elda 1. originally adj. "of the stars", but wholly replaced (WJ:362) by: 2. noun (Elda) = one of the people of the Stars, (high-)elf, an Elf (SA:êl, elen, Letters:281, ELED, ÉLED; notice that Tolkien abandoned a former etymology with "depart"), chiefly in the pl. Eldar (WJ:362, cf. GAT(H), TELES).The primitive form Tolkien variously cited as ¤eledā / elenā(Letters:281, PE17:152) and ¤eldā(WJ:360). Partitive pl. Eldali (VT49:8), gen. pl. Eldaron (WJ:368, PM:395, 402);dative pl.eldain "for elves", for Eldar (FS); possessive sg. Eldava "Elf's" (WJ:407); possessive pl. Eldaiva (WJ:368), Eldaivë governing a plural word (WJ:369). The word Eldar properly refers to the non-Avari Elves only, but since Eldar rarely had any contact with the Avari, it could be used for "elves" in general (in LT1:251, Elda is simply glossed "Elf"). See also Eldo. The plural form Eldar should not require any article when the reference is to the entire people; i Eldar refers to a limited group, "(all) the Elves previously named"; nevertheless, Tolkien in some sources does use the article even where the reference seems to be generic (i Eldar or i-Eldar, VT49:8).
Quenya
elda
noun. Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk
elda
of the stars
Eldarin
eldarin, elvish
Eldarin adj. derived from Elda: "Eldarin, Elvish" (Silm, ÉLED). Also in the longer form Eldarinwa (pl. Eldarinwë in VT47:14, in the title Eldarinwë leperi ar notessi, "The Eldarin fingers and numerals")
Eldarissa
eldarissa
Eldarissa, Eldaquet ("q")noun, apparently other names of Qenya (LT2:348)
eldalondë
place name. Haven of the Eldar
elda-lambë
proper name. Language of the Eldar
eldavehtë
proper name. a habitation, haunt or place occupied by Eldar
Elda-lambë
the language of the eldar
Elda-lambë noun "the language of the Eldar" (WJ:368)
eldarin
noun/adjective. of the Eldar; Elvish (language)
@@@ Helge Fauskanger suggested that Eldarinwa is an extended form of this word as an adjective (QQ/Eldarin). More exactly, I think it is the application of the possessive/adjectival suffix -va to the word Eldarin in its noun-sense = “Elvish language”.
eldarion
masculine name. *Son of the Eldar
eldalië
noun. People of the Elves, Elven-folk, People of the Eldar, Elven-folk, [ᴹQ.] Elf-folk
eldacar
masculine name. Elfhelm
The name of the 4th king of Arnor and the 21st kings of Gondor (LotR/1038), it is a compound of Elda “Elf” and the suffixal form -car of carma “helm”.
Conceptual Development: In the draft versions of The Lord of the Rings, ᴹQ. Eldakar was considered as a name for Aragorn’s father, where it was glossed “Elfhelm” (TI/366). An even earlier precursor of the name appears in The Etymologies: ᴹQ. Eldahar, where the second element is derived from the root ᴹ√KHAR “helmet” (EtyAC/KHAR).
eldamar
place name. Elvenhome
The home of the Elves within Valinor (S/59). This name is a compound of Elda “Elf” and már “home”. As noted by Tolkien, it must have been a late compound, otherwise the more primitive form ✶-mbar of the second element would have been preserved as ✱✱Eldambar (PE17/106).
Conceptual Development: This name dates back all the way to the earliest Lost Tales, where it had essentially the same form, meaning and etymology (LT1/19, LTA1/Eldamar).
eldameldor
collective name. Elf-friends, Elf-lovers
eldandil
masculine name. Elf-friend
eldanna
place name. *Elf-wards
eldanor
place name. Elvenland
Another name of Eldamar that did not appear in the published version of The Silmarillion, but appeared in drafts from the 1950s (MR/176). This name is a compound of Elda “Elf” and nórë “land”.
Conceptual Development: This name also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, where it was glossed “Elfland” (LR/223).
eldanyárë
proper name. History of the Elves
eldalótë
feminine name. Elven-flower
eldar ataformaiti
the Elves were ambidexters
First phrase @@@
| | I | II |III|IV| V |VI|VII| |i Eldar| |i·Eldar|Eldar| |{nār >> nā >>}|nāner|...| |{nár}| | |{tatafor... >>}|attaformor|ataformor|{attaformaite >>} ataformaite|{ataformaite >>} ataformaiti|
Eldacan
ælfnoth
Eldacan ("k") masc. name "Ælfnoth", Elf-bold (KAN)
Eldacar
elfhelm
Eldacar masc. name, *"Elfhelm". Compare carma "helmet". (Appendix A)
Eldalië
the elven-folk
Eldalië noun "the Elven-folk" (often used vaguely to mean all the race of Elves, though it properly did not include the Avari) (WJ:374, ÉLED; possessive Eldaliéva in the name Mindon Eldaliéva, q.v.) "Qenya" genitive in -n in Eldalien as part of the title Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303).
Eldamar
elvenhome
Eldamar place-name "Elvenhome" (ÉLED; found already in Narqelion), according to MR:176 another name of Tirion (see tir-).
Eldameldor
elf-lovers
Eldameldor noun "Elf-lovers" (WJ:412), sg. #Eldameldo
Eldandil
elf-friend
Eldandil (pl. Eldandili in WJ:412) noun "Elf-friend" (by the Edain confused with Elendil, properly "Star-friend") (WJ:410)
Eldanor
elvenland
Eldanor place-name "Elvenland", regions of Valinor where the Elves dwelt and the stars could be seen (MR:176)
Eldanyárë
history of the elves
Eldanyárë noun "History of the Elves" (LR:199, there with the definite article: I·Eldanyárë). See nyárë.
Eldavehtë
elf-haunt
Eldavehtë noun *"Elf-haunt", description of Beleriand as "a habitation, haunt or place occupied by Eldar. See vehtë. (PE17:189)
eldarinwë leperi ar notessi
Elvish Fingers and Numerals
eldar oronter
the Elves arose
eldar sindar
Grey Elves
eldar sindaron
Grey Elves’
Eldo
marchers
Eldo noun, archaic variant of Elda, properly one of the "Marchers" from Cuiviénen, but the word went out of use (WJ:363, 374)
vanimelda
the highest word of praise for beauty
vanimelda adj., said to be "the highest word of praise for beauty", with two interpretations that were apparently considered equally valid and simultaneously true: "beautiful and beloved" (vanima + melda, with haplology), i.e. "movingly lovely", but also "elven-fair" (fair as an Elf) (vanima + elda). The word was also used as the second name of Arwen. (PE17:56, Second Edition LotR1:II ch. 16).
sindar eldar
Grey Elves
sindar eldaron
Grey Elves’
Eldacar (King of Arnor)
Eldacar (King of Arnor)
Eldacar's name was Quenya for "Elf Helm", coming from elda meaning "elf", and the suffixal form -car of carma "helm".
Eldacar (King of Gondor)
Eldacar (King of Gondor)
Eldacar contains the Quenya words Elda + cára, meaning "Elf-head" or "Elf-helmet".
Eldalótë
Eldalótë
Eldalótë means "High-elven Flower" in Quenya (from Elda = "High Elf" and lótë = "flower"). The Sindarin version of her name is Edhellos (also spelled Eðellos; pron. [eˈðelːos]).
Eldarion
Eldarion
His name in Quenya means "Scion of the Eldar". In Letter 338, J.R.R. Tolkien spelled this name Eldaron, this is probably a typographic error.
eldafindë
noun. maidenhair fern, (lit.) elf tress
eldatár
`Vm#1~C6 noun. elf-king, elfking, elven-king
in
the coimas [lembas] of the eldar
in article, apparently a variant of the definite article i, observed in the phrase i-coimas in-Eldaron "the coimas [lembas] of the Eldar" in PM:403. It looks like the Sindarin plural article, but in Quenya i normally covers both sg. and pl. "the", and the word Eldar does not need any article at all. The alternative reading i-coimas Eldaron (PM:395) is probably to be preferred.
Elendil
star-friend
Elendil masc. name"Star-friend", "Lover or student of stars", applied to those devoted to astronomical lore. However, when the Edain used this name they intended it to mean "Elf-friend", confusing elen "star" and elda "elf" (WJ:410). (This idea that the name was misapplied seems to be late; Tolken earlier interpreted the name as an ancient compound Eled + ndil so that the meaning really was "Elf-friend"; see Letters:386. See also NIL/NDIL in the Etymologies, where Elendil is equated with "Ælfwine", Elf-friend.) Allative Elendilenna "to Elendil" (PM:401); Elendil Vorondo genitive of Elendil Voronda "Elendil the Steadfast" _(CO) Pl. Elendili the Númenórean Elf-friends (Silm)_; the variant Elendilli in SD:403 would seem to presuppose a stem-form Elendill- not attested elsewhere. Tar-Elendil a Númenorean king, UT:210.
elendë
place name. Elfland
Another name for Eldamar (S/61).
Conceptual Development: This name was glossed “Elfland” in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/223) and “Elvenhome” in The Etymologies (Ety/ELED), where it was derived from the same root ᴹ√ÉLED as ᴹQ. Elda “Elf”. The later meaning and etymology of this name are uncertain, but it is probably similar to that of The Etymologies. Its final element -ndë might also appear in the name Ingolondë “Country of the Noldor”.
elessar
masculine name. Elfstone
A name of Aragorn (LotR/375), a compound of elen “star” and sar “stone”. The final -n of elen was assimilated to the s, which also happened in the name Elestirnë. The name was glossed “Elfstone”, no doubt due to the association of the words elen “star” and Elda “Elf”. A similar confusion is seen in the name Elendil “Elf-friend” (properly “Star-lover”).
Conceptual Development: As a name for Aragon, this name first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s as ᴹQ. Eldamir with the variant Qendemir (TI/276). It was soon changed to ᴹQ. Elessar (TI/294) and kept that form thereafter. Tolkien also considered using Elessar for the name of the last king of Gondor, before changing that name to Eärnur (WR/153).
-in
-in
-in dative pl. ending, seen in eldain, fírimoin, q.v.
-iva
-iva
-iva (-ivë) plural possessive ending; seen in Eldaiva, Eldaivë (WJ:369)
-li
the elves
-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").
-on
name
-on gen.pl. ending (3O), in aldaron, aranion, elenion, Eldaron, #esseron, Ingweron, Istarion, Númevalion, Quendion, Silmarillion, Sindaron, tasarion (see Nan-Tasarion), Valion, wenderon, yénion. Normally the ending -on is added to the nominative plural, whether it ends in -i or -r, but some nouns in -ë that would have nominative plurals in -i seem to prefer the ending -ron in the genitive (hence #esseron as the gen. pl. of essë "name", though the nominative pl. is attested as essi and we might have expected the gen. pl. *ession; similarly wenderon, Ingweron).
-tar
king
-tar or tar-, element meaning "king" or "queen" in compounds and names (TĀ/TA3), e.g. Valatar; compare the independent nouns tár, tári. Prefix Tar- especially in the names of the Kings and Queens of Númenor (e.g. Tar-Amandil); see their individual names (like Amandil in this case), cf. also Tar-Mairon "King Excellent", title used by Sauron (PE17:183). Also in Tareldar "High-elves"; see also Tarmenel.
-va
from
-va possessive ending, presumably related to the preposition va "from". In Eldaliéva, Ingoldova, miruvóreva, Oroméva, rómeva, Valinóreva (q.v. for references), Follondiéva, Hyallondiéva (see under turmen for references). Following a consonant, the ending instead appears as -wa (andamacilwa "of the long sword", PE17:147, rómenwa *"of the East", PE17:59). Pl. -vë when governing a plural word (from archaic -vai) (WJ:407), but it seems that -va was used throughout in late Exilic Quenya (cf. miruvóreva governing the plural word yuldar in Namárië). Pl. -iva (-ivë*), dual -twa, partitive pl. -líva**.
Hallacar
tall helmet
Hallacar masc. name, apparently "tall helmet": halla + car (cf. Eldacar for the latter element) (UT:210)
carma
helm
carma (2) noun "helm" (helmet) in Carma-cundo ("k") "Helm-guardian" (PM:260). Notice that in PE17:114, Tolkien indicated that he rather wanted carma to mean "tool" or "weapon", leaving the status of carma "helmet" uncertain. Possibly shortened to -car in the names Eldacar (Elfhelm?), Hallacar (Tall-helm?) Cf. also cassa in Etym.
essë
name
essë (1) noun "name", also later name of Tengwa #31, originally (MET) called árë (ázë). (Appendix E). With a pronominal ending esselya "thy name" (VT43:14). Pl. #essi in PM:339 and MR:470, gen.pl. #esseron "of names" in the compound Nómesseron (q.v.); we would rather have expected *ession, given the nom.pl. essi; perhaps #esser is a valid alternative plural form. Essecarmë noun "name-making" (MR:214, 470), Eldarin ceremony where the father announces the name of his child. Essecenta *("k") noun "Name-essay" (see centa) (MR:415); Essecilmë noun "name-choosing", an Eldarin ceremony where a child named him- or herself according to personal lámatyávë (q.v.) (MR:214, 471). The meaning Tolkien originally assigned to the word essë** in the Etymologies was "place" rather than "name" (VT45:12).
meldo
friend, lover
meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)
már
home, house, dwelling
már (mar-) (2) noun "home, house, dwelling" (also "house" in the sense of family as in Mardil, q.v.). See mar above for references. In Mar-nu-Falmar, Mardil, and as final element in Eldamar, Fanyamar, Valimar, Vinyamar..
nyárë
tale, saga, history
nyárë noun "tale, saga, history". Compounded in Eldanyárë "History of the Elves", lumenyárë "history, chronological account" (NAR2, LR:199). Compare nyarië, nyarna.
quenta
tale
quenta ("q")noun "tale" (KWET), "narrative, story" (VT39:16); Quenta Silmarillion "the Story/Tale of the Silmarils", also Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303), notice "Qenya" genitive in -n in the latter title. Quenta is also translated "account", as in Valaquenta "Account of the Valar".
tul-
come
tul- vb. "come" (WJ:368), 1st pers. aorist tulin "I come" (TUL), 3rd pers. sg. tulis "(s)he comes" (VT49:19), perfect utúlië "has come" (utúlien "I am come", EO), utúlie'n aurë "Day has come" (the function of the 'n is unclear; it may be a variant of the article "the", hence literally "the Day has come"). Past tense túlë "came" in LR:47 and SD:246, though an alternative form *tullë has also been theorized. Túlë in VT43:14 seems to be an abnormal aorist stem, later abandoned; tula in the same source would be an imperative. Prefixed future tense entuluva "shall come again" in the Silmarillion, future tuluva also in the phrase aranielya na tuluva* "may thy kingdom come" (VT44:32/34), literally apparently "thy kingdom, be-it-that (it) will come". In early "Qenya" we have the perfects tulielto "they have come" (LT1:114, 270, VT49:57) and tulier "have come", pl., in the phrase I·Eldar tulier "the Eldar have come"(LT1:114, 270). Read probably utúlieltë, Eldar utúlier** in LotR-style Quenya.
yo
and
yo conj. "and", "often used between _two _items (of any part of speech) that were by nature or custom clearly associated, like the names of spouses (Manwë yo Varda), or "sword and sheath" (*macil yo vainë*), "bow and arrows" (quinga yo pilindi), or groups like "Elves and Men" (Eldar yo Fírimor but contrast eldain a fírimoin [dative forms] in FS, where Tolkien joins the words with a, seemingly simply a variant of the common conjunction ar). In one source, yo is apparently a preposition "with" (yo hildinyar* = "with my heirs", SD:56).
ar
conjunction. and, and; [ᴱQ., ᴹQ.] but
aran
noun. king
carma
noun. helm
essë
noun. name
-ndil
friend
-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.
-ndur
friend
-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)
-ser
friend
-ser noun "friend" (SER)
-yë
conjunction. and
-yë (4) conj. "and" as a suffix added to the second of a pair, as Menel Cemenyë "Heaven and Earth" (VT47:30, 31, VT49:25). Other "pairs" are mentioned as examples but not actually translated into Quenya by Tolkien: Sun and Moon (*Anar Isilyë), Land and Sea (*Nór Eäryë), fire and water (*nárë nenyë, or *úr nenyë).
Elendë
elvenhome
Elendë (1) place-name "Elvenhome", regions of Valinor where the Elves dwelt and the stars could be seen (MR:176, ÉLED). Plural ablative elendellor in the phrase et elendellor, evidently *"out of the elf-lands" (VT45:13).
Quendendil
elf-friend
Quendendil (also contracted Quendil; pl. Quendili in WJ:410) masc. name "Elf-friend" (WJ:410)
and
and
a (2) conj. "and", a variant of ar occurring in Fíriel's Song (that also has ar; a seems to be used before words in f-, but contrast ar formenna "and northwards" in a late text, VT49:26). According to PE17:41, "Old Quenya" could have the conjunction a (as a variant of ar) before n, ñ, m, h, hy, hw (f is not mentioned), PE17:71 adding ty, ny, hr, hl, ñ, l, r, þ, s. See ar #1. It may be that the a or the sentence nornë a lintieryanen "he ran with his speed" (i.e. as quickly as he could) is to be understood as this conjunction, if the literal meaning is "he ran and [did so] with his speed" (PE17:58).
ar
and
ar (1) conj. "and" (AR2, SA, FS, Nam, RGEO:67, CO, LR:47, 56, MC:216, VT43:31, VT44:10, 34; see VT47:31 for etymology, cf. also VT49:25, 40). The older form of the conjunction was az (PE17:41). Ar is often assimilated to al, as before l, s (PE17:41, 71), but "in written Quenya ar was usually written in all cases" (PE17:71). In one case, Tolkien altered the phrase ar larmar "and raiments" to al larmar; the former may then be seen as representing the spelling, whereas the latter represents the pronunciation(PE17:175). More complex schemes of assimilation are suggested to have existed in "Old Quenya", the conjunction varying between ar, a and as depending on the following consonant (PE17:41, 71). An alternative longer form of the conjunction, arë, is said to occur "occasionally in Tolkien's later writings" (VT43:31, cf. VT48:14). In the Etymologies, the word for "and" was first written as ar(a) (VT45:6). In one source, Tolkien notes that Quenya used ar "as preposition beside, next, or as adverb = and" (PE17:145); compare ara.
ar
and
o (1) conj. "and", occurring solely in SD:246; all other sources give ar.
aran
king
aran noun "king"; pl. arani (WJ:369, VT45:16, PE17:186); gen.pl. aranion "of kings" in asëa aranion, q.v.; aranya "my king" (aran + nya) (UT:193). Aran Meletyalda "king your mighty" = "your majesty" (WJ:369); aran Ondórëo, "a king of Gondor" (VT49:27). Also in arandil "king's friend, royalist", arandur "king's servant, minister" (Letters:386); Arantar masc. name, "King-Lord" (Appendix A); Arandor "Kingsland" region in Númenor (UT:165); the long form Arandórë appears as a name of Arnor in PE17:28 (elsewhere Arnanórë, q.v.) Othercompounds ingaran, Noldóran, Núaran, q.v.
arë
and
arë conj. "and", longer form of ar, q.v. (VT43:31)
az
and
az, archaic form of the conjunction ar "and"; see ar #1.
elena
of the stars
elena adj. "of the stars" (SA:êl, elen); also elenya
elendili
collective name. Elf-friends
esse
noun. name
esta-
verb. name
haran
king, chieftain
haran (#harn-, as in pl. harni) noun "king, chieftain" (3AR, TĀ/TA3, VT45:17; for "king", the word aran is to be preferred in LotR-style Quenya). In a deleted entry in the Etymologies, haran was glossed "chief" (VT45:17)
heldo
friend
[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]
ho
from
ho prep. "from" (3O); cf. hó-
ló
from
ló, lo (2) prep. "from", also used = "by" introducing the agent after a passive construction: nahtana ló Turin *"slain by Túrin" (VT49:24). A similar and possibly identical form is mentioned in the Etymologies as being somehow related to the ablative ending -llo, but is not there clearly defined (VT45:28). At one point, Tolkien suggested that lo rather than the ending -llo was used with proper names (lo Manwë rather than Manwello for "from Manwë"), but this seems to have been a short-lived idea (VT49:24).
meldë
friend
#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.
málo
noun. friend
friend, comrade
málo
friend
málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)
mélamar
home
mélamar noun "home", Exilic Quenya word of emotional sense: place of ones birth or the familiar places from which one has been separated (PE17:109). Mélamarimma noun "Our Home", an expression used by Exilic Noldor for Aman.
nildo
friend
nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)
nildë
friend
nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)
nilmo
friend
nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)
noldo
noun. Noldo
Noldo, Gnome
nyarna
tale, saga
nyarna noun "tale, saga" (NAR2), compounded in nyarmamaitar noun "storyteller" (PE17:163), literally *"tale-artist" (see maitar).
o
preposition. from
quendil
masculine name. Elf-friend
quenelya
adjective. of the Elves
sanda
name
[sanda, sandë] (þ) (2) noun "name" (VT46:16)
sanya
name
[sanya] (þ) (2) noun ?"name" (reading of gloss uncertain, VT46:16)
sermo
friend
sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)
sermë
friend
sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)
seron
friend
seron noun "friend" (SER)
sondo
friend
[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]
taran
king
taran (1) noun "king", possibly ephemeral variant of aran, q.v. (PE17:186)
tul-
verb. come
tár
king
tár noun "king" (only used of the legitimate kings of whole tribes); the pl. tári "kings" must not be confused with the sg. tári "queen" (TĀ/TA3). Prefix tar-, compare -tar above. The normal Quenya word for "king" is aran, but compare Tarumbar.
túr
king
túr, tur noun "king" (PE16:138, LT1:260); rather aran in LotR-style Quenya, but cf. the verb tur-. Also compare the final element -tur, -ntur "lord" in names like Axantur, Falastur, Fëanturi, Vëantur (q.v.)
va
from
va prep. "from" (VT43:20; prefixed in the form var- in var-úra "from evil", VT43:24). In VT49:24, va, au and o are quoted as variants of the stem awa "away from".
vardar
king
vardar noun "king" (LT1:273; rather aran in LotR-style Quenya)
The most common Quenya word for “Elf”. Its literal meaning is “one of the Star-folk” (WJ/374), a name given to them by Oromë (S/49) and derived from the same primitive root √EL as Q. elen “star”. Strictly speaking, this term excludes the Avari who chose not to journey to Valinor, so that the proper term for all of Elvenkind is Q. Quendë “one of the Elven race”. The Elves of the West rarely encountered the Avari, however, so that term Elda was ordinarily broad enough to describe all Elves.
Conceptual Development: This word dates back to the earliest stages of Tolkien’s languages. At its first appearance, ᴱQ. Elda was glossed “a beach-fay” (QL/35), but was soon extended to describe all Elves (LT1/113). In Tolkien’s earliest writings the word was not given a clear etymology. In the Lhammas “Account of Tongues” from the 1930s (LR/168-180), Tolkien gave ᴹQ. Elda the sense of “one who departed” (LR/169), as opposed to the ᴹQ. Lembi “Lingerers” who remained behind (precursors of the Avari). With this sense, Elda was derived from ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” (Ety/LED).
Tolkien soon revised the etymology of Elda so that it was derived instead from ᴹ√ELED “star-folk” (Ety/ELED). In some later writings, he considered both etymologies of this word to be valid, so that Elda was blending of both “star-folk” (from √EL) and Q. Eldo “marcher” (from √LED or √DEL), as discussed in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 and elsewhere (WJ/362-3, PE17/139). However, the sense “star-folk” is probably better known.
In some notes from 1957, Tolkien considered deriving this word from a variant root √DEL “fair” so that its meaning would be “the fair” (PE17/151), but this seems to have been a transient idea.