epetai adv. "consequently" (VT49:11). Since this is to contain tai "that which" (epe-ta-i "before that which"), a form Tolkien may later have abandoned, the less problematic synonym etta should perhaps be preferred. Compare potai.
Quenya
epë
before
epe
after
epetai
consequently
epessë
after-name
epessë noun "after-name", nickname, mostly given as a title of admiration or honour (PM:339, UT:266, VT49:12). Cf. essë "name" and epë above.
epeta
following that, thereupon, thence, whereupon
epeta adv. "following that, thereupon, thence, whereupon" (epë + ta #1). Also epta. (VT49:12)
epessë
noun. after-name
epeni
conjunction. before, *after; before
a anamelda na epë b
A is dear before B
a arimelda na epe b
A is (very much) [dearer] than B
equë
verb. say, says, said
A defective verb in Quenya that meant “say”, “says” or “said”, the only remnant of the verbal function of the ancient root √KWE (WJ/392). This verb is “defective” in the sense that is does not have most verbal inflections:
> It has no tense forms and usually receives no pronominal affixes, being mostly used only before either a proper name (sg. or pl.) or a full independent pronoun, in the senses “say / says” or “said”. A quotation then follows, either direct, or less usually indirect after a “that”-conjunction (WJ/392).
Thus it resembles the English verb “quoth”, which is likewise a defective verb that is not inflected for tense: Eque Manwe = “Quoth Manwe”, which would then be followed by the thing that Manwe said. This difference is that English “quoth” sounds archaic and can only be used of past quotations, whereas Quenya eque is not archaic and can used of either past quotations or habitual quotations: things the speaker regularly says. The only inflections this verb can take are pronominal suffixes, which are attached directly to eque such as equen “said I” or eques “said he”, and such inflections are only used when reporting a dialogue (WJ/415).
apa
after
apa (1) prep. "after" (VT44:36), attested as a prefix in apacenyë and Apanónar, q.v. Variant ep- in epessë, q.v.; see epë for futher discussion. (According to VT44:36, apa was glossed "after" and also "before" in one late manuscript, but both meanings were rejected.) See also apa # 2 below. For Neo-Quenya purposes, apa should probably be ascribed the meaning "after", as in our most widely-published sources (compare Apanónar, "the After-born", as a name of Men in the Silmarillion). Variants pa, pá (VT44:36), but like apa these are also ascribed other meanings elsewhere; see separate entry. Apo (VT44:36) may be yet another variant of the word for "after".
cata
after
opo
before, ahead, in front of
ala
after, beyond
ala (5) prep. "after, beyond" (MC:221, 214; however, LotR-style Quenya has han and pella "beyond" and apa "after")
apa
preposition. after (of time)
apo
after
apo prep. ?"after" (see apa #1) (VT44:36)
nó
before
nó (3) prep. "before" (of time, compare nóvo), "at back" (of spatial relationships). In other conceptual phases, Tolkien also let the word have the opposite meaning "after" (of time) or "in front" (of space). (VT49:32).
opo
before, in front of
opo prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships); "after" (of time), also pó, po or pono, poto (VT49:12, VT44:36, evidently a variant of apa).
po
before, in front of
po, pó prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships) "after" (of time), also opo or pono, poto- (VT49:12, 32, VT44:36; evidently a variant of apa)
quet-
verb. say, speak
quet- vb. "say, speak" (SA:quen-/quet-, LT2:348), sg. aorist quetë in VT41:11 and VT49:19 (spelt "qete" in the latter source), not to be confused with the infinitival aorist stem in the example polin quetë "I can speak" (VT41:6); pl. aorist quetir in VT49:10-11, present tense quéta in VT41:13, pa.t. quentë in PM:401, 404, apparent gerund quetië in VT49:28 (by Tolkien translated as "words", but more literally evidently *"speaking"). Imperative in the command queta Quenya! "speak Quenya!" (PE17:138), see Quenya regarding the meaning of this phrase. The same verb is translated "tell" in the sentence órenya quetë nin "my heart tells me" (VT41:15). Cf. also #maquet-
epë prep. "before" ("in all relations but time", VT49:32), though the word was glossed "after" when first published (VT42:32; Bill Welden, the writer of the article in question, later presented this correction in VT44:38). The preposition can indeed express "after" when used of time, since the Eldar imagined future time (time that comes after the present) as being "before" them (VT49:12, 32); epë is in this respect a variant of apa, q.v. (Cf. VT49:22.) Compare epessë, q.v. Epë "before" may also be used in comparison (PE17:56, 57), apparently in much the same way as lá #2 (q.v.) (VT42:32)