Quenya 

fairë

phantom, disembodied spirit, when seen as a pale shape

fairë(1) noun "phantom, disembodied spirit, when seen as a pale shape" (pl. fairi in Markirya); compare ausa. The noun fairë was also used = "spirit (in general)", as a kind of being (MR:349, PE17:124). In VT43:37 and VT44:17, fairë refers to the Holy Spirit (fairë aista or Aina Fairë)

fairë

natural death

fairë (2) noun "natural death" (as act) (PHIR)

fairë

radiance

fairë (3) noun "radiance" (PHAY)

fairë

free

fairë (4) adj. "free" (LT1:250) (rather léra, lerina or mirima in LotR-style Quenya)

fairë

noun. spirit (disembodied), phantom; †radiance

Cognates

  • S. faer “spirit (in general)” ✧ MR/349; MR/470

Derivations

  • phairi “spirit (general)” ✧ NM/237
    • PHAY “spirit, spirit; [ᴹ√] radiate, send out rays of light” ✧ NM/237
    • PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)” ✧ NM/237

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
phai-rĭ > fairë[pʰairi] > [pʰaire] > [ɸaire] > [faire]✧ NM/237

Variations

  • faire ✧ VT43/37
  • Faire ✧ VT44/17
Quenya [MC/221; MC/222; MC/223; MR/250; MR/349; MR/470; NM/237; PE17/124; VT43/37; VT44/17] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fairië

freedom

fairië noun "freedom" (LT1:250; since this is an abstract formation based on fairë "free", a meaning only ascribed to this word in early "Qenya" whereas fairë has a string of other meanings in Tolkien's later Quenya, the conceptual validity of fairië "freedom" may be questioned).

aranya

free

aranya, also ranya, adj. "free". Another gloss was not certainly legible, but the editors suggest "uncontrolling" (VT46:10)

lerina

free

lerina adj. "free" of things: not guarded, reserved, made fast, or "owned" (VT41:5)

léra

free

léra adj. noun "free", of persons (VT41:5)

mirima

free

mirima adj. "free" (MIS). ("Free" is rather expressed as léra in Tolkiens later Quenya; mirima would be prone to confusion with mírima above.)

fëa

spirit

fëa noun "spirit" (pl. fëar attested, MR:363). The Incarnates are said to live by necessary union of hroa (body) and fëa (WJ:405). In Airëfëa noun "the Holy Spirit", Fëanáro masc. name "Spirit of Fire" (Quenya-Sindarin hybrid form: Fëanor), Fëanturi noun "Masters of Spirits", name of the two Valar Mandos and Lórien (SA:tur), fëafelmë noun "spirit-impulse" (impulses originating with the spirit, e.g. love, pity, anger, hate) (VT41:19 cf. 13, VT43:37). In one source it is said to mean specifically a "spirit indwelling a body", i.e. "soul" (PE17:124), which contradicts such uses as Airefëa or Fëanturi. Cf. fairë.

alcar

noun. radiance

radiance, splendour

Quenya [PE 18:36 PE 18:87] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

vilissë

spirit

vilissë noun "spirit" (GL:23)

þúlë

noun. spirit

lehta

free, released

lehta (2) adj. "free, released" (VT39:17); #lehta tengwë "free element, released element", a term for "vowel" (only pl. lehta tengwi [ñ] is attested; we would rather expect *lehtë tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective) (VT39:17)

súlë

spirit, breath

súlë (þ) noun "spirit, breath", also name of tengwa #9; originally thúlë (þúlë), before the shift th > s that occurred shortly before the rebellion of the Noldor (Appendix E, THŪ). Its gloss, "blowing forth", was metaphorically used as "the emission of power (of will or desire) from a spirit" (PE17:124). If the element súlë appears in Súlimë and Súlimo (q.v.), the stem-form may seem to be súli-.

alta

radiance

alta (2) noun "radiance" (VT42:32, PE17:50). Cf. variant ñalta.

alta

noun. radiance

químari

phantoms

químari ("q")noun in pl. "phantoms" (MC:213; in LotR-style Quenya rather fairi, sg. fairë)

ausa

dim shape, spectral or vague apparition

ausa (þ) noun "a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition" (VT42:10, cf. 9). Compare fairë.

nalta

radiance, glittering reflection

nalta ("ñ")noun "radiance, glittering reflection" (from jewels, glass or polished metals, or water) (PM:347)

spirit, shadow

noun "spirit, shadow" (PE17:86)

ráva

free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless

ráva (1) adj. "free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless" (PE17:78), "wild, untamed"_ (RAB). _In PE17:78, the gloss "wild" is given to the variant hráva instead.

lérië

noun. freedom

Elements

WordGloss
léra“free (of persons)”
Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

Sindarin 

faer

noun. spirit

Sindarin [MR/349] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lain

adjective. free, freed

Sindarin [Ety/368, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

aglar

noun. radiance

_n. _radiance, glory. Q. alkar. >> aglareb

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:24] < _aklar_ < KAL light. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

spirit

_ n. _spirit, shadow.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:86] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

galad

radiance

1a _ n. _radiance. >> Galadriel, Gil-galad

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:50] < _kalat_- radiance < GAL < KAL shine. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

fae

spirit

1) fae (soul, radiance). No distinct pl. form. 2) faer (radiance). No distinct pl. form. (MR:349)

fae

spirit

(soul, radiance). No distinct pl. form.

adleitha

free

(i adleitha, in adleithar), also †adleg- (i adleg, in edlegir), pa.t. adlenc, pp. adlengen, pl. edlengin).

faer

spirit

(radiance). No distinct pl. form. (MR:349)

rain

free

rain (wandering, erratic). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”border” (VT46:10; suggested Sindarin form of ” Noldorin” rhain)

leitha

set free

(i leitha, i leithar)

hûr

fiery spirit

(i chûr, o chûr, construct hur) (readiness for action, vigour), pl. huir (i chuir) if there is a pl.

galad

radiance

1) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad) (bright light, sunlight, brilliance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid), 2) glaw (i **law), pl. gloe (in gloe), 3) thîl; no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. ?thiliath**.

galad

radiance

(i ngalad = i ñalad) (bright light, sunlight, brilliance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid)

glaw

radiance

(i ’law), pl. gloe (in gloe)

thîl

radiance

; no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. ?thiliath.

auth

dim shape

auth (spectral or vague apparition), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "war, battle".

auth

dim shape

auth (spectral or vague apparition), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "war, battle". DARK SHAPE, see .

Adûnaic

manô

noun. spirit

A noun translated “spirit” and fully declined as an example of a Weak II noun (SD/438). It appeared with both a short a (SD/424) and long â (SD/438). Given its ending , it might be a masculine-noun, but it seems unlikely that spirits would only be male. This entry assumes it is a common-noun instead. It is probably related to ᴹQ. manu “departed spirit” as suggested by various authors (AAD/19, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/MAN).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. manu “departed spirit”

Derivations

  • ✶Ad. manaw “spirit” ✧ SD/424; SD/424

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
✶Ad. manaw- > manau > manō[manaw] > [manau] > [manō]✧ SD/424
✶Ad. manaw+yi > manau+yi > manōyi > manôi[manawji] > [manauji] > [manōji] > [manōi]✧ SD/424

Variations

  • manō ✧ SD/424
  • mānō ✧ SD/438
Adûnaic [SD/424; SD/438] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive elvish

ler

root. free

A root appearing twice in a list of roots from 1959-60, the first time described as “free (of moveable things or moving things), able to move as willed, unimpeded, unhampered, loose, not fixed fast or static” and the second time as “am free to do, sc., am under no restraint (physical or other)” (VT41/5-6). In the second instance it was compared to √POL which had the sense of being physically able to do something. It seems that √LER = “able to do something because there is nothing preventing it” vs. √POL = “able to something because of physical ability”. It might also be contrasted with √LEK which has the sense of freeing something that was once bound, whereas with √LER the thing that is free may have never been bound in the first place.

Derivatives

  • Q. léra “free (of persons)” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05
  • ᴺQ. lerië “issue, release, edition”
  • Q. lerina “free (of things)” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05
  • Q. lerta- “to be free to do” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/06
  • Q. lerya- “to release, set free, let go” ✧ PE17/160; VT41/05

Element in

  • Q. lerya- “to release, set free, let go”

Variations

  • ler ✧ VT41/05; VT41/06
Primitive elvish [PE17/160; VT41/05; VT41/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

phay

root. spirit, spirit; [ᴹ√] radiate, send out rays of light

When this root first appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/PHAY), it was glossed “radiate, send out rays of light” and its derivatives were consistent with this definition, most notably in N. Feanor “Radiant Sun”. In later writings, this root was instead glossed “spirit” (PM/352), which is the connotation of most of its later derivatives. For example, the later meaning of S. Fëanor was changed to “Spirit of Fire”.

The earlier sense “radiate” probably also survived in Tolkien’s later conception, however. On MR/250, the word Q. fairë “spirit” is said to originally have had the sense “radiance”, which is precisely the meaning that ᴹQ. faire had in The Etymologies. There is also a primitive monosyllable ✶phāy “flame, ray of light” in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s (OP2: PE19/102). If the root meaning “radiate” remains valid, then the word S. ✱fael “gleam of the sun”, an element of S. Faelivrin “gleam of the sun on the pools of Ivrin” (the second name of Finduilas), might be a derivative of this root.

Derivations

  • PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)” ✧ NM/237

Derivatives

  • phaini “vapour” ✧ NM/237
    • S. faen “vapour; [disembodied] spirit” ✧ NM/237
  • phairi “spirit (general)” ✧ NM/237
    • Q. fairë “spirit (disembodied), phantom; †radiance” ✧ NM/237
    • S. faer “spirit (in general)”
  • phanā “veil, cloud” ✧ NM/237
    • Q. fana “raiment, veil; (bright) shape or figure; bodily form of an angelic spirit” ✧ PE17/173; PE17/174
    • S. fân “(white) cloud; veil, curtain; form or vision of a spiritual being; spirit [embodied]” ✧ PE17/173; PE17/174
  • phāy “flame, ray of light”
    • Q. “*ray of light, flame” ✧ PE19/104
  • phayā “soul, indwelling spirit” ✧ NM/237
    • Q. fëa “(indwelling or incarnate) spirit, soul” ✧ MR/349; MR/470; NM/237; PE17/124; PE19/104; VT41/14
    • S. fae “incarnate spirit, incarnate spirit, *soul”
  • Q. faila “fair-minded, just, generous” ✧ PM/352
  • Q. fëa “(indwelling or incarnate) spirit, soul” ✧ PM/352
  • S. fael “gleam of the sun; *gleaming”
  • S. fael “fair-minded, just, generous” ✧ PM/352

Variations

  • phay ✧ NM/237; NM/237
  • PHAYA ✧ PM/352
Primitive elvish [NM/237; PM/352] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

rhain

adjective. free

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶(a)ranyā “free, ?uncontrolling” ✧ EtyAC/RAN
    • ᴹ√RAN “wander, stray” ✧ Ety/RAN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶(a)ranı̯ā > rhein > rhain[ranjā] > [ranja] > [rania] > [renia] > [reni] > [rein] > [r̥ein] > [r̥ain]✧ EtyAC/RAN

Variations

  • rhain ✧ EtyAC/RAN
  • erein ✧ EtyAC/RAN (erein)
Noldorin [EtyAC/RAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lhain

adjective. free, freed

Noldorin [Ety/368, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

lhein

adjective. free, freed

Noldorin [Ety/368, X/LH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

glaw

noun. radiance

Noldorin [Ety/362] Group: SINDICT. Published by

glaw

noun. radiance

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. kala “light” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶glā “radiance” ✧ Ety/KAL
    • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶g’lā́ > glaw[glā] > [glǭ] > [glou] > [glau]✧ Ety/KAL

mân

noun. departed spirit

Noldorin [Ety/371] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Primitive adûnaic

manaw

noun. spirit

The primitive form of manô “spirit” (SD/424). Its plural form manaw+yi is also attested.

Derivatives

  • Ad. manô “spirit” ✧ SD/424; SD/424

Variations

  • manaw- ✧ SD/424
Primitive adûnaic [SD/424] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

faire

noun. radiance

Cognates

  • On. phaire “radiance” ✧ Ety/PHAY

Derivations

  • ᴹ√PHAY “radiate, send out rays of light” ✧ Ety/PHAY

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√PHAY > faire[pʰajre] > [pʰaire] > [ɸaire] > [faire]✧ Ety/PHAY

Variations

  • faire ✧ Ety/PHAY

faire

noun. natural death (as act)

Derivations

  • ᴹ√PHIR “die of natural causes” ✧ Ety/PHIR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√PHIR > faire[pʰaire] > [ɸaire] > [faire]✧ Ety/PHIR

Variations

  • faire ✧ Ety/PHIR

(a)ranya

adjective. free

Cognates

  • N. rhain “free” ✧ EtyAC/RAN

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶(a)ranyā “free, ?uncontrolling” ✧ EtyAC/RAN
    • ᴹ√RAN “wander, stray” ✧ Ety/RAN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶(a)ranı̯ā > (a)ranya[aranjā] > [aranja]✧ EtyAC/RAN

mirima

adjective. free

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIS “go free, stray, wander” ✧ Ety/MIS

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MIS > mirima[misima] > [mizima] > [mirima]✧ Ety/MIS

ranya

adjective. free

Old Noldorin 

phaire

noun. radiance

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. faire “radiance” ✧ Ety/PHAY

Derivations

  • ᴹ√PHAY “radiate, send out rays of light” ✧ Ety/PHAY

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√PHAY > phaire[pʰajre] > [pʰaire] > [ɸaire]✧ Ety/PHAY
Old Noldorin [Ety/PHAY] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

glā

noun. radiance

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivatives

  • N. glaw “radiance” ✧ Ety/KAL

Variations

  • g’lā́ ✧ Ety/KAL
  • g’lā ✧ EtyAC/KAL
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KAL; EtyAC/KAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

faidwen

noun. freedom

Cognates

  • Eq. fairie “freedom” ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen

Element in

  • G. Dor Faidwen “Land of Release” ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen
Gnomish [GL/33; LT1A/Dor Faidwen] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fegrin

adjective. free

Cognates

  • Eq. faika “free” ✧ QL/037

Derivations

  • ᴱ√FAYA “*free” ✧ QL/037

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√FAYA > fegrin[ɸaigrin] > [faigrin] > [fēgrin] > [fegrin]✧ QL/037

blaith

noun. spirit

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√VILI “*air”

Element in

  • G. gumlaith “weariness of spirit, depression, grief” ✧ GL/43; LT1A/Cûm a Gumlaith
Gnomish [GL/23; GL/43; LT1A/Cûm a Gumlaith] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

faire

adjective. free

Cognates

  • G. fair “free, unconstrained” ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen

Derivations

  • ᴱ√FAYA “*free” ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen; PE12/016; QL/037

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√FAL̃A > faire[ɸalri] > [faire]✧ PE12/016
ᴱ√FAYA > faire[ɸajri] > [ɸajre] > [fajre] > [faire]✧ QL/037

Variations

  • fairë ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen
Early Quenya [LT1A/Dor Faidwen; PE12/016; QL/037] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fairie

noun. freedom

Cognates

  • G. faidwen “freedom” ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen

Variations

  • fairië ✧ LT1A/Dor Faidwen
Early Quenya [LT1A/Dor Faidwen; QL/037] Group: Eldamo. Published by

faika

adjective. free

Cognates

  • G. fegrin “free” ✧ QL/037

Derivations

  • ᴱ√FAYA “*free” ✧ QL/037

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√FAYA > faika[ɸajkā] > [ɸajka] > [fajka] > [faika]✧ QL/037

Variations

  • faika ✧ QL/037
Early Quenya [QL/037] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qímar

noun. phantom

Element in

Early Quenya [MC/213] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vilisse

noun. spirit

Cognates

  • G. blaith “spirit” ✧ GL/23

Derivations

  • ᴱ√VILI “*air”
Early Quenya [GL/23] Group: Eldamo. Published by

English

phantoms

Phantoms

Phantom (from Middle English and Old French fantosme, from Latin phantasma), means "specter, spirit, ghost" or "illusion, unreality". The Quenya word fairë is glossed as "phantom; disembodied spirit, when seen as a pale shape" (pl. fairi). The Black Speech word gûl is glossed (among other things) as "phantom". The Qenya form qímar ("phantom"; qímari "phantoms") has been suggested as a reconstructed form deriving from linguistic material.[note 1]

English [Tolkien Gateway] Published by