Quenya 

en-

verb. again-

en- (4) prefix "again-", "re-" (PE17:68), in enquantuva "shall refill", entuluva, "shall come again", Envinyatar "Renewer", envinyanta "healed, *renewed", enyalië "to recall" (Nam, RGEO:67, LotR3:V ch. 8, VT41:16, MR:405, UT:317; as for the etymology of en-, see comments on Common Eldarin base EN "again, once more" in VT48:25)

en

still

en (2), also ena, adv. "still"; quetir en "they still say" (PE17:167)

en

made

en (3) particle that may be inserted before a past tense form to indicate that it refers to a remote past (VT45:12), apparently twice attested in Fíriel's Song (LR:72), e.g. en cárë ("k") "made" (long ago). This particle may have been obsoleted by en "still" from a later source.

en

there, look! yon (yonder)

en (1) interjection "there, look! yon (yonder)" (EN, VT45:12)

en

particle. in that (future) case; then, soon

Quenya [PE 22:120, 131] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

en

adverb. then soon, then soon, [ᴹQ.] in that (future) case; there, yonder; look yon(der); far away; that, [ᴱQ.] that by you; thereupon

en(a)

adverb. still

@@@ is more frequently used to refer to future, not past

-ien

suffix. feminine ending; feminine patronymic, -daughter

A feminine suffix common in Quenya names, in one place given as a feminine patronymic (PE17/170), though there are no attested Quenya names in which it was used that way.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ien was given as a (suffixal?) variant of ᴹQ. yen(de) “daughter” (Ety/YŌ; EtyAC/YŌ), but again there are no actual names from this period using the suffix in that way.

enquë

cardinal. six

enquë ("q") cardinal "six" (ÉNEK, VT48:4, 6, 9, VT49:57); enquëa ordinal "sixth" (VT42:25); see also enquië. According to VT48:8, the word for "six" may have been encë ("k") in very early Quenya (the form is asterisked by Tolkien), but this was altered to enquë under the influence of yunquë "twelve" (perceived as meaning "2 times 6", *yú-enquë, with the prefix - "twi-").

enya

middle

enya < endya adj. "middle" (EN). Compare #endëa.

feren

beech, beech-tree

feren (stem fern-, as in pl. ferni) noun "beech, beech-tree". Also fernë. (BERÉTH, PHER/PHÉREN)

sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?

now who the cup for me will refill?

The 8th phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation.

This phrase is interesting in that it places the direct and indirect objects of the phrase (i yulma nin “the cup for me”) in between the subject (man “who”) and the verb (enquantuva “will refill”). This indicates that even in ordinary speech, the normal Quenya subject-verb-object word order was somewhat free, with objects able to appear in other positions.

elen

noun. star

The most common Quenya word for “star”, mentioned very frequently, derived from an extended form ✶elen of the root √EL “behold” (PE17/67; WJ/360, 362). Its usual plural form is eleni, but it has an archaic plural †eldi sometimes used in verse, the result of the Ancient Quenya sound whereby [[aq|[ln] became [ld]]] after the ancient plural underwent the Quenya syncope, ✶elenī > AQ. elni; its normal modern plural form eleni was actually a reformation from the singular (PE17/57, 151; WJ/362).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, though in the original entry for the root ᴹ√EL Tolkien said it was poetical and gave variants ellen and elena (Ety/EL).

Quenya [Let/265; Let/385; LotR/0081; LotR/0377; LotR/0720; LotR/0915; MC/222; PE17/012; PE17/024; PE17/025; PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/067; PE17/090; PE17/091; PE17/101; PE17/127; PE17/151; PE19/096; PE23/128; PE23/133; PE23/134; PE23/142; PM/340; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/65; SA/êl; UT/213; VT49/39; VT49/44; VT49/45; WJ/362; WJ/367] Group: Eldamo. Published by

enquanta-

verb. to refill

Quenya [LotR/0377; Minor-Doc/2013-05-13; PE17/068; PE17/167; PE22/161; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT21/06; VT41/16] Group: Eldamo. Published by

enyal-

verb. to recall, to recall, *remember

lassë

noun. leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal

The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).

Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.

Quenya [Let/282; Let/382; LotR/0377; LotR/1107; PE16/096; PE17/062; PE17/076; PE19/106; Plotz/11; Plotz/12; Plotz/13; Plotz/14; Plotz/15; Plotz/16; Plotz/17; Plotz/18; Plotz/19; Plotz/20; RGEO/58; VT39/09; WJ/407] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-a

suffix. adjectival suffix

This suffix is frequently used to create the adjective form of a noun, especially in the form -ëa for nouns ending in . This function dates back to CE. ✶.

Quenya [LotR/1116; MC/223; PE16/096; PE17/115; PE17/149; VT39/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ien

suffix. -land

-nna

to

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

-nna

to, at, upon

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

-nya

my

-nya pronominal suffix, 1st person sg. possessive, "my" (VT49:16, 38, 48), e.g. tatanya "my daddy" (UT:191, VT48:17), meldonya "my [male] friend" (VT49:38), meldenya "my [female] friend" (Elaine inscription), omentienya "my meeting" (PE17:68), tyenya "my tye" (tye being an intimate form of "you"), used = "dear kinsman" (VT49:51, 56). This ending seems to prefer i as its connecting vowel where one is needed, cf. Anarinya "my sun" in LR:72, so also in hildinyar "my heirs". It was previously theorized by some that a final -ë would also be changed to -i- before -nya, but the example órenya "my heart [órë]" indicates that this is not the case (VT41:11).

-nya

suffix. my

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/067; PE17/132; PE17/190; VT49/16; VT49/38; VT49/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-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).

-uva

fill

-uva future tense ending. In avuva, caluva, cenuva, hiruva, (en)quantuva, (en)tuluva, laituvalmet, lauva, maruvan, termaruva, tiruvantes. A final -a drops out before the ending -uva is added: quanta- "fill", future tense quantuva (PE17:68). A verbal stem in -av- may be contracted when -uva follows, as when avuva is stated to have become auva (VT49:13). Origin/etymology of the ending -uva, see VT48:32. In VT49:30, the future tense of the verb "to be" is given as uva, apparently the future-tense "ending" appearing independently, but several other sources rather give nauva for "will be" (see #1).

-ya

suffix. adjective suffix

Ilúvatar

all-father

Ilúvatar masc. name "All-father", God (SD:401, FS, IL; Ilúv-atar, ATA, Iluvatar with a short u, SD:346). Often in combination with the divine name as Eru Ilúvatar, "Eru Allfather", cf. MR:112. "Qenya" genitive Ilúvatáren "of Ilúvatar" in Fíriel's Song, LR:47 and SD:246, the genitive ending is -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya. Cf. the later genitive Ilúvataro in the phrase Híni Ilúvataro (see "Children of Ilúvatar" in the Silmarillion Index)

amal

mother

amal noun "mother"; also emel (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.

amil

mother

amil noun "mother" (AM1), also emil (q.v.) Longer variant amillë (VT44:18-19), compounded Eruamillë "Mother of God" in Tolkien's translation of the Hail Mary (VT43:32). If amil is a shortened form of amillë, it should probably have the stem-form amill-. Also compare amilyë, amya, emya. Compounded amil- in amilessë noun "mothername" (cf. essë "name"), name given to a child by its mother, sometimes with prophetic implications (amilessi tercenyë "mother-names of insight"). (MR:217).

amil(lë)

noun. mother

Tolkien used a number of similar forms for “mother” for most of his life. The earliest of these are ᴱQ. amis (amits-) “mother” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s along with variants ᴱQ. ambi, âmi, amaimi under the root ᴱ√AMA (QL/30). An additional variant ammi appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/30). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱQ. ambe or mambe “mother” (PE16/135). This became ᴹQ. amil “mother” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√AM “mother” (Ety/AM¹).

This 1930s form amil appears to have survived for some time. It appeared in a longer form Amille in Quenya Prayers of the 1950s (VT43/26; VT44/12, 18), and as an element in the term amilessi “mother-names” in a late essay on Elvish naming (MR/217). In the initial drafts of Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien used the form amilye or amye as an affectionate word for “mother”, and amaltil as the finger name for the second finger (VT47/26-27 note #34 and #35).

However, in those documents Tolkien seems to have revised the root for “mother” from √AM to √EM and the affectionate forms from amye to emya or emme (VT47/10; VT48/6, 19). The revised word for “mother” appears to be emil based on the 1st person possessive form emil(inya) (VT47/26).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer to retain the root √AM for “mother”, since that is what Tolkien used for 50 years, and ignore the very late change to √EM. As such, I would recommend amil(le) for “mother” and affectionate forms amme “mommy” and amya. However, if you prefer to use Tolkien’s “final” forms, then emil(le), emme and emya seem to be what Tolkien adopted in the late 1960s.

Quenya [VT44/18; VT47/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ammë

mother

ammë noun "mother" (AM1)

an-

re

an- (3) prefix "re" in antúlien, q.v. (LotR-style Quenya shows en- instead.)

ana

to

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

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.

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).

Quenya [Let/347; LRI/Atalantë; PM/158; PMI/Atalantë; S/281; SI/Akallabêth; SI/Atalantë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

Quenya [PE17/084; PE17/143; RGEO/62; VT39/14] Group: Eldamo. Published by

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

carina

participle. made

Quenya [PE 22:111] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

condo

prince, leader; lord

condo ("k")noun "prince, leader; lord" (PE17:113,117); possibly replaces cundu, q.v.

cundu

prince

cundu ("k")noun "prince" (KUNDŪ; the "†_" indicating that this word is poetic or archaic was omitted in the Etymologies as printed in LR; see VT45:24)._ Cf. condo.

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

Quenya [MC/222; MC/223] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elen

star

elen noun "star" (SA:êl, elen, EL, VT49:39); pl. eleni (occasionally in verse: eldi) (WJ:362, PE17:127); partitive pl. elelli for elenli (PE17:127), gen. pl. elenion in the phrase Elenion Ancalima "brightest of stars" (LotR2:IV ch. 9; see Letters:385 for translation); elen atta "two stars" (VT49:44), genitive elen atto "of two stars" (VT49:45), eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = "of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45). Allative elenna "starwards" used as name of Númenor _(Silm; see Elenna)_; ablative pl. elenillor "from stars" in Markirya. **Nai elen siluva ***"may a star shine", VT49:38.

elmenda

wonder

elmenda noun "wonder" (PE13:143)

elwen

heart

elwen noun "heart" (LT1:255; rather hón or enda in LotR-style Quenya)

emel

mother

emel noun "mother"; also amal (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.

emil

mother

emil noun "mother", emilinya "my mother" (also reduced to emya) the terms a child would use in addressing his or her mother (VT47:26). Emil would seem to be a variant of amil. Also compare emel.

emil

noun. mother

enda

heart

enda noun "heart", but not referring to the physical organ; it literally means "centre" (cf. endë) and refers to the fëa (soul) or sáma (mind) itself. (VT39:32)

endya

middle

endya > enya adj. "middle" (ÉNED)

endë

noun. centre, middle, centre, middle; [ᴹQ.] core

The word ᴹQ. ende first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, glossed either “middle, centre” (Ety/ÉNED) or “core, centre” (Ety/NÉD), and derived from the root ᴹ√ENED “middle” (Ety/ÉNED). In notes from late 1960s Tolkien had {ened >>} ente “centre”, which he clarified was “not used of emotions or thought only physical” (VT41/12). In this context it was derived from √HENET “middle” (VT41/16). But in other writings from the late 1960s, the word as again ende from √ENED “middle” (VT48/25), and I believe √HENET > ente was a transient idea.

Neo-Quenya: Base on its 1930s glosses and the meaning of 1960s ente, I believe ende is a noun referring to a physical centre.

Quenya [VT41/12; VT48/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

endëa

middle

#endëa adj. "middle" in atendëa, q.v. Compare enya.

endëa

adjective. middle, middle, *average

An adjectival form of endë “middle” implied by Q. atendëa “double-middle” from the first edition of The Lord of the Rings (RC/728).

Neo-Quenya: In a Discord post from 2025-04-24, Delle suggested this adjective might mean “✱average” as well.

enenquë

cardinal. sixteen

enenquë cardinal "sixteen" (VT48:21)

enenquë

cardinal. sixteen

en i matinye

I shall eat then soon

enquanta-

verb. refill

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

enquë

cardinal. six

Quenya [PE17/095; VT48/06; VT48/07; VT48/08; VT48/09; VT48/10] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ento

next

ento adv. "next" (Arct)

entë

noun. centre

enya

adverb. then soon

Quenya enetya < HENET. Group: Eldamo. Published by

es

the eagles of the lords are at hand

es unidentified word in the phrase es sorni heruion an! "the Eagles of the Lords are at hand" (SD:290); possibly an assimilated form of en, that may function as a kind of deitic particle here: *"Behold the Eagles..."

esse

noun. name

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

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).

essë

noun. name

Quenya [LotR/1123; MR/216; MR/470; PM/339; UT/266; UTI/epessë; VT42/17; VT43/14; WJ/359] Group: Eldamo. Published by

esta-

verb. name

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

hinna

adverb. still

Quenya [PE 22:116] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

hón

heart

hón noun "heart" (physical) (KHŌ-N); hon-maren "heart of the house", a fire (LR:63, 73; this is "Qenya" with genitive in -en, not -o as in LotR-style Quenya read *hon-maro?)

i

pronoun. that

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

i

article. the

Quenya [CPT/1296; DTS/54; LotR/0377; MC/221; MC/222; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; Minor-Doc/1973-05-30; Minor-Doc/2013-05-13; MR/049; NM/239; NM/240; NM/351; PE16/096; PE17/013; PE17/065; PE17/066; PE17/068; PE17/076; PE17/127; PE19/076; PE21/77; PE21/80; PE22/147; PE22/161; PE22/166; PE23/133; PE23/134; PE23/135; PM/395; PM/403; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; S/190; UT/008; UT/305; UT/317; VT21/06; VT43/19; VT43/29; VT43/31; VT43/35; VT43/37; VT43/38; VT44/35; VT47/35; VT49/08; VT49/12; VT49/22; WJ/166; WJ/369; WJ/398] Group: Eldamo. Published by

i, antevokaliskt in

conjunction. that

Quenya [PE 22:118] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

ia

ever

[ia adv. "ever" (GEY, EY); replaced by oia.]

in

the

i (1) "the", indeclinable definite article (I, Nam, RGEO:67, Markirya, WJ:369, WJ:398, MC:215, 216, 221). A variant in (q.v.) is also attested. Hyphenated i- in i-mar "the earth" (FS), i-Ciryamo "the mariner's" (UT:8), i-aldar "the trees" (Narqelion), attached with a dot in i·yulmar "the cups" (VT48:11), I·Eldanyárë "the History of the Elves" (LR:199), i·arya *"the best" (PE17:57), directly prefixed with no hyphen or dot in icilyanna = i cilyanna in SD:247, also ihyarma "the left hand" in VT49:22 (but i hyarma in other versions of the same text).

in

article. the

indo

heart, mood

indo (1) noun "heart, mood" (ID), "state" (perhaps especially state of mind, given the other glosses) (VT39:23), "mind, region/range of thought, mood" (PE17:155, 179), "inner thought, in fea as exhibited in character or [?personality]" (PE17:189). In another post-LotR source, indo is translated "resolve" or "will", the state of mind leading directly to action (VT41:13). Indo is thus "the mind in its purposing faculty, the will" (VT41:17). Indo-ninya,a word occurring in Fíriels Song, translated "my heart" (see ninya). In the compound indemma "mind-picture", the first element would seem to be indo.

lassë

leaf

lassë noun "leaf"; pl. lassi is attested (Nam, RGEO:66, Letters:283, LAS1, LT1:254, VT39:9, Narqelion); gen. lassëo "of a leaf", gen. pl. lassion "of leaves" (earlier lassio) (WJ:407). The word lassë was only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees (PE17:62), perhaps particularly _ear-shaped _leaves (cf. the entry _LAS1 _in the Etymologies, where Tolkien comments on the pointed or leaf-shaped Elvish ears and suggests an etymological connection between words for "ear" and "leaf"); see also linquë #3. Compound lasselanta "leaf-fall", used (as was quellë) for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter (Appendix D, Letters:428); hence Lasselanta alternative name of October (PM:135). Cf. also lassemista "leaf-grey, grey-leaved" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:224, PE17:62), lassewinta a variant of lasselanta (PM:376). Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves" (PE17:56). See also lillassëa, lantalasselingëa.

lemen

cardinal. five

lemen, alternative cardinal "five" (VT48:6, 20); the word normally appears as lempë, but compare lemenya below.

lemen

cardinal. five

lemnë

cardinal. five

lempë

cardinal. five

lempë cardinal "five" (LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK, GL:53, VT42:24, VT47:10, 24); lempëa ordinal "fifth", an analogical formation replacing older lemenya, in turn altered from the historically "correct" form lepenya because of analogy with the cardinal lempë "five" (VT42:25; Vanyarin Quenya maintained lepenya, VT42:26)

lempë

cardinal. five

Quenya [PE17/095; VT42/24; VT42/25; VT42/26; VT47/10; VT47/24; VT48/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mamil

mother, mummy

mamil noun *"mother, mummy" (UT:191)

na

to, towards

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

nan

adverb. again

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

ne

that

ne (2) conj. "that" (as in "I know that you are here") (PE14:54), evidently replaced by i in Tolkiens later Quenya (see i #3).

neldor

beech

neldor noun "beech" (LT2:343)

ninya

my

ninya _possessive pron _occurring in Fíriel's Song, evidently meaning "my"; see indo-ninya. It may be derived from the dative form nin "for me" by adding the adjectival ending -ya. Compare menya, q.v.

númeheru

lord of the west

#númeheru noun "Lord of the West" (númë + heru), attested in these inflected forms: 1) númeheruen "of [the] Lord of the West" (Manwë) (SD:290); this is "Qenya" with genitive in -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya; 2) pl. númeheruvi "Lords-of-West" ("West-lords" = Valar) in SD:246.

oi

ever

oi adv. "ever" (OY)

on

stone

on, ondo noun "stone" (LT2:342, LT1:254 probably only ondo in LotR-style Quenya, see below). Various "Qenya" forms: ondoli "rocks" (MC:213; this would be a partitive plural in LotR-style Quenya), ondolin "rocks" (MC:220), ondoisen "upon rocks" (MC:221), ondolissen "rocks-on" (MC:214; the latter form, partitive plural locative, is still valid in LotR-style Quenya).

ondo

stone

ondo noun "stone" as a material, also "rock" (UT:459, GOND). Pl. ondor in an earlier variant of Markirya; partitive pl. locative ondolissë "on rocks" in the final version. Compounded in ondomaitar "sculptor in stone" (PE17:163), Ondoher masc.name, *"Stone-lord" (ondo alluding to Ondonórë = Sindarin Gondor, "stone-land") (Appendix A), #ondolunca ("k") "stonewain", possessive form in the place-name Nand Ondoluncava "Stonewain Valley" (PE17:28, also Ondoluncanan(do) as a compound). Ondolindë place-name "Gondolin" (SA:gond, J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 193); see Ondo. Earlier "Qenya" has Ondolinda _(changed from Ondolin) "singing stone, Gondolin" (LT1:254)_

ontari

mother

ontari noun "mother" or etymologically "begetter, parent" (fem.); clashing with the plural ontari "parents", this was apparently an emphemeral form (see ontarë, ontaril, ontarië for other feminine forms of "begetter, parent") (VT44:7)

ontaril

mother

ontaril noun "mother", female *"begetter" (cf. onta-). Variant of ontarë. (VT43:32)

pahta

closed, shut, private

pahta (1) adj. "closed, shut, private" (VT39:23, VT41:6, PE17:171)

quainquë

cardinal. sixteen

quainquë, cardinal "sixteen" (but enenquë may be preferred) (VT48:21)

quanta-

verb. fill

quanta- (2) vb. "fill" (PE17:68), cf. enquantuva "will refill" in Namárië. This verb seems to spring from a secondary use of the adjective quanta "full" as a verbal stem, whereas the synonym quat- (q.v.) is the original primary verb representing the basic root KWAT.

quat-

verb. fill

quat- vb. "fill" (WJ:392), future #quantuva "shall fill" (enquantuva "shall refill") (Nam, RGEO:67) Irrespective of the prefix en- "re", the form enquatuva (VT48:11) displays the expected future tense of quat-. The Namárië form enquantuva seems to include a nasal infix as well, which is possibly an optional feature of the future tense. On the other hand, PE17:68 cites the verb as quanta- rather than quat-, and then the future-tense form quantuva would be straightforward.

quetir en

they still say

re

re

[re, possibly a 3rd person singular emphatic pronoun, struck out by Tolkien (VT49:49)]

sa

conjunction. that

Quenya [PE 22:119] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

san

then

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

sana

that

Quenya [PE 22:116] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

sanda

name

[sanda, sandë] (þ) (2) noun "name" (VT46:16)

sanomë

there

sanomë adv. "there" (PE17:71). Cf. sinomë, tanomë.

sanomë

adverb. there

A word for “there” appearing in notes from mid-1960s in the phrase sanome tarne Olórin, Aracorno, Eomer, Imrahil “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil” (PE17/71). A similar form ᴹQ. sanome(s) appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from the late 1940s, where it was based on ᴹ√NOM “spot, place” (PE23/112).

The word can be contrasted with tanome “there” in different notes from the late 1960s (VT49/11, 19), and also in DRC from the 1940s. DRC made the distinction between these two words clear, in that tanome was “demonstrative there” pointing to a place not previously mentioned, while sanome was “anaphoric there” referring back to a place mentioned before. So “go there” would be á mene tanome, but “I went to the city and found Aragorn there” would be mennen i ostonna ar hirnen Aracorno sanome.

Lokyt originally suggested this distinction to me in a Discord conversation from 2022, and was eventually proven right by the publication of DRC in 2024.

sanya

name

[sanya] (þ) (2) noun ?"name" (reading of gloss uncertain, VT46:16)

savin elessar ar <u>i</u> nánë aran ondórëo

that

i (3) conj. "that". Savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo "I believe that Elessar really existed and that [he] was a king of Gondor" (VT49:27), savin…i E[lesarno] quetië naitë *"I believe that Elessars speaking [is] true" (VT49:28) Also cf. nai, nái "be it that" (see nai #1), which may seem to incorporate this conjunction.

sina

this

sina demonstrative "this" (following its noun in our sole example: vanda sina "this oath"). (CO, VT49:18; in the latter source, sina _is called an adjective). _This word would, like Sindarin hen, be derived from primitive ¤sĭnā (VT49:34). Cf. sin #1.

sina

this

A word for “this” appearing in Cirion’s Oath (UT/305). It also appeared in a list of demonstratives from 1968 as an adjectival form of si “this” (VT49/18), and appeared again in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/135). Similarly formed ᴹQ. sina appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/104-105) where it could also be used both adjectivally (“this”) and substantively (“this fact”).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. táma for “this” rather than “that” (QL/87); compare ᴱQ. ena “that by you” (QL/34). The Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s had {qinta >>} ᴱQ. qinda “this” (PE14/55), but a sentence in contemporaneous Qenya Word-lists seems to have sinda for “this” (PE16/146).

Quenya [CPT/1296; PE23/135; UT/305; VT49/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sundo

noun. base

base

Quenya [PE 18:33, 60 PE 18:84, 95] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

sundo

base, root, root-word

sundo (þ) noun "base, root, root-word" (SUD), sc. a Quendian consonantal "base". According to VT46:16, Tolkien changed the root to STUD, thereby implying that sundo was earlier þundo (compare Sindarin thond "root"). PE18:95 gives the pl. form as sundur, seemingly implying a stem-form sundu-. It is not, however, used in the compound sundocarmë "base-structure" (PE18:84 not **sunducarmë), a term used in the description of the structure of the various Quendian "bases" or roots.

ta

that, it

ta (1) pron. "that, it" (TA); compare antaróta** "he gave it" (FS); see anta-. The forms tar/tara/tanna "thither", talo/ "thence" and tás/tassë* "there" are originally inflected forms of this pronoun: "to that", "from that" and "in that" (place), respectively. Compare "there" as one gloss of ta (see #4).

ta

there

ta (5) adv. "there" (VT49:33; this may be an Elvish root or "element" rather than a Quenya word; see tanomë; see however also tar, tara, tanna under ta #1).

ta

then

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

tai

then

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

tai

1lE adverb. then

talma

base, foundation, root

talma noun "base, foundation, root" (TALAM), also translated "bottom" in the expression "top to bottom", see below.% Talmar Ambaren (place-name, *"Foundations of the World" - this is pre-classical "Qenya" with genitive in -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya) (TALAM). Allative talmanna in the phrase telmello talmanna** "from hood to base**, top to bottom" _(VT46:18; notice misreading "telmanna" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry TEL-, TELU-)_

tana

that

tana (1) demonstrative "that" (said to be "anaphoric") (TA). According to VT49:11, tana is the adjective corresponding to ta, "that" as a pronoun.

tana

that

A word for “that” appearing in a list of demonstratives from 1968, an adjectival form of ta “that” (VT49/11). This adjective also appeared in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/135). Similarly formed ᴹQ. tana appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/85, 104-105) where it could also be used both adjectivally (“that”) and substantively (“that fact”). ᴹQ. tana “that” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s but in that document Tolkien said it was “anaphoric” (Ety/TA), as opposed to later when Q. sana was used for anaphoric that (PE16/97; PE23/104).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. táma was “this” rather than “that” (QL/87). The Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s had ᴱQ. {santa >>} sanda “that” (PE14/55), but drafts of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from around 1930 seem to have tanda for “that” (PE16/56-57, 60).

Quenya [PE23/135; VT49/11] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taniquelassë

leaf

taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"

tanya

that

tanya demonstrative "that" (MC:215; this is "Qenya", perhaps corresponding to later tana)

tasse

there

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tassë

there

tassë adv. "there" (VT49:11), short form tás. These seem to be properly locative forms of ta "that, it", hence "in that [place]". Compare allative tanna "thither" and ablative talo "thence".

tassë

adverb. there

The words tās and tasse “there” appeared in a list of demonstratives from 1968 (VT49/11), combinations of ta “that” and the locative suffix -ssë. Short form tas appeared in the phrase tas kennen nótime eldali “I saw a few elves there” in notes from 1969 (PE22/155). Similarly formed ᴹQ. tasse “there” appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948, also with a short variant tas (PE23/97, 111).

Quenya [PE22/155; VT49/11] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tyal-

verb. play

play

Quenya [PE 18:94] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tyal-

verb. play

tyal- vb. "play" (1st pers. aorist tyalin "I play") (TYAL)

then

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

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

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

Quenya [VT49/11; VT49/33] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tás

there

tás adv. "there" (VT49:11); also tassë, q.v.

tás

adverb. there

tólë

centre

tólë noun "centre" (LT1:269; the word endë is to be preferred in Tolkien's later Quenya)

vor

ever

vor, voro adv. "ever" (BOR, LT1:250, 273 [only voro_ in the Etymologies]; also in Narqelion)_

voro

ever, continually

voro, voro- adv. "ever, continually" (BOR, Narqelion) Compare vor. (Focusing on the gloss "continually", post-Tolkien writers have sometimes used voro for "still, yet", but for this sense the term en is available.) The variants vora, vorë were used for "always" in drafts for a Quenya version of the Sub Tuum Praesidium, but Tolkien eventually replaced such forms with the unrelated word illumë (VT44:9). Compare vórë, vórëa.

yana

that

yana demonstrative "that" (the former) (YA)

yára

ancient, belonging to or descending from former times

yára adj. "ancient, belonging to or descending from former times" (YA); evidently it can also simply mean "old", since Tolkien used the intensive/superlative form #anyára to describe Elaine Griffiths as his "oldest" or "very old" friend in a book dedication (see an-).

él

star

él noun "star", pl. éli given (WJ:362, EL)

él

noun. star

An archaic or poetic word for star (WJ/362), somewhat common in compounds but in ordinary speech typically appearing as elen. It was derived directly from the primitive root √EL “behold”, the basis for other star words (PM/340; WJ/360).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as poetical ᴹQ. él “star” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above, though in this document the root ᴹ√EL meant “star” (Ety/EL), a common gloss for the root in later writings as well.

Quenya [PM/340; WJ/362] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ílë

star

ílë noun "star" (LT1:269; rather elen, él in LotR-style Quenya.)

órë

heart

órë (1) noun "heart" (inner mind), also name of tengwa #21 (Appendix E), "premonition" (VT41:13), "nearest equivalent of 'heart' in our application to feelings, or emotions (courage, fear, hope, pity, etc.)" (VT41:13). The órë apparently defines a person's personality, cf. the description of Galadriel in PM:337, that "there dwelt in her the noble and generous spirit (órë) of the Vanyar". Órenya "my heart" (VT41:11).

úlumë

ever

úlumë adv. "ever", at all times (in a series or period) (PE17:156). Cf. ullumë.

ʼondō

noun. stone

PQ. stone

Quenya [PE 19:70] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

iniva

adjective. womanly

A neologism for “womanly”, adjectival form of the root √INI “female”, coined by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo to replace ᴱQ. venya and ᴱQ. anaina of the same meaning. I now favor ᴹQ. nisíte based on notes in PE23 published in 2024; see that entry for discussion.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

vaimata-

verb. to [en]robe, *clothe; to get dressed, put on clothing