enna

first

[enna adj. "first" (VT45:12)]

esta

first

esta (2) adj. "first" (ESE/ESET); this entry was marked with a query. The word Yestarë (q.v.) "Beginning-day" in LotR suggests that Tolkien decided to change the stem in question to _YESE/YESET_. We could then read *yesta for esta (but later this became a noun "beginning" rather than an adj. "first", PE17:120) and also prefix a y to the other words derived from ESE/ESET (essë* > yessë, essëa > yessëa). Estanossë noun "the firstborn", read likewise Yestanossë** (*Yestanessi?) but in a later text, Tolkien used Minnónar (q.v.) for "the Firstborn" as a name of the Elves, and this form may be preferred. _(In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word _Estanossë is cited as "Estanesse", but according to VT45:12, the second-to-last vowel is actually o in Tolkien's manuscript.)

inga

first

inga (2) adj. "first" (ING)

minya

first

minya adj. "first" (MINI) (cf. Minyatur, Minyon); "eminent, prominent" (VT42:24, 25). Minyar "Firsts", the original name of the Vanyar (or rather the direct Quenya descendant of the original Primitive Quendian name) (WJ:380)

setta

first

[setta, setya adj. "first" (possibly also "primary", but Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible) (VT46:13)]

Minyon

first-begotten

Minyon noun "First-begotten", attested as a personal (masc.) name (MR:87). Apparently this is minya "first" + the stem ON = beget.

minya

first; eminent, prominent

Cognates

• S. mein “first” ✧ VT42/10
• S. minui “first” ✧ VT42/25
• T. minya “first” ✧ VT42/25

Derivations

• √MIN “one, first of a series, one, first of a series; [ᴹ√] stand alone, stick out” ✧ VT42/24

Element in

• Q. eteminya “prominent” ✧ VT42/24
• Q. Minalcar “?First Glory”
• Q. Minnónar “First-born”
• Q. Minohtar “*First Warrior”
• Q. Minyar “Firsts (original clan name of the Vanyar)”
• Q. Minyarussa “First-russa” ✧ VT41/10
• Q. Minyatur “First-ruler” ✧ SA/minas
• Q. Minyon “First-begotten”

Elements

Word	Gloss
min	“one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first”
-ya	“adjective suffix”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MIN > minya	[minja]	✧ VT42/24

rea

adjective. single

rëa

adjective. single

Derivations

• ✶rē “single item take out of a (long) series” ✧ PE22/158
  • √ER “one, single, alone, one, single, alone; [ᴹ√] be alone, deprived; [ᴱ√] remain alone” ✧ PE22/158

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶rē > rëa	[rea]	✧ PE22/158

erya

single, sole

erya adj. "single, sole" (ERE)

netë

one more, another

netë *"one more, another", used in enumerating a series: e.g. 1, 2, (3), netë, netë, netë...with netë used instead of citing the actual numbers. (VT47:15, VT48:14-15, 31)

erinqua

single, alone

erinqua adj. "single, alone" (VT42:10)

mein

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/10

minui

ordinal. first

minui

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

ned

noun. first, *one more; first; *during

This word replaced the preposition uin “of the” in the third version of the King’s Letter, appearing in the phrase nelchaenen ned Echuir “the thirty-first day of Stirring”. Both Carl Hostetter (VT31/30) and David Salo (SG/229) theorized that this replacement has a similar prepositional function, from either √NOT “count” or √NED “middle”. Fiona Jallings suggested it might be a temporal preposition, with sense “during” (FJNS/349).

On VT47/40, note 67, Patrick Wynne suggested that this word might be a cognate of the newly published Quenya word net(ë) “one more”. This theory is supported by the most likely interpretation of nelchaenen. This word seems to mean “thirtieth” rather than “thirty-first”, and Patrick Wynne suggested that nelchaenen ned means “thirtieth and one more” = “thirty-first”. I find this theory the most compelling, and use it here.

Element in

• S. a Pherhael ar am Meril suilad uin aran o Minas Tirith nelchaenen ned Echuir “to Samwise and Rose the King’s greeting from Minas Tirith, the thirty-first day of Stirring” ✧ SD/129
• ᴺS. neman “when, (lit.) during what”

er

adjective. single

erui

adjective. first (incorrect use by the Gondorians)

The proper word for first in Sindarin was minui

erui

adjective. single, alone

The proper word for first in Sindarin was minui

main

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

mein

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

minai

adjective. single, distinct, unique

erui

first

(single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

1) minui (lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form), 2) mîn (lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”; 3) erui (single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

(lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form)

mîn

first

(lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”

er

single

1) er (pl. ir) (VT48:6), 2)

er

single

(pl. ir) (VT48:6)

erui

single

erui (first, alone). No distinct pl. form. 3) minai (distinct, unique), lenited vinai; pl. mini

erui

single

(first, alone). No distinct pl. form. 3) minai (distinct, unique), lenited vinai; pl. mini**

minya

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

minya

ordinal. first

Derivatives

• S. main “prime, chief, pre-eminent” ✧ VT42/25

edhen

adjective. first

Cognates

• ᴹQ. enna “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Derivations

• ᴹ✶edenā “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
  • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶edenā > eðen	[edenā] > [edena] > [eðena] > [eðen]	✧ EtyAC/EDE

Variations

• eðen ✧ EtyAC/EDE (eðen)

ereg

place name. First

Earlier name for the river S. Erui from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, apparently a Noldorin word meaning ereg “first” (TI/312, WR/436).

Changes

• Ereg → Erui “First” ✧ TI/312
• Ereg → Erui ✧ WRI/Erui

ereg

adjective. first

Element in

• N. Ereg “First” ✧ TI/312

Elements

Word	Gloss
er	“one, alone”
-eg	“suffix for ordinal numbers”

Variations

• Ereg ✧ TI/312

seth

adjective. first, forth

Cognates

• ᴹQ. essea “?primary” ✧ EtyAC/SET

Derivations

• ᴹ✶settā “first” ✧ EtyAC/SET
  • ᴹ√ESE(T) “precede (forward)” ✧ EtyAC/SET

Element in

• N. Sethnoss “Firstborn, Elves” ✧ EtyAC/SET (Sethnoss); EtyAC/SET (Sethel)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶settā > seth	[settā] > [setta] > [settʰa] > [seθθa] > [seθθ] > [seθ]	✧ EtyAC/SET

minei

adjective. single, distinct, unique