MET)

milya

soft, gentle, weak

milya (1) adj. "soft, gentle, weak" (VT45:34)

milyar

noun. soft

soft [sonants]

miquelis

soft, sweet kiss

miquelis (miquelis(s)-) noun "soft, sweet kiss" (PE16:96)

miste

noun. drizzle

drizzle

morilindë

nightingale

morilindë noun "nightingale" (MOR)

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

muina

hidden, secret

muina adj. "hidden, secret" (MUY)

mussë

soft

mussë adj. "soft" (VT:39:17), also used as a noun (perhaps primarily in the pl. form mussi) with the same meaning as mussë tengwi, see below. (VT39:17)

mussë

adjective. soft

má

noun. hand

hand

má

hand

má noun "hand" (MA3, LT2:339, Narqelion, VT39:10, [VT45:30], VT47:6, 18, 19); the dual "a pair of hands" is attested both by itself as mát (VT47:6) and with a pronominal suffix as máryat "his/her (pair of) hands" (see -rya, -t) (Nam, RGEO:67). The nominative plural form was only máli, not **már (VT47:6), though plurals in -r may occur in some of the cases, as indicated by the pl. allative mannar "into hands" (FS). Mánta "their hand", dual mántat "their hands" (two hands each) (PE17:161). Cf. also the compounds mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9) and Lungumá "Heavyhand" (VT47:19); also compare the adj. -maitë "-handed". See also málimë.

má

noun. hand

má

noun. hand

The most common Quenya word for “hand”, which Tolkien usually derived from a root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield”. The weak consonant h or ʒ in the root was lost very early, so that primitive ✶mā was one of a rare set of ancient monosyllabic nouns ending in a vowel. Tolkien said that of the various hand words, má was “the oldest (probably) and the one that retained a general and unspecialized sense - referring to the entire hand (including wrist) in any attitude or function” (VT47/6).

As a part of the body, má “hand” was usually referred to in the singular (má) or dual (mát). This was true when referring to the hands of groups of people as well. For example, to say that “the Elves raised their hands”, you would say either i Eldar ortaner mánta (singular, one hand each) or i Eldar ortaner mántat (dual, both hands each), with the possessive suffix -nta “their”.

The plural form már “hands” (or archaic †mai) was almost never used, in part because it conflicted with Q. már “dwelling”. The singular form was also used in general statements and proverbs: “hand is cleverer than foot” má anfinya epe tál (ná). A collection of otherwise unrelated hands would likely use the partitive-plural form: máli “some hands”, which in this case could also serve as the general plural (VT47/12 Note 2). See the discussions on PE17/161 and VT47/6 for more information.

This word is also unusual in that it retains its long vowel before consonant clusters in inflected forms such as mánta “their hand” (PE17/161) or márya “his/her hand” (PE17/69). As Tolkien described it:

> Lá is usually shortened to la before 2 consonants, according to the usual Q. procedure, but the long vowel can be retained, especially for additional emphasis, as in other cases where pronominal affixes follow a long vowel, as in márya “his hand” (PE22/160).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to ᴱQ. mā “hand” from Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” (QL/57). ᴹQ. má “hand” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ). Tolkien mentioned this word with great frequency, usually derived from √MAH or √MAƷ (as noted above) though he sometimes considered deriving it from √MAG instead.

mára

adjective. good

máriel

feminine name. [unglossed]

ména

region

ména noun "region" (MEN). Not to be confused with the present/continuative tense of #men- "go".

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

nan

adverb. again

narmo

wolf

narmo ("ñ")noun "wolf" (ÑGAR(A)M; both the old form ñarmo = *ngarmo and the Third Age form narmo are given). Another word for "wolf" is ráca.

nauco

noun. dwarf

naucon

noun. Dwarf

naue

?. [unglossed]

nauro

noun. wolf

wolf, werewolf of Morgoth

nenda

sloping

[nenda] (2) adj. "sloping" (DEN, struck out)

nendë

slope, hillside

[nendë] (2) noun "slope, hillside" (DEN, struck out; compare VT45:9)

no

under

no prep. "under" (NŪ; all other sources give nu instead. In early "Qenya", no meant "upon"; MC:214)

noldarë

mole

noldarë noun "mole"; also nolpa (GL:30)

nolpa

mole

nolpa "mole"; also noldarë (GL:30)

nonda

hand, especially in [?clutching]

nonda noun "hand, especially in [?clutching]" (VT47:23; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)

norna

stiff, tough; hard, firm, resistant

norna adj. "stiff, tough; hard, firm, resistant" (WJ:413, PE17:106), "thrawn, tough, obdurate", mainly applied to persons (PE17:181)

norno

dwarf

Norno (2) noun "dwarf"; a personalized form of the adjective norna(WJ:413); Nornalië (not *Nornolië) the "Dwarf-people" as a whole (WJ:388)

nu

under

nu prep. "under" _(LR:56, Markirya, Nam, RGEO:66, MC:214; the _Etymologies alone gives no [q.v.] instead). In Mar-nu-Falmar, nuhuinenna, q.v. Prefix nú- in nútil, q.v.

nulda

secret

nulda adj. "secret" (DUL)

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

nurta-

hide

#nurta- vb. "hide", verbal stem isolated from nurtalë "hiding", q.v.

níra

will

níra noun "will" (as a potential or faculty) (VT39:30, VT41:6, 17, PE17:168)

níva

?. [unglossed]

nór

land

nór noun "land" (stem nor-, PE17:106) this is land as opposed to water and sea (nor in Letters:308). Cf. nórë.

nóre

noun. land

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

ohtacáro

warrior

[ohtacáro] ("k")noun "warrior" (KAR). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the accent of the word ohtacáro was omitted (VT45:19).

ohtar

warrior, soldier

ohtar noun "warrior, soldier" (UT:282)

opto

noun. back

ormë

summit, crest

ormë (2) noun "summit, crest" (LT1:256; this "Qenya" word is probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

penda-

slope, incline

penda- vb. "slope, incline" (PE17:171, 173)

pië

berry

pië noun "berry" (PE16:143)

poica

clean, pure

poica ("k")adj. "clean, pure" (POY)

pontë

back, rear

pontë (ponti-) noun "back, rear" (QL:75)

pusta

stop

pusta (1) noun "stop", in punctuation full stop (PUS). Compare putta.

quanta

full

quanta (1) ("q") adj. "full" (KWAT, Narqelion, VT39:8, VT43:28), "filled, full" (PE17:68); the gloss "filled" would suggest that quanta can be regarded as a passive participle of quat- (q.v.) In these phrases: quanta sarmë "full writing", writing with separate letters for vowels (VT39:8); #quanta tengwë "full sign" (only pl. quantë tengwi is attested), in early Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for a consonant + a vowel (then analyzed as a kind of unitary phoneme rather than two phonemes); hence a stem like mata- "eat" was analyzed as two quantë tengwi, namely ma + ta. (VT39:5)

que

conjunction. if

quessë

feather

quessë noun "feather", also name of tengwa #4 (Appendix E, WJ:417, KWES, VT45:24); súriquessë "wind feather" (referring to a "tuft of radiating grass" in a drawing by Tolkien) (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator, p. 197)

qui

if

qui conj. "if" (VT49:19)

qui

conjunction. if, when

quárë

fist

quárë (also quár) noun "fist" _(SA:celeb, KWAR; in the Etymologies, Tolkien first wrote _quár pl. quari, and quár is also found in PM:318 and VT47:8, in the latter case changed from quárë, VT47:22. As usual, the spelling of the Etym forms shows q instead of qu_.) _According to PM:318 and VT47:8, the "chief use [of this word] was in reference to the tightly closed hand as in using an implement or a craft-tool rather than to the 'fist' as used in punching".

quí(ta)

conjunction. if

ráca

wolf

ráca ("k") noun "wolf" (DARÁK). Another word for "wolf" is narmo.

sal-

verb. [unglossed]

sarda

hard

sarda adj. "hard" (VT39:17); pl. sardë "hards" may be used in the same sense as sarda tengwi, q.v. (As an independent form we would rather expect a nominal pl. sardar.)

satto

cardinal. two

satto, "Qenya" numeral "two" (in Tolkiens later Quenya atta) (VT49:54)

sonda

seat

sonda noun "seat" (QL:85)

suhto

draught

suhto noun "draught" (SUK)

sélo

?. [unglossed]

sóla

?. [unglossed]

talta

sloping, tilted, leaning

talta adj. "sloping, tilted, leaning"; also "incline" as noun (TALÁT)

tamen

thither

tamen adv. "thither" (VT49:33). Compare simen.

tamen

adverb. thither

A word for “thither” appearing in a list of demonstratives from 1969 (VT49/33), a combination of ta “that” and men “way”.

tande

thither

tande adv. "thither" (MC:215; this is "Qenya")

tanna

thither

tanna (2) pron. in allative "thither" (VT14:5, PE16:96; evidently to be understood as the allative of ta #2: "to that [place]"). Compare tar and locative tassë.

tanna

adverb. thither

A word for “thither” appearing in the Nieninquë poem of the 1950s (PE16/96), a combination of ta “that” and the allative suffix -nna. Similarly formed ᴹQ. tanna appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/112). ᴹQ. tanna was also used for “thither” in the Koivienéni sentence from the 1930s.

Conceptual Development: In the version of the Nieninqe poem from around 1930, Tolkien used ᴱQ. tande for “thither” (MC/215), with allative suffix -nde that appeared in early 1930s (PE21/52)

tap-

stop, block

tap- vb. "stop, block" (the form tapë given in the Etymologies is translated "he stops, blocks", evidently the 3rd person sg. aorist. In Etym as printed in LR, a was misprinted as á, cf. VT46:17). Pa.t. tampë (TAP)

tar

adverb. thither

PQ. thither

tar

thither

tar (1) adv. or technically pron. with old allative ending: "thither" (TA). This is ta #1 with the same allative ending -r (from primitive -da) as in mir "into". Compare tanna. According to VT49:11, tar may also appear in the logner form tara.

tar(a)

adverb. thither, thither; [ᴹQ.] beyond

An (archaic?) word for “thither” appearing in a list of demonstratives from 1968, a combination of primitive ✶ta with the ancient allative suffix ✶-da (VT49/11). The short form tar was mentioned a few times in Tolkien’s earlier writings (PE19/104; Ety/TA).

tara

thither

tara adv. "thither"; see tar #1.

tarya

tough, stiff

tarya adj. "tough, stiff" (TÁRAG)

tauca

stiff, wooden

tauca ("k") "stiff, wooden" (PE17:115)

taura

mighty, masterful

taura adj. "mighty, masterful" (TUR, PE17:115), "very mighty, vast, of unmeasured might or size" (VT39:10). Cf. túrëa.

tel

roof

tel noun "roof" (LT1:268). Rather tópa in Tolkiens later Quenya.

thar-

verb. [unglossed]

tilma

noun. point

tindómerel

noun. nightingale

TQ. nightingale

tindómizel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

tol

island, isle

tol noun "island, isle" (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from the river, SA:tol, VT47:26). In early "Qenya", the word was defined as "island, any rise standing alone in water, plain of green, etc" (LT1:269). The stem is toll-; the Etymologies as published in LR gives the pl. "tolle" (TOL2), but this is a misreading for tolli (see VT46:19 and compare LT1:85). The primitive form of tol is variously cited as ¤tolla (VT47:26) and ¤tollo (TOL2).

toldëa

eighth

toldëa oridinal "eighth" (VT42:25), also toltëa (VT42:31). See tolto.

tolos

knob, lump

tolos noun "knob, lump" (LT1:269; this "Qenya" form would seem to be a precursor of Quenya tolma, q.v.)

tolto

cardinal. eight

toltëa

eighth

toltëa ordinal "eighth" (VT42:31), also toldëa (VT42:25). See tolto.

toltëa

ordinal. eighth

tomba

noun. [unglossed]

tompë

noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat

@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20

torna

hard

#torna adj. "hard", as in tornanga (q.v.), seemingly -storna after prefixes ending in a vowel, as in the comparative forms aristorna, anastorna (PE17:56; the forms are untranslated and may not necessarily be the same adjective "hard".)

torna

adjective. hard

tur-

wield, control, govern

tur- vb. "wield, control, govern" (1st pers. aorist turin "I wield" etc.), pa.t. turnë (TUR). The verb is elsewhere defined "master, conquer, win" (PE17:115), virtually the same meanings are elsewhere assigned to turu- #1, q.v.

turinqui

queen

turinqui ("q") noun "queen" (LT1:260; apparently the fem. of tur. In Tolkien's later Quenya, "queen" is tári.)

tyar-

cause

tyar- vb. "cause" (KYAR)

tyar-

verb. cause

tári

queen

tári noun "queen", used especially of Varda (TĀ/TA3, LT1:264), etymologically "she that is high" (SA:tar). Dative tárin in the Elaine inscription (VT49:40), genitive tário in Namárië. Elentári "Starqueen", a title of Varda. (Nam, RGEO:67). Tarinya "my queen" (UT:179; sic, not *tárinya). Táris or tárissë "queenship" (PE17:155)

tári

noun. queen, queen, [ᴱQ.] mistress, lady

tópa

roof

tópa noun "roof" (TOP)

tópa-

roof

tópa- vb. "roof" (TOP)

ui

no

ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

ulundë

flood

ulundë noun "flood" (ULU), possibly in the sense of (great) river.% Cf. nuinë, oloirë.

um(ba)-

prefix. [unglossed]

umbacarin

noun. [unglossed]

umbo

hill, lump, clump, mass

umbo, umbon noun "hill, lump, clump, mass" (PE17:93)

undumë

abyss

undumë noun "abyss" (Markirya)

undumë

noun. abyss

urda

hard, difficult, arduous

urda adj. "hard, difficult, arduous" (PE17:154)

usta-

burn

usta- vb. "burn" (transitive) (LT1:271, QL:98). This form reflects the stem USU listed in early material; however, since Tolkien seems to have changed it to UR later, we should perhaps read *urta- for usta-.

varni

queen

varni noun "queen" (LT1:273; rather tári in Tolkien's later Quenya)

ve

we

ve (2) pron. "we", 1st person pl. inclusive (corresponding to exclusive me), derived from an original stem-form we (VT49:50, PE17:130). Variant vi, q.v. Stressed wé, later vé (VT49:51). Dative (*wéna >) véna, VT49:14. Dual wet*, later vet "the two of us" (inclusive; cf. exclusive met) (VT49:51). Also compare the dative form ngwin or ngwen (q.v.), but this would apparently be wen > ven** according to Tolkiens later ideas.

vi

we

vi pron. "we", 1st person inclusive (PE17:130), variant of ve #2.

vië

manhood, vigour

vië noun "manhood, vigour" (WEG)

voronwa

enduring, long-lasting

voronwa adj. "enduring, long-lasting" (BOR)

we

we

we, wé, see ve #2

yaru

gloom, blight

yaru noun "gloom, blight" (GL:37)

ye

who

ye (1) singular personal relative pronoun "who", maybe also object "whom" (plural form i). Compare the impersonal form ya. Also attested in the genitive and the ablative cases: yëo and yello, both translated "from whom" (though the former would also mean *"whose, of whom"). (VT47:21)

ye

pronoun. who

yulda

draught, something drunk, a drink, the amount drunk

yulda noun "draught, something drunk, a drink, the amount drunk", pl. yuldar (Nam, PE17:63, 68, RGEO:66). See -da regarding etymology.

yá

when

yá (2) conj. "when" in the sentence yá hrívë tenë, ringa ná "when winter comes, it is cold" (VT49:23). Compare írë #2.

yá

conjunction. when

A relative conjunction “when” appearing in various phrases in Tolkien’s writings of the 1950s and 60s, a vowel-lengthened form of the relative pronoun ya.

Conceptual Development: Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 had ᴹQ. í glossed “(relative) at the time mentioned, at the same time”, a vowel-lengthened form of the relative pronoun ᴹQ. i (PE23/109). This was also given the gloss “when, whenever” in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from this same period (PE22/121). Earlier still, ᴹQ. íre was used as the relative conjunction “when” in Fíriel’s Song of the 1930s. In the Early Qenya Grammar it seems ᴱQ. yan “when” served this function (PE14/59).

yána

vast, huge; wide

yána (1) adj. "vast, huge; wide" (PE17:99, 115); also yanda, q.v.

yávië

autumn

yávië noun "autumn" (SA:yávë); "autumn, harvest", in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 54 days, but also used without any exact definition (Appendix D). Noun yáviérë *"Autumn-day", a day outside the months in the Steward's Reckoning, inserted between Yavannië and Narquelië (September and October) (Appendix D)

yón

noun. region

ási, sí

interjection. come now, now

éna

?. [unglossed]

í(qua), illume, iquallume

conjunction. when, whenever

írë

when

írë (2) conj. "when" (subordinate conjunction, not question-word: írë Anarinya queluva, "when my sun faileth") (FS). Compare yá #2.

ú

particle. not

úpa-

verb. [unglossed]

úva

will not

úva (1) vb. "will not", future tense of a negative verb (present/aorist tense úyë?) in Fíriel's Song. Compare #úva as the future tense of the negative verb ua- (q.v.) in a later source (PE17:144, where the verb is cited with a 1st person sg. ending: úvan).

þúna

?. [unglossed]

catta

noun. back

A neologism for “back” coined by Paul Strack in 2022 specifically for Eldamo, based on Q. ca(ta) “behind, at back of place”. This word can refer to the back of body as well as the back of other things.

cénelóra

adjective. blind

hísëa

adjective. misty

A neologism for “misty” coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo as a replacement for ᴱQ. maska of similar meaning. It is just an adjective form of hísë “mist”, and is thus not particularly original.

it(ë) Speculative

adverb. if

malumë

adverb. when

rianna

noun. queen

sap-

verb. to dig

urta-

verb. to burn

ñúr

noun. wolf

A neologism for “wolf” coined by Elaran posted on 2025-03-07 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from primitive ✶ñgūr in notes from the early 1950s (PE21/82). This derivation is perfectly viable, but I personally think we already have enough “wolf” words from Tolkien, and would stick with existing words like [ᴹQ.] nauro.